Earlier this year, in January, popular Nigerian media personality, Tolu Oniru-Demuren popularly known as Toolz, visited the Bakassi IDP Camp in Maiduguri, Bornu state.
She confessed on the Beat FM’s “The Midday Show with Toolz” to not informing her mother of the trip to the IDP Camp to avoid being persuaded from going. She also admitted to being scared but felt the compulsion to place humanity above her emotions.
At the Bakassi IDP Camp, she described being immersed in the experiences of the women who had managed to escape the war zones. During an interview session with one of such women, she was told “Surviving the war opens doors to many other problems as a result.”
According to the radio presenter, the survivors would have to trek for days on end before reaching the Bakassi IDP Camp in Maiduguri. Between last year to her visit in January they’d had 106 separated children in the camp, 54 of whom found their way there were unaccompanied by any adults.
Toolz shared on instagram a bit of her experience with Falmata one of the survivors who lives in the Bakassi IDP Camp in Maiduguri.
“One of the people that made a massive impact on me during my trip to Maiduguri was Falmata…Her story really moved me. Her family was attacked by Boko Haram, and unfortunately her husband was killed. She was left to look after 7 children, and after walking for days she got to an IDP camp… After settling in, Falmata received a grant of N70,000 to start a business to help support her family. The grant was predominantly set up to empower women, and to help them support their families. Falmata started selling scent balls, and was then able to buy a small sewing machine for her daughter. Her daughter now makes clothes and is able to sell each item for about N1,000…”
Falmata, speaking on the security issue in Bornu said that she would love to go back to her village but unfortunately there isn’t enough security, and are at risk of being attacked by Boko Haram again.
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