Emotional Healing for Child Victims of Terrorism

March was an exceptional month for ICEHA!  We expanded our programs to 5 new locations where ICEHA is partnering with the survivors of Boko Haram to help over 6000 additional displaced children and their families in Abuja and Lagos.This expansion is mentoring and empowering IDP, and has been made possible because of your continued generosity. 

During our initial visits, we were met with high levels of skepticism and diustrust. It was heartbreaking to learn that other organizations with large revenue streams had visited and promised to help these IDPs, but that help either didn't materialize, or was delivered with much media fanfare with no follow up. In some cases, schools were built, but no teachers, books, or supplies were delivered. Tailoring was taught, but no sewing machines supplied. Building trust is critical to sustainable progress as well as receiving reports of possible recruitment ot infiltration by Boko Haram. Since our initial visits, we have built great working relationships with the residents of these settlements and are in frequent, sometimes daily, communication.

ICEHA has noticed cases extreme violence between young children during our programs. This is not unusual for children who have been victimized by terrorist acts. We continue to work with the children and their parents to design sustainable strategies for conflict resolution. We will continue to assess levels of PTSD and get professional therapists involved in the extreme cases. 

Attached to this report are  photos  and media coverage from our events last month. I hope you enjoy them. We are extremely grateful for your generosity and hope you feel compelled to continue your support to help stop the perpetuation of violence.

Thank you so much!

Links:

• ICEHA in the news in Nigeria

Greetings:

As Executive Director of ICEHA, I want to update you on your investment and thank you for your continued concern for the vulnerable child survivors of vicious Boko Haram attacks.

I will be in Nigeria in March to start our programs in Apo settlement,which has not been receiving any form of continuing aid since 2014. ICEHA is partnering with a Nigerian medical doctor who has an NGO focused on eradicating malaria, and has been working n the settlement. He was also recipient of a Mandela Fellowship, created by President Obama. After thorough vetting, we are excited about this very credible relationship.

The IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) children are orogionally from Gwoza. The residents of Gwoza were subjected to extreme terror for many days before the final bloody massacre.  After arriving at Apo, the police brutalized and killed many of the settlers, who had already been through so much. The children have also been refused education in the public schools under the excuse of lacking documentation (which were destroyed by Boko Haram). Our programs will feed the children as we help them heal from their emotional trauma. With no food, the residents will eventually be forced to get food through desperate measures -- as have many before them who joined in terrorist activities in order to survive. 

1. INTRODUCTION

ICEHA is delighted at the opportunity to expand our work with Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) in Apo Settlement, Abuja, Nigeria. Through our relationship with Dr. Mohammed Saleh Saleh, we hope to form an ongoing partnership with the leaders, facilitators, residents and neighbors of the Apo Settlement. Our goal is to have our initial program during early March to meet with all interested parties, provide Healing Through Art and other programs mentioned below.  From that initial contact, we will work with our partners to create and coordinate a plan designed to meet specific needs and goals of the residents of Apo settlement.

1. About Apo Settlement

There are currently 972 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Apo settlement. About 3/3 of the population is women and children, of these, 390 are children 5 years of age and under, and the majority of the women are widows. They are from Gwoza LGA of Borno State and have been in Apo since 2014.  Boko Haram attacks on Gwoza were especially brutal.

Needs of the settlement have been prioritized as:

1. Food & water
2. Health
3. Education
4. Socioeconomic empowerment and skills acquisition

The location of the settlement is actually just partially constructed buildings in an area isolated from neighbors and behind a locked gate.  The owner of the building visits periodically and threatens to evict them, but that hasn’t happened yet. There are currently two rooms which have been improvised to be classrooms, and there are no formally trained or educated teachers. Volunteer youth amongst the population are teaching the younger children.

There is currently no source of livelihood within the settlement. The women currently have no marketable skills, although some are familiar with the use of henna for medicinal purposes. However, leadership will support entrepreneurship training by providing for skills transfer by women from other settlements/camps who have received training. Even with training, entrepreneurship mentoring and seed funding is lacking. Youth depend upon non-routine motorcycle riding to ferry for income.

The IDPs of Apo are depressed most of the time. They get excited when relief workers arrive, but fall back into depression after they leave, especially when food is in short supply. They also fear eviction and uncertainty of where they will go if evicted.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT & CHALLENGES

The residents of Apo have endured especially brutal attacks; months of wandering before arriving at this make-shift settlement, starvation, disease, lack of clean water, lack of education, boredom, depression, and other issues not yet assessed. It is likely that lack pf proper hygiene, emotional trauma, and sexual promiscuity amongst the youth (possible STD’s) are also present. They were first victimized by the attacks and continue to be victimized by their continuing conditions. It is highly likely there are many undiagnosed psychological and physical health issues which are not addressed due to the lack of resources. The need for the basic survival necessities is great and not met with any dependability. Without psychosocial intervention, education and entrepreneurship opportunities, early death, poverty, corruption and violence are sure to perpetuate into future generations. Any programs introduced must also include our participating in and helping to sponsor a feeding program. All our programs must be sustainable and the participants must be able to depend upon us following through with promises of follow on assistance and mentorship.

PROGRAM DESIGN - Suggested Programs for Apo

Healing Through ART

          Emotional assessments & healing

          Village design and assessment for kids

Empowerment & Entrepreneurship

          Henna art

          Hat makinG

         Tailoring

         Soap/bleach making

         Animal husbandrY

         Patio farming

        Basic business management

         Visual arts

         Weaving

         Coordination for skills sharing from other settlements/camps

3000 Teachers Training

       Training for volunteer teachers

Global Classroom Initiative (GCI)

      School supplies & teacher stipends

Thanks to your imcestment in these children, we are able to help them create their own sustainable and happy lives. 

I will be sure to take lots of pictures and videos to share with you!

Thank you again for your support!