Imagine being forced to flee your village because of horrific attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, who kill and maim indiscriminately. Tragically, that is the reality for thousands of young girls who now live in the relative security of IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps in northeast Nigeria. However, their struggle is not over. In some cases, it has just begun.
Here are 5 Fast Facts about our newly launched efforts there:
1. Our Country Director in Nigeria, Nari Welye, earned her law degree in 2011 from the University of Maiduguri and has worked tirelessly for women's rights and victims of gender-based violence.
2. People in northeast Nigeria live in constant fear of the next attack by Boko Haram, which ruthlessly uses children as suicide bombers.
3. More than 80% of displaced persons in northeast Nigeria are women and children. Among them, adolescent girls and child mothers are traditionally overlooked by humanitarian programs.
4. Due to a decrease in food distribution within the IDP camps, girls are being married off at younger ages than ever—as young as 12 and 13—to reduce the economic burden on their parents and generate revenue from the bride price.
5. ChildVoice is stepping into the gap in the IDP camps of Nigeria, hoping to provide these at-risk adolescent girls with basic hygiene products, vocational training, and the means for them to return to school. For the first time, they have a glimmer of hope!