Traveling deep inside the jungle after a daylong boat journey, I arrived with trepidation and mistrust at the secret camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

As a Colombian photojournalist, I was raised in a modest farming family to despise the rebels my relatives characterized as killers. But watching the guerrillas of the FARC's southern bloc go about their daily routine as they prepared for peace I began to see them as regular people like myself and I decided to photograph them both in their uniforms and then in their civilian attire to show their more human side.

Under an accord reached last month by the government and FARC leaders, a cease-fire has taken effect and a national referendum will be held Oct. 2 to give voters the chance to approve the deal for ending a half-century of political violence that has killed more than 220,000 people and driven more than 5 million from their homes.

During a visit to their secret camp, I photographed rebels of both genders from the FARC’s 48th Front and several other rebel units. I asked each one their age, number of years in the FARC and aspirations for the future.

Setting aside heavy assault rifles and camouflaged uniforms to put on street clothes, the men looked virtually the same. But the women were transformed.

Rubiela, a rebel of 49th front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, poses at a camp in the southern jungles of Putumayo, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Rubiela said she is 32 and has spent ten years in the FARC, and would like to study dentistry after the signing of a peace deal with the Colombian government. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Many said they were 18 but some looked younger. Many also confided that they joined the FARC years before. That meant many were recruited as minors, a human rights violation that is sadly among many that Colombia's long conflict has produced.

If the conversations seemed scripted — the male commanders chose which women I could photograph — the pictures were anything but. The women laughed, smiled and grabbed nervously at the edges of unfamiliar street clothes. Many had never been photographed in any formal way and the experience recalled my own youth as a studio photographer in Bogota taking portraits for high school graduations and ID cards.

After spending their youth fighting a futile war, the rebels are now eager to make up for the lost time. One young woman hadn't even finished elementary school.

It was very different than the last time I entered a guerrilla camp more than a decade ago. The rebels then were guarded, more dogmatic.

Today, Colombians still say overwhelmingly in polls that they dislike the rebels. FARC members have responded by trying to project a softer image during their transition into a political movement.

On my recent visit, the guerrillas were focused on their future lives under the peace deal reached last month after four years of negotiations. One rebel was even learning how to play guitar with instruction from the internet.

When I left after a week, I told the rebels I'd see them soon. It was a throwaway phrase, the sort of thing you say when you're at a loss for words.

The next time, one said, you may not recognize us because we'll be dressed just like you.

Yiceth a rebel of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, poses at a camp of the 48th front in the southern jungles of Putumayo, Colombia, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Yiceth said she is 18, that has spent four years with the FARC and wishes to finish high school and take a nursing course after the signing of the a peace agreement with the Colombian government. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Derly, a rebel of 49th front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, poses at a camp in the southern jungles of Putumayo, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Derly said she is 24 and has been nine years in the FARC, and after the peace agreement with the government of Colombia she would like to study medicine. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

This Aug. 15, 2016 photo shows two portraits Carolina, one of her holding a weapon while in her uniform for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) 49th front, and in civilian clothing at a guerrilla camp in the southern jungle of Putumayo, Colombia. Carolina, 18, said she has spent three years in the FARC and would like to study engineering after demobilizing as part of a peace deal with Colombia's government. An Oct. 2 national referendum will give voters the chance to approve the deal for ending a half-century of political violence that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and driven millions from their homes. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

This Aug. 16, 2016 photo shows two portraits of Mayerli, one of her holding a weapon while in her uniform for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) 32nd front, and in civilian clothing at a guerrilla camp in the southern jungle of Putumayo, Colombia. Mayerli, 18, said she has spent four years with the FARC and would like to study nursing after demobilizing as part of a peace deal with Colombia's government. An Oct. 2 national referendum will give voters the chance to approve the deal for ending a half-century of political violence that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and driven millions from their homes. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Yuri Renteria, a rebel of 32nd front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, poses at her camp in the southern jungles of Putumayo, Colombia, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016. She said she is 18 and has been with the FARC four years, would like to study engineering systems after she demobilizes as part of the peace agreement with the Colombia's government. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Johana, a rebel of 32nd front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, poses for a photo at her camp in the southern jungles of Putumayo, Colombia, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016. Johana said she is 19, that has spent six years in the FARC and would like to study nursing after demobilizing as part of a peace deal with the Colombia's government is signed. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Diana Marcela, a rebel of 48th front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, poses at a camp in the southern jungles of Putumayo, Colombia, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Marcela said she is 28, that has spent thirteen years in the FARC and would like to finish high school and study photography after demobilizing as part of the peace agreement with the Colombia's government. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Sofia, a rebel of 49th front of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, poses for a photo at her camp in the southern jungles of Putumayo, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Sofia said she is 19 and has spent six years with the FARC, and that would like to study law after the signing of a peace deal with the Colombian government. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Text from AP news story, AP PHOTOS: In Colombia jungle, rebels prepare for peace by Fernando Vergara.

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