NIGERIA

This West African nation is anchored by the bustling port city of Lagos and its central capital of Abuja. Predominantly Muslim in the north and Christian in the south, Nigeria manages to maintain a refreshing sense of harmony between the two religions as they live side by side in some regions. The main threat to peace in Nigeria is the jihadist violence perpetrated by the extremist group Boko Haram, known for its infamous Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping in April 2014.Boko Haram and splinter groups such as ISWAP continue to terrorize towns and villages in northeastern Nigeria. Ongoing clashes between agricultural villages and nomadic Fulani herders likewise result in loss of life and forced displacement.

ChildVoice has been registered as a non-governmental organization in Nigeria since 2018. Our Nigeria headquarters of operations in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state in eastern Nigeria. There, we are working with displaced adolescent girls and boys in the Malkohi internally displaced camp outside the city of Yola; in Mubi, a town in the northern state of Adamawa; and most recently in Labondo, a new community created by Adamawa State in partnership with UNHCR to prove safe housing for displaced Nigerians who choose to relocate there.

The vast majority of these are women and children who have witnessed horrific violence and have been highly traumatized as a result. Our hope is to bring them therapeutic counseling, basic necessities, and loving care as they try to move past their experiences.