Meaningless life at IDP camps

I sneaked out of my fortified abode in Maiduguri one morning to visit Muhammed Goni, Maisandari Abujan Talakawa, Maiduguri IDP camps for Boko Haram victims. It was all just about journalistic curiosity.

I spoke to adults whose lives are daily ebbing away wretchedly. I observed teenagers whose future is already painted black and kids, who don’t know other life exists beyond being camped and, innocently still find time to run around and laugh. One painful encounter I had was with a boy of about 12 years, an orphan, who now suffers mental problems arising from trauma of the killing of his parents. He now wanders aimlessly in the camp.

I compared the camp kids with other privileged kids and pitied them. Still, for no fault of theirs. It was just their own appointment with destiny. But God is still for all with whom there is no impossibility. Maybe there is even a future president among them. It happened before in Gabon where an adopted child from an orphanage home was made President.

The adults at the camps absolutely do no other thing apart from sleeping and watching the dusty sky, feeling nostalgic and hoping that one day, their destiny will be reversed for good, again. They also pray against strong winds not to blow off their shelter. But they are still in a better condition, though living on handouts that are not guaranteed anyway. Those of their missing relatives and those in Boko Haram den are worse off.

One of the friends I made there, Abubakar, from Baga town has been living in various IDP camps for more than three years. He is not enjoying what he called “useless and meaningless life”, but he cannot revolt against what destiny has brought his way.

Like many others too, Mrs Yayi’s husband was killed by the insurgents and left with five kids to cater for alone. Two of the kids attend the makeshift emergency schools run by an NGO in the camp. The rest have to stay in the tent because there is no more space for them in the emergency schools. Many facilities, including foods, are in short supply for over 5,000 refugees camped in the expansive space, earlier earmarked for Sani Abacha Stadium.

I did what I could afford, but it is far less than a drop in the ocean of needs of these people. Beyond immediate needs, what they all chorused to me is “We want to go home to live our normal life”. I hope somebody, or God really, will answer their urgent prayers. They need our prayers too.

May you not be a candidate of IDP camps.

Moshood Isamotu,

Ikorodu, Lagos state

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