January 17, 2022

We would like to share the story of Mumin (23), a former member of an armed group who successfully reintegrated into society.


Mumin‘s Story

Born in 1998, Mumin joined the armed group Al-Shabaab at the young age of 15. He explained that his hometown was under the group’s control and that there was no way to escape. In Somalia, such cases of forced recruitment are unfortunately common. Mumin was one of the many young people drawn into a world of violence against their will. ▲ Care counseling session. Left: Mr. Nagai, Executive Director / Center: Local staff / Right: Mumin

Mumin had been working in a restaurant to help support his impoverished family. Due to his expertise, even after joining Al-Shabaab he began working as a cook at one of the restaurants operated by the organization.

It’s important to note that even within non-state armed groups, roles vary – not every member becomes a fighter.

During his roughly four years in the organization, Mumin occasionally assisted fighters in addition to his cooking duties. And although he was not directly involved in combat, he was still exposed to the group’s extremist ideology. While he was not deeply influenced by it, after being arrested, he was sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement with the group. He was only 19 years old at the time.


Rehabilitation and Rediscovering Hope

We approach young people like Mumin with understanding and do not judge their past, but walk with them toward a new future. Of course, few are able to open up fully from the beginning, but through numerous dialogues, mutual trust slowly grows.

What matters most is this principle:

“The past cannot be changed, but the future can be created anew.”

Based on this belief, in the latter stages of his care counseling, we began exploring Mumin’s dreams and working together to build a concrete plan around them.

This process takes place in our Job Management Training program. Mumin’s dream was to open his own restaurant one day, drawing on his past experience as a cook.

However, the first thing he asked for was financial support to start a restaurant. While we never deny such requests, we explained that opening and managing a restaurant immediately after release would be difficult. Instead, we helped him set a long-term goal of opening his own place, while taking the first practical step: gaining proper experience by working in an established restaurant.


Building a New Life

After completing our rehabilitation program, Mumin was released in the spring of 2020. Rather than returning to his hometown, still under Al-Shabaab’s control, he moved to Mogadishu, the capital, to begin a new life with his family.

Even before his release, he had already started preparing for the future. Once free, he personally visited various restaurants in Mogadishu to seek employment. His persistence paid off: five months after his release, he was finally hired as a waiter.

At first, most of his tasks were menial – cleaning, serving, and running errands – but he remained patient and dedicated, taking every small step seriously. ▲ Mumin working as a waiter in a restaurant in Mogadishu. He kindly treated our staff to coffee free of charge. ▲ Mr. Nagai, Executive Director, visited Mumin’s restaurant for a follow-up in December 2020.


A Proud Update

We regularly conduct follow-ups with released individuals like Mumin, both online and through in-person visits by our local staff.

In November 2021, during an online counseling session, Mumin proudly shared some remarkable news:

“I’m no longer a waiter – I’ve been promoted to assistant restaurant manager!”

He told us:

“At first, I never imagined this kind of future. But thanks to Accept, I realized I wasn’t alone – and that gave me the strength to keep going. I’m truly grateful.”

We will continue to support young people like Mumin as they carve out their own futures, step by step, and work toward a world free of terrorism and armed conflict. ▲ Online follow-up counseling between Mr.. Nagai, Executive Director and Mumin, November 2021.

Our independent activities are made possible through the support of individuals like you, particularly those who join as “Accept Ambassadors,” contributing from 10 USD per month.

Together with you, we hope to continue taking on the challenge of ending terrorism and armed conflict, starting right here from Japan.

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