Mary Smart's Story

At 15, Mary Smart is already a survivor.

She was only nine years old when rebel armed forces in Sierra Leone's brutal civil war ripped her father, brother and sister away from her, killing them instantly. Mary escaped, but fear and loneliness became her only companions. She survived by hiding in the forest for four years.

When the 11-year war ended, Mary returned home to find her school was gone. Only a shell remained. The sight shattered her hopes of resuming her studies, which she loved so much. "It felt like our whole future had been destroyed," she said.

But then hope returned when Free The Children rebuilt the school. "It felt so unreal! I'm so grateful for that. Finally I can learn things again, and I feel like I can have a great future."

Mary hopes to be a doctor or lawyer to fight for children's rights. She works hard towards her goal, studying all day and doing her homework late into the evening. Like many of her classmates, Mary's life was turned around by re-entering the safe and nurturing environment provided at school.

Through Free The Children's schoolbuilding program, children like Mary gain access to an education they would otherwise not have.