Ishmael Beah

Noah Ahooja

Mrs. Christopher

HHSE2: Period 2 22

April 2019

Extraordinary over the Ordinary

Renowned author Joseph Campbell once said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” As portrayed by Campbell in his article “Center for Story and Symbol,” heroes symbolize the ideal high-quality life of our modern day society. Our heroes today are often only noted because of their wealth and fame. We look to these people as heroes because we want to be like them--rich and famous. We oversee true acts of heroism, acts that better society. True heroes have passion for the world and do their best to improve the lives of the people around them; they are ordinary people that make themselves extraordinary. A hero can be someone in everyday scenarios: a mom teaching her children discipline, a student standing up to a bully, or a a firefighter rushing into a burning building to save lives. Heroic actions can be short term and long term, single actions or lifetimes of service. A heroic action reveals passion, courage, and strength in a person. These passionate and courageous individuals set themselves apart from the rest because of their courage to believe in their ideals and better society.

One person who demonstrates bravery to make a change in the world is Ishmael Beah. Beah is one of the most inspirational and influential men living today because he was able to overcome a difficult childhood, and now helps children going through what he went through. Beah was born in Mogbwemo, Africa, on November 23, 1980, and raised by his older cousins and friends. He and his brother were orphaned during Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war and grew up in a poor environment full of violence and corruption. At the age of thirteen, Beah was forced to fight in the war. After suffering through childhood trauma and a brutal war, Beah joined and founded different human rights organizations and even became president of the Ishmael Beah Foundation, dedicated to providing financial and educational stability to children in war. Rather than allowing his hardships to define his life, Beah embodied the passion and courage to overcome his trauma by advocating for the betterment of children in war, making him more than deserving of the title hero. Beah’s mental and physical strength allowed him to overcome the adversity he faced after becoming a soldier at the tender age of thirteen. Beah’s childhood showcased terror and brutality that would break most adults. In fact, he faced hardships even after leaving the war and living in a rehabilitation camp where he “had a hard time relearning how to sleep, how to stay in one place, and how to exist in a peaceful environment far removed from the violence” (Ishmael Beah). Being brainwashed, drugged, and forced to fight for two years, Beah’s childhood was like no other. While enslaved as a child soldier, he was constantly under threat. Gutsily, Beah lived in hostile environments that wore on his nerves and sanity: “he heard the cries of his friend Josiah, aged eleven, and saw him lying on a tree stump, his spine crushed by an RUF rocket-propelled grenade. Immediately after that... his other closest friend, thirteen-year-old Musa, was also gravely injured, and only then did he start firing his AK-47” (Ishmael Beah). Beah was only a thirteen-year-old boy when he saw his friends perish. Instead of cowering and accepting his demise, Beah utilized his anger, devastation, and sorrow to fight. He fought intrepidly for almost 3 years until he finally got out of the war, but returned to society traumatized and not knowing what a peaceful world was anymore. Though faced with years of bloodshed and traumatic gore, Beah’s newfound courage allowed him to fight back against the dangers, even when his closest friends died. Although forced into battle, Beah’s self-sacrifice speaks to how people are not always put in the best situations; it is how they choose to face those hard times that define them. Beah’s demonstration of valor inspires people to fight through adversity, showcasing his heroism.

Beah’s passion for helping others live a better life not only drove him to find a new purpose, but helped improve the well-being of children all over the world. After going through rehabilitation, Beah helps and works with young boys going through the same trauma that he did. After going through a difficult and violent childhood, Beah now works for many different organizations, trying to help children who went through what he did. Many of his accomplishments include: “UNICEF Ambassador and Advocate for Children Affected by War; Network of Young People Affected by War, cofounder; Ishmael Beah Foundation, president. Member, Human Rights Watch Children's Rights Division Advisory Committee” (Ishmael Beah). Beah works with child soldiers, working to rehabilitate them and help them return to normal, healthy lifestyles. Beah’s drive to help and serve others is evident: “His passion for bringing a greater understanding to the experiences of child soldiers has since led Beah to his current role as a U.N. ambassador for children affected by war” (Barnett). As an ambassador, Beah made many changes, such as funding the rehabilitation of former child soldiers, in the interest of protecting future generations of children. Through his passion, Beah does his best to show the world the cruelty of what he went through, and what children today are still going through. In a world full of terrible wrongs, Beah fights for what’s right. Instead of doing nothing, he has dedicated his life to keep helping others regardless of his painful memories. His selfless acts have given these young soldiers a voice and hope for a future. Heroes are often viewed as superhuman beings without flaws, temptations or faults, but the reality is nearly always far less glorious. These people are still human, which means they still come with flaws. But for some, like Beah, it is their flaws--weakness, innocence, vulnerability--that powers their motor; they harness their flaws to speak to our common, human frailties and use their special abilities to make the world a better place for everybody. True heroes do not sacrifice for the fame, they do it out of pure passion and desire to make a change in society. Although Beah is nowhere close to being the smartest person in the world, the most talented, or the bravest, he has one of the biggest hearts and work ethic that propelled him to contribute to society and give back to his community, even when his own community gave him trauma. Beah’s determination and perseverance to help the world after what he went through is what makes him an inspiration. Beah is my hero because whenever I’m going through difficult times in life, I can just think of him and know I can overcome any hardships that come my way.