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Bukola Afeni
“Are we truly Nigerians ,or refugees in this country ?
We live under deplorable condition in our own fatherland on a daily basis.
If indeed we are true Nigerians we won’t be left to suffer unjustly”says Muhammad Abubakar,a resident of Kurumajiji camp in Abuja .
“After we have lost many relatives and children ,we are still living from hand to mouth in our own country ”
“This is not really encouraging ,we live at the mercies of other people ,when they remember us,the gap between the rich and the poor in this country is so wide “says Abubakar.
Another resident of the camp ,Usman Shehu wants the federal government to improve their plight ,and asked them to consider them by providing jobs, as some of them are willing to work .
“I was a farmer in my community ,before the insurgent activities began and my wife is a trader ,but now we have nothing to do ,and our life is just in a standstill ”
“We are seeking for better education for our children ,because they will be duly informed ,and take the right decision in life ”
“For about two years ,they were not going to school ,until a makeshift school was created three months ago,and they have been going to school since that time ”
“We don’t have the basic necessities of life ,we don’t have electricity ,we have been living in total darkness since we came to this camp ,a kind hearted individual donated a generator for us ,but most times we do not have money to buy fuel to make it function ”
“We want philanthropist to come to our aid and give us relief materials ,it will make life easier for us ,because sometimes we go without food
Fatima Yusuf ,urged the government to provide primary health care center in the community ,as some of the resident have been down with typhoid fever and malaria fever in the past months ,and the leader of the camp is the one that normally takes them to hospital most times .
“We want good health care facilities around ,because when we are in emergency situation ,there is no where to go .Our children normally fall sick ,due to several factors ”
According to her most of the pregnant women do not have access to antenatal care ,when they are due for delivery ,we start looking for where they will deliver ”
“We need a midwife nurse to be on ground to render service to the women regarding our health ,and taking proper nutrition ”
Another female resident ,Mariam Yuguda stressed the need for health care worker to be in their midst ,to inform them on sexual and reproductive health services .
“We keep increasing on a daily basis ,some of the resident keep getting married even under this condition .We need to be properly informed on how to take informed decision regarding our body ”
“Occasionally we have volunteers who come to speak with us on family planning services and the different method that is available .This should be a regular act,and will serve as a constant reminder ,about our reproductive right .
A student in the makeshift school who spoke with our correspondent said “Boko haram insurgency has caused him emotional trauma and heartache .
“I lost my father and two brothers due to the crisis,and am always thinking of them ,I will try my best to be an agent of peace wherever I find myself ”
Am very happy that we are now back in school after staying at home for two years ”
“We use to roam about aimlessly before from morning till evening ,but now we are back in school .Am very grateful for the opportunity given unto us.”
Miss Ada Okafor,a teacher in the emergency education school, disclosed that there have been improvement on the emotional capacity of the students ,barely four months into the crash school programme .
“Initially we had language barrier ,and have to depend on the service of an interpreter ,but now they are catching up greatly ”
“We don’t have a regular curriculum which we use ,we just decided to teach them the basic rudiments of education,so that when they resume in a conventional school,they will be able to adjust and cope well”
She said the teachers are still session because the students have a lot to cover,as they have been out of schools for a while ,and need constant training and drilling .
“Most times when they go back home ,they forget what they are being taught, as they are not being monitored by their parents for revision ,and some don’t ,like doing their assignment ,but we are putting our best to encourage them ”
“We are going to train the children for a period of six months,which is two terms ,but the plan is to take theme into other schools around this area,at the end of the programme ”
As part of effort of making the residents of the internally displaced persons to have a sense of belonging ,during the Yuletide season ,the envision global care foundation supported the IDP camp in Kurumajiji with relief materials,cloth,shoes ,and toys .
The organisation also gave them basic health tips ,and encourage them to be hopeful despite their present condition .
“Its the end of the year,many people are having a nice time,and they forget the people in the internally displaced camps .We should show them love ,and ensure they have a sense of belonging ,we should remember they are our fellow citizens ”
“Assessment has shown that 70% of their need is food ,so we made an effort to supply them with this on a constant basis ,so as to alleviate their plight “says Dianne Eyo,the project director of Envision global care foundation .
She however urged the government and well meaning Nigerians to come and give them immediate health support ,so they won’t be struck with disease,due to the condition where they live .
The project director also advised the government to recognize the residents ,and provide them the basic infrastructure that will make life easier .
“We want them to be given empowerment scheme in the area of skill acquisition, so they won’t have to depend on others ”
“We can give them the necessary market where they can operate appropriately and support them with incentives that will make the business thrive .
