The world has heard much about their kidnapping, their escapes. Their tragedy. But what of their success as college students? Girls no longer, they are strong, determined, focused and smart women. And the lessons we should now draw from their lives and their successes can be applied to the millions of children around the world who have experienced violence and trauma.
Here, we created a New Foundation School for them, a programme that gives them the academic, social and psychological support needed to recover and to prepare to eventually thrive as college students. The programme was funded by a very generous American, Robert Smith, who has supported the first group of students since fall, 2014. Then Nigeria’s Federal Government, through its Victim Support Fund, sent us the second, much larger group.
At AUN, we have surrounded these women with support of every type – academic, psychological, and social. They are fully integrated into the lives of the campus; few even know who the “Chibok students” are. In meeting with them recently, each student talked about her goals. “I am studying law because I want to make sure everyone gets justice.” “I am studying natural and environmental science because I am worried about our planet.” “I am studying accounting so I can stop corruption.
At AUN, we have learnt that education for children in disasters can take many forms. The formal, all-encompassing education that the Chibok women are receiving isn’t always possible. But a less formal and far less costly approach is.
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