Feed Displaced Families in Benue, Nigeria

Every morning before the sun rises, Esther (name changed), a 16-year-old displaced girl, picks up two empty water containers and begins the long walk to the nearest water point inside the Makurdi IDP camp. The containers are heavy when she returns. But the weight she carries is much greater than water. Before violence forced her family to flee their village, Esther dreamed of becoming a nurse. She attended school every day, helped her mother on the family farm, and spent her evenings studying with friends. Today, her routine is very different. Much of her day is spent searching for water, helping care for her younger siblings, and supporting her mother as they struggle to rebuild life in the camp. Like many displaced girls, her education has been interrupted, and every day is shaped by the uncertainty of displacement.

When our GoGreen team met Esther during one of our relief visits, she smiled as she filled her containers and quietly said, "I miss the life we had. I just want to go back to school and feel normal again." Her words remind us that humanitarian crises affect more than people's immediate survival—they reshape childhood, disrupt education, and place enormous responsibilities on young girls far too soon.

According to UNICEF and the United Nations, women and children make up the majority of people displaced by conflict, while limited access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene increases the risk of disease and undermines the health, dignity, and well-being of vulnerable families.

This is why GoGreen's response goes beyond providing food. Alongside emergency food assistance, our team has distributed hygiene supplies and essential relief materials to displaced families in the Makurdi IDP camps. Through your support, we are working to improve access to clean water, promote safe hygiene practices, and provide dignity kits and other basic necessities that help women and girls navigate daily life with greater comfort and confidence.

But there are still many girls like Esther waiting for help. Your donation will help us reach more families with food, safe water, hygiene supplies, and essential relief items that restore not only health, but dignity. As we prepared to leave, Esther lifted the water containers onto her shoulders, smiled, and said, "One day, I hope I will carry my school bag again instead of these."

Together, we can help make that day possible.

Links:

• WFP Food hunger report

As our team distributed food at the Makurdi IDP camp, Dooshima (name changed) quietly stepped aside instead of joining the other parents preparing meals. One of our volunteers gently asked if everything was alright. She smiled and replied, "I already ate." A few minutes later, one of her children whispered, "Mama always says that. She wants us to eat first." The truth was heartbreaking.

For several days, Dooshima had been eating very little so her three children could have enough to survive. Like many displaced mothers, she had become accustomed to silencing her hunger so her children would not have to. Before conflict forced her family to flee, Dooshima cultivated vegetables and cassava on a small piece of land in rural Benue. Although life was never easy, there was always food to share. Today, she depends entirely on humanitarian assistance.

Sadly, her story reflects a growing crisis across Nigeria. According to the World Food Programme, nearly 35 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity in 2026, driven by conflict, displacement, climate shocks, and rising food prices. Children are among the most vulnerable, with millions at risk of malnutrition if humanitarian support cannot keep pace with growing needs.

At GoGreen, moments like these remind us why every food distribution matters. Over recent months, our volunteers have continued delivering food and relief materials to displaced families in the Makurdi IDP camps. Each bag of rice, carton of food items, blanket, and hygiene kit represents more than humanitarian assistance—it tells a family that they have not been forgotten.

But every outreach also shows how much more we still need to do. Hundreds of mothers like Dooshima continue to make impossible choices every day. No parent should have to decide whether to eat or let their children eat instead.

With your support, GoGreen can reach more families with nutritious food, emergency relief supplies, clean water, and nutrition support for vulnerable children.

Before we left, Dooshima thanked our team and said quietly, "One day, I hope I will cook in my home again."

Until that day comes, your compassion can help ensure that no mother has to face an empty plate so her children can survive.

Thank you for helping us bring hope, one family at a time.

Links:

• WFP Food hunger report