Francis, 12 years old, is one of the boys who John takes care of. In an interview, Francis describes how he had to watch other children killing people. When two boys were executed with machetes for not following the orders, he felt that he would face the same fate. His chose to escape rather than be killed for disobeying orders. Francis can't go back to his mother - the village has become too dangerous for him. He will have to live with his aunt Gulu. In Gulu his past is unspoken. If he ever acknowledges his involvement with the LRA, his neighbors will disown him.

“The abducted children aren't children anymore. They have been forced to become adults! They have to find a way to cope with the past, present and future right in the middle of war“ John Bosco (social worker)