A crisis is unfolding right now in countries rocked by civil conflict and war. A growing number of war-affected and exploited youths desperately in need of hope and healing are being impacted by a massive reduction in global aid. As humanitarian organizations are forced to cut back or shut down altogether, our work is becoming more important than ever.
Adolescent girls like Lia, a Nigerian Boko Haram victim, and Anya, a young Ukrainian enduring three years of war, are desperately in need of a path to a brighter future. They need help to recover from the trauma of violence and heartbreaking loss. You can help transform their lives. You can help restore their hope and voices.
Liya: Displaced Witness to Horror
Liya, lives in the Labondo internally displaced persons community in Nigeria. Her young life was shattered one fateful day when her village of Gwoza was attacked by Boko Haram militants, who killed residents and burned down countless homes. Liya, with her mother and sister, fortunately escaped.
But their good fortune was to be short-lived, they would soon discover. After the family returned to Gwoza, Boko Haram attacked again. This time, Liya and her father were caught while trying to escape. They brutally killed Liya’s father in front of her, then threatened her with the same fate. She spent two weeks in captivity before managing to escape, spending several days in the bush with no food or water before she was rescued by government soldiers.
Liya’s journey toward empowerment is only just beginning. It is very different from that of Anya, a 17-year-old girl from Vysuns’k, which was heavily shelled during the first year of the Russia-Ukraine war. But they share a common trauma – the isolation and hopelessness that stems from violent conflict, displacement, and loss of community. Anya’s experience with the House of Youth program started by our Ukrainian partner, Kokhana Krayina, is just one example of how the young people we work with can find strength and healing through purpose. Having relocated to Kazanka, Anya is now helping to manage the daily operations of Kokhana Krayina.
Anya: Healing through Purpose
Anya was just 14 years old when her mother woke her up one morning to tell her that the war with Russia had begun. It was an emotionally exhausting time for the young teen, with constant shelling disrupting her daily life. “It was hard for me when the war started,” Anya said. “I was worried not so much about myself as about my family.”
Anya’s parents decided not to evacuate from their town despite being on the front lines. It wasn’t until a friend invited her to volunteer for a HofY camp for war-affected children that she saw a path toward purpose and empowerment for herself.
“When I first went to the HofY camp, I didn't know whether I could overcome such a challenge as working with children,” Anya added. “But when the HofY camp days were coming to an end. . . I realized that I couldn't leave these people. They had become my second family.”
Healing from conflict-based trauma is a journey that can take years. Young people like Liya and Anya deserve the opportunity to heal from that trauma and build the valuable life skills they need.