This project aims to provide psychosocial support and long-term assistance to victims of school abductions who have been traumatised out of school in northern Nigeria. Over 1000 children were abducted from schools in Nigeria between 2014 to 2018, according to UNICEF, and we have spoken to a fair sample across various regions.

These children, particularly young girls, have experienced varying degrees of assault and trauma, including sexual abuse, and, after regaining freedom, have taken on the role of household heads; many never return to school after being released and reunited with their families. We know this from some of the Birnin Yauri girls who opted to never return to school after they were abducted by a terror group, despite a full scholarship opportunity from the government. We also know this from the Chibok girls, also abducted by the Boko Haram terror group, who either dropped out or never went back to school despite having been given the opportunity. HumAngle has written in-depth reports and investigations, speaking to victims of these school abductions and several other school abductions as well. The very foundation of the Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency in the Lake Chad region is built on the demonising of what it calls Western education. Therefore, even after the children’s release, the Boko Haram cause thrives as long as they remain away from the classroom.

This project will serve as a lifeline for those students who are too scared to return to the classrooms they were snatched from but who certainly still deserve a chance at a functional life.

The project will counsel both students and their parents and will cover the following:

Safe Space Circles (Phase I): Over the course of three months, structured safe space sessions will be implemented in areas where there have been a high number of school abductions. We have already identified some of these girls who have opted not to return to school.

These students and their guardians will meet in safe community locations to receive psychosocial support and trauma-informed group therapy. Sessions will be led by trained local counsellors, who will provide psychosocial support, information on reintegration pathways, ongoing advocacy, family rebuilding, sustainable education, and livelihood strategies.

To ensure continuity and access beyond the physical sessions, a digital repository will be created. Inspired by platforms such as U-Report, this hub will enable victims to:

1. Receive weekly messages (text messages or voice calls) in local languages about trauma healing, coping strategies, and ongoing advocacy, as determined by an MEL consultant.
2. Participate in a moderating hotline with a counsellor or psychological first responder.
3. They will have access to nearby educational opportunities, as well as online options that provide the necessary tools for participation, such as laptops or tablets with internet access.
4. To assist victims who are difficult to reach through radio broadcasts, we will design the project’s long-term phase to reach a larger audience. We are working with local radio stations to raise awareness in communities about the hotline, which provides psychosocial support and scholarship opportunities for this target group.