A brave Jumai

14 March 2024, Kiruga, Northern Nigeria - In the quiet moments, when the world seems to stand still, Jumai, a nine-year-old girl whose name has been changed for her safety, looks downward, carrying a story too heavy for her tender years. Just a few days ago, her life was shaken by an experience that words can barely capture.

"I was at school in the morning," Jumai tells me as I visit her and her family in their home. Her voice a mixture of steadiness and determination that defies her age.

Along with her classmates, Jumai initially greeted them with jubilation and prayers, mistaking them for government soldiers who had come to safeguard them from bandits who had threated to attack schools in the past. This misconception wasn't without reason. On my journey to Kuriga, located about 100 kilometers from Kaduna, I witnessed several deserted communities, silent witnesses to the ongoing insecurities plaguing their region. Kuriga, like many others, was no stranger to such turmoil.

Soon, Jumai sensed something amiss. "All the armed men wore a black hat made from local materials," she noted, an anomaly that gave away their true intentions. Her realization came too late. As the gunmen began firing into the air, encircling the students, the terrifying truth dawned on her: these were not protectors, they were bandits who had come to kidnap students.

Panic ensued as Jumai and other fellow students ran for cover, with the gunmen in pursuit, proclaiming harmless intentions and urging the children to come out from hiding. Trusting their words, several students, including Jumai, stepped out, only to be forcefully taken. One of the men grabbed Jumai by her hijab, dragging her toward the bush. In a desperate bid for freedom, she managed to slip out of her hijab and fled. Finding refuge in a ditch, she waited out the danger before making her way home. Hundreds of others were not so fortunate.

Now safe, yet far from unscathed, Jumai tells me that she struggles with sleep, her nights haunted by the ordeal. Adding to her burden is the knowledge that her older brother remains among those taken. I console Jumai and assure her that everything is being done to bring her brother and hundreds of others back home. She looks at me, unconvinced.

The ripple effects of such trauma on children and their families are deep and often, while the physical scars heal, the emotional sufferings can linger for life. It impacts children adversely in multiples ways, including on their education. In Kuriga and neighbouring areas, fear has led parents to halt their children's learning journey, leaving classrooms empty. Before the attack, the school that Jumia attended was a bustling center of education for approximately 1,000 students at both primary and secondary levels. Now, an eerie silence prevails.

In a country where education has already suffered due to a myriad of reasons including insecurity and student abductions, this latest incident has pushed back slow gains in education further back.

UNICEF is collaborating with local authorities to provide support for both parents and students, recognizing the urgent need to resume education. The belief that education cannot wait drives these efforts forward. As the results of the insecurity, several schools are now closing leaving thousands of children without a chance to learn and with uncertain future. To ensure that learning continues, UNICEF is supporting the Government to immediately start with alternative education methods, including home schooling with solar powered radios, television broadcasts, community learning hubs, and the expansion of the Nigeria Learning Passport, a digital platform that offers students like Jumai, a variety of learning modules. Through these initiatives, UNICEF aims to restore a sense of normalcy and hope in the lives of Jumai and countless other children, affirming the resilience of the human spirit against the shadows of adversity.