China Keitetsi was born in Uganda to Rwandan parents. She lived with her father and his girlfriend until she was 8, when she ran away with her sister to try and find her mother. Unfortunately she ended up with the National Resistance Army (NRA) where she became a child soldier and was given the name China (because of the slant of her eyes). She was raped repeatedly by her superiors and bore two children.

When she started to refuse the advances of an officer, he falsely accused her of selling weapons to the enemy. She was pregnant with her second child and fled Uganda for South Africa where she found refuge for her and her child. She was 18. She eventually managed to escape to Denmark where she is working on building a new life for herself.

She wrote the book, Child Soldier, to highlight the plight of the children in the army. Her hope is to build an orphanage for the child soldiers to help them find healing and be able to reintegrate into society. Her efforts are currently being supported by UNICEF, Amnesty International, Terre des Hommes, Oxfam, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, and IANSA.

To learn more about this incredible woman, visit her website.