Help 10,000 Displaced Families Rebuild in Nigeria

We are sharing this second update to provide clarity on the scale and urgency of the crisis facing Aku Community.

Following prolonged insecurity and repeated violent attacks, large sections of Aku Community have been destroyed, with many homes burnt and livelihoods wiped out. As a result, over 800 families have been displaced, forced to flee their homes with little or nothing. Entire neighborhoods are now abandoned, and many families are living in temporary shelters or relying on relatives for survival.

Women and children are the most affected. Many households have lost fathers and breadwinners to violence, leaving widows and children without protection, income, or stability. Over 1368 children have been pushed out of school and exposed to trauma, hunger, and uncertainty about their future.

Although this project is currently unfunded, Empower Future Initiative has already conducted local assessments through community leaders and volunteers. These assessments confirm urgent needs for:

• Emergency food and basic household supplies

• Temporary shelter and household recovery support for families whose homes were burnt

• Psychosocial and protection-focused assistance for women and children affected by loss and trauma

• Early livelihood recovery support to help families regain dignity and self-reliance

As an organization rooted in this region, we have direct access, community trust, and local volunteers ready to act. Our response plan is prepared and can be deployed immediately once resources are secured.

We are committed to transparency, safeguarding, and regular updates as this response moves forward. Early support, no matter the size, will help families who have lost everything begin the long journey toward safety, healing, and recovery.

Thank you for standing with the displaced families of Aku Community in this critical moment.

— Empower Future Initiative

As fundraising continues for Empower Victims of Unknown Gunmen in Nigeria, Empower Future Initiative has taken critical first steps to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs in Aku community, Okigwe LGA, Imo State. Our team conducted an on-ground assessment visit to better understand the scale of displacement, destruction, and trauma affecting families who have endured years of violent attacks.

During this visit, we engaged displaced women, youth, community leaders, and caregivers to document priority needs, including food insecurity, lack of shelter, disrupted education, and deep psychological distress. Many families shared painful experiences of losing homes, livelihoods, and loved ones, while children remain out of school and women struggle to provide for their households.

In response, EFI provided initial psychosocial support, offering trauma-informed counseling, emotional support, and safe spaces for survivors, particularly women and youth, to express their experiences and begin healing.

These early actions reaffirm the urgency of this project and the community’s readiness for recovery support. With donor backing, EFI aims to scale relief, education restoration, livelihood training, and rebuilding efforts to help Aku families move from survival toward healing, dignity, and long-term resilience.