After the storm: economic activities among children and youth in return areas in post war Liberia

Returnee children in Liberia

By: Boas M & Hatloy A
Published by: Institute for Applied Social Science (Fafo), 2006
Via: Eldis

This report documents the kinds of formal and informal work that children and youth may be involved with in the context of a return situation in a fragile or a post conflict environment. Concentrating specifically on the experiences of Liberian refugees returning to Voinjama in Lofa Country the paper considers the following:

• the children living in Voinjama
• displacement patterns and refugee experiences
• perceptions of the future
• current activities of returnees.

The paper concludes that children in the area of Voinjama have faired relatively well during the period of war in Liberia, many still have their families which increases their levels of security. A relative under-employment has allowed children to devote more time to their education.