Think Creative - Issue 1

What you have to do is you have to be part of them, and show them that what they went through is not the end of life.” -Salamatu Ibrahim, Facilitator for Education Crisis Response

Hussein says she feels confident about the future of the teachers and students affected by the attacks. “It is not the end of life,” she says. “As long as one is living, there is hope.” How Aisha found her future Fleeing northernNigeria’s rugged city of Gwoza, along the Lake Chad Basinwhere BokoHaram is notorious for its attacks, 17-year-old Aisha Mohammed and her family escapedwhen the terrorists attacked their community. Throughout the conflict—now in its eighth year— hundreds of thousands of Nigerians havemigrat- ed to Borno state’s capital city ofMaiduguri. For Aisha Mohammed and her family, building a new life in a new city was uncertain. They

have had to overcome significant obstacles before finding stability again. After settling into a small, crowded space shared by her immediate family and rela- tives, Aisha enrolled in one of the Education Crisis Response project’s non-formal learning centers for displaced children and has been learning and healing in a safe environment for nearly three months. “When we are out playing, l forget about every- thing,” she says. Emotionally scarred by Boko Haram attacks in her home city, she just wants to escape the recent past in her new community. Education is playing a vital role in helping to rebuild her self-confidence and hope for the future. “My determination is to study,” she says.

Learners participate in Social Emotional Learning exercises in a safe environment, which helps them to resolve complex emotions and become more resilient.

In a place like northeastern Nigeria, given the high numbers of children that have been nega- tively affected by Boko Haram, Social Emotion- al Learning is an important part of creating a sense of normalcy. “With this concept [Social Emotional Learning ], I have seen the results of working with people that have been derailed as a result of sudden attacks by insurgencies,” says Hussein, who has a medical and humanitarian assistance back- ground and has witnessed severe trauma.

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