Dozens of families badly affected by insurgency and devastated by last year flooding in northeast Borno State, have been recounting their terrible experiences and slow but courageous move to overcome their anguish.
They had hardly come out of the social and economic dislocation foisted on them by insurgents' ttacks when a devastating flooding hit them. It was a second blow. Yet, they gradually picked the pieces of their broken lives, striving to survive amid all odds.
One of such families is that of Aisha Bukar, a mother of five girls who was turned to a household head following the death of her husband, Alhaji Bukar. Bukar died at the onset of the insurgency.
"I was left to take care of five daughters after the death of my husband. He was sick and we brought him from Bama to Maiduguri for medical care but he died later," she began her heart-rendering story in an interview with the reporter at her home at El-Miskin 2, a sprawling community located at the suburbs of Maiduguri.
The beginning of her sorrow
According to Aisha, the attack on their house at Bama, Borno's second largest town, and the destruction of all the family had laboured for over the years exacerbated the man's ill-health. He eventually passed away, leaving Aisha and their children to continue the struggle for survival.
"I had 12 children - nine daughters and three sons. But six, including two sons, died at different times. The other son was taken away by Boko Haram. We looked for him everywhere but couldn't find him till date," she paused. Her initial bright face suddenly became dull. She gazed at the reporter for a few seconds as she tried to fight back tears. The atmosphere was quiet and the early dusty breeze appeared still.
"We just keep struggling. My surviving eldest daughter got married. Alhanudullah!," she disclosed. She said she tried her luck on trading in a few items to cater for the family before another tragedy struck again.
Another blow
Aisha and many families in Maiduguri and its environs were hit by massive flooding that devastated many homes, public institutions, infrastructure, and caused deaths, displacement and the disappearance of some residents.
"It was a painful experience but Allah knows everything that happened to us," she said.
Her neighbor, Hajara agrees: "It's true. Allah knows best."
Test of resilience
Not deterred by her woes, she ventured into clothes-making. Like most survivors in the area, Aisha seats daily with her daughters in their small apartment, doing a business that brings joy to her. She said she usually sources for the fabrics at a local market in the city.
"My two daughters work on the two machines and I fold the clothes, pack them and go to the community to sell," she explained, smiling as she pointed at the piles of children's clothes in three sacks behind her. She also makes free gown and boubou for female adults.
But how did she get funding to start such a business? She explained some humanitarian organisations visited the community early in the year to offer support to people affected by floods to restart their life.
"I was lucky to get N380,000 from an organisation, SOS. I bought two sewing machines and materials from the money, and sent my youngest daughter to school," she disclosed.
Her youngest daughter, 14 years old Hadiza now in junior secondary school, said she aspires to be a teacher.
With good sales, Aisha said she makes between N5,000 and N12,000 daily. She buys foodstuff and other essential needs for the family, notebooks and learning materials for her youngest daughter who she repeatedly called her pride.
Another displaced person whose resilience is tested is Halima Abubakar in Muna Garage, an area majorly occupied by displaced persons from some towns in the Central part of Borno. Halima now has a small shop where she sells household daily needs. She also used part of the funds she got from the aid organisation to support her son to start a Point of Sales (POS) business. The boy reportedly escaped from the hands of the insurgents sone time after he was kidnapped.
SOS Children's Villages Nigeria, the organisation which provided the support to Aisha and others, said it was an effort to strengthen flood response in Borno State
"Following the devastating floods that displaced over 400,000 people in Borno State, SOS Children's Villages Nigeria has been providing life-saving humanitarian assistance and recovery support to the most affected families in Jere and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council," the organisation humanitarian manager, Mr Fredson Ogboche explained.
According to him, the support was given to 3,800 households through unconditional cash transfers. Likewise, 100 families got agriculture inputs
A former aid worker in the state, Aliyu Mustapha said the support will not only strengthen the resilience of the survivors but prevent their children from joining extremist groups or indulging in criminal acts.