Flying Stars - The Amputee Footballers of Sierra Leone

The civil war in Sierra Leone (1991-2002) not only killed more than 50,000 people, it also led to thousands of innocent civilians having legs, arms or hands forcibly amputated by rebel soldiers. Or removed by landmines and bullets. The Flying Star Amputees are a group of football teams across Sierra Leone born out of the adversity of this war. All the players are victims of civil war amputations, and football has helped to bring them some degree of happiness, confidence and hope for a better future for disabled people in Sierra Leone. The rebels who committed these atrocities still live in the population. They could be a neighbour. So while the country collectively made the decision to forgive the rebels in order to move forward as a nation, the players told me that they can never forget. They physically live with the reminder and the ghosts of their past every day.