Nigeria’s displaced Boko Haram victims invest in small businesses to make a living.

Record ID: 85116

  • Title: Nigeria’s displaced Boko Haram victims invest in small businesses to make a living.
  • Date: 29th September 2016
  • Summary: YOLA, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HOUSING STRUCTURES AT CAMP FOR DISPLACED VARIOUS OF WOMEN SEWING WOMAN CROCHETING VARIOUS OF DISPLACED CIVILIAN, FADIMATU ABDULLAHI USING SEWING MACHINE (SOUNDBITE) (Hausa) DISPLACED CIVILIAN, FADIMATU ABDULLAHI, SAYING: "We are learning this trade so we can help and support our families." WOMAN SEWING CAP VARIOUS OF DISPLACED CIVILIAN, AISHA ADAMU SEWING CAP FINISHED CAPS CHILDREN LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (Hausa) OF DISPLACED CIVILIAN, AISHA ADAMU, SAYING: "Most of us in this camp lost our husbands in the conflict. We have many children who have daily needs and no money to take care of them. We depend on the food cooked by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to feed our children which you know is not proper because the food is not always served on time." VARIOUS OF WOMEN SORTING BEANS BEANS ON THE FLOOR WOMAN POURING BEANS INTO BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA), COORDINATOR, ADAMAWA, SAAD BELLO, SAYING: "We don't want to make a market, within the IDP settlement for some security reasons. But we always encourage, if they can have an outlet somewhere that would be very good so that they can easily take their materials into those outlets and then sell it in a wholesome and then come back to the camp so that those out there will now retail it to the general public. That is one of our challenges, because we need those outlets so that their materials will be patronized." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT CAMP FOR THE DISPLACED
  • Embargoed: 14th October 2016 13:57
  • Keywords: Entrepreneurs Displaced Boko Haram Insurgency Islamist Camp
  • Location: YOLA, NIGERIA
  • City: YOLA, NIGERIA
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
  • Reuters ID: LVA00151MCGGN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:With more than one million people living in camps around Nigeria's northeastern cities, having fled their homes due to Boko Haram attacks, many still don't know exactly when they will return to their farms.
    Many of the displaced arrived at the camps with no money or possessions, leaving them totally dependent on the government and humanitarian organizations for their daily needs.
    At the Damare camp in Yola, formerly a youth orientation camp for university graduates, dozens of women have taken to learning how to make traditional caps usually worn by men, shampoo making and tailoring in the meantime to enable them earn an income.
    A number of those uprooted by the Islamist militant group, such as Fadimatu Abdullahi are eager to launch profit-making businesses in future.
    Rescued by the military after Boko Haram invaded Gwoza town, Fadimatu is now learning new skills by sewing clothes.
    "We are learning this trade so we can help and support our families," she said.
    The skills acquisition scheme was introduced by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) a few months ago here to help displaced people get training in various skills that could help them become independent.
    Aisha Adamu, a mother of seven was forced to watch the murder of her husband by Boko Haram insurgents in 2013. The family lived in captivity for months before being rescued by the military.
    She now makes men's caps for sale. Aisha sells her caps for between 5 to 18 U.S. dollars which she says helps sustain the family.
    "Most of us in this camp lost our husbands in the conflict. We have many children who have daily needs and no money to take care of them. We depend on the food cooked by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to feed our children which you know is not proper because the food is not always served on time," she said.
    While the government began relocating the displaced from schools in February in preparation for their reopening, many are still not ready to go back home because of insecurity.
    Displaced families complain that living conditions are poor, and the United Nations says many of the makeshift shelters are overcrowded and substandard in terms of water and sanitation facilities, cooking and privacy, especially for women.
    NEMA officials say though they are providing training for residents they encourage them to find markets outside the camp.
    "We don't want to make a market, within the IDP settlement for some security reasons. But we always encourage, if they can have an outlet somewhere that would be very good so that they can easily take their materials into those outlets and then sell it in a wholesome and then come back to the camp so that those out there will now retail it to the general public. That is one of our challenges, because we need those outlets so that their materials will be patronized," said Saad Bello the NEMA coordinator in Adamawa state.
    Nigeria's army, backed by its neighbours, has retaken most territory previously lost to Boko Haram. Nigeria is fighting the group on the ground and with air strikes. A multi-national joint task force - comprising troops from Nigeria and neighboring Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Benin - is also battling the militants.
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