Stitching Resilience from Displacement to Empowerment
Stitching Resilience from Displacement to Empowerment
As a trained tailor, life has turned around for Safiya Musa (centre) and her family.
Safiya Musa lives in the heart of Musari, a bustling host community in the Borno State capital of Maiduguri. As a tailor, her products have found eager buyers as far away as N’Djamena in Chad and Mora in Far North Cameroon. Today, her life is a stark contrast to the eight years she spent in the Teachers Village Camp for internally displaced people, where she and many others sought refuge amid the humanitarian crisis in North East Nigeria.
Originally from Gamboru Ngala, Safiya's life took a tragic turn in 2014 when non-state armed groups attacked her village. The violence not only destroyed her home but also claimed the lives of her parents. Together with her husband and two children, Safiya fled to Maroua camp in Cameroon.
Confronted with severe shortages of water, food, and shelter at the camp, Safiya and her family decided to return to Nigeria a year later and were hosted at Teachers Village Camp in Maiduguri.
“After we fled the village, I was greatly traumatized because my parents were killed during the attack. I also lost contact with my two sisters and brother, who fled in their own direction until we later met in the camp in Maiduguri”
In North East Nigeria, more than 2.2 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to conflicts. UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, is working closely with the Nigerian government to implement various initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges of forced displacement and providing assistance to those in need.
When Teachers Village Camp was closed in 2022, Safiya and her family chose to remain in Maiduguri rather than return to their ancestral home in Gamboru Ngala, citing security concerns. As more internally displaced people decide to stay in urban settings following camp closures, comprehensive support programmes become crucial.
Safiya was identified for assistance during a vulnerability screening conducted by UNHCR partner, the Grassroots Initiative for Strengthening Community Resilience (GISCOR). She was selected for a training programme that offered more than skill acquisition; it was a gateway to personal empowerment and a safety net against the vulnerabilities that forced displacement had imposed on her and her family.
The training honed Safiya's skills in tailoring, business development, and financial literacy. This multifaceted approach not only equipped her with the necessary skills to start a business but also offered a sense of security and stability, empowering her to navigate the complexities of her new economic and social environment. She also received a sewing machine of her choice, working tools, and a start-up package to kickstart her business.
Safiya's tailoring business has become a cornerstone of her family's financial stability and has allowed her to engage more deeply with her community. The training provided a protective net, safeguarding her from exploitation and further economic hardship, and instilled in her a confidence that has been transformative.
“The tailoring business has settled us here in Maiduguri," Safiya reflects. "We can only go back to Gamboru Ngala when safety, security, and full life return to the area."
This empowerment extends beyond her immediate family. Safiya’s shop has become a local hub where she employs and trains other IDPs, particularly women, thereby extending the safety net provided by her training to others within her community. This ripple effect of empowerment and protection highlights the success of UNHCR’s strategy to link humanitarian aid with long-term outcomes.
Today, as she operates her sewing machine with skilled hands and dexterity, Safiya is surrounded by apprentices eager to learn and create a new future for themselves. This scene is a powerful reminder of the potential impact of such comprehensive intervention.
As UNHCR, in collaboration with the government, continues to work closely with humanitarian and development partners, the story of Safiya emphasizes the critical importance of increasing and maintaining support for these initiatives. With millions of people displaced, the scope of need is extensive, and the potential for positive change is enormous. Empowering forcibly displaced people to shift from relying on aid to becoming productive members of their local economies is essential.
