… appreciation and appeal from Just One Soul in IDP Camp in Benue
“Yesterday was my first time visiting an IDP camp, I was surprised at the number of persons there and their condition. I saw life from a different perspective. I saw lives that need to be touched, children that need to go back to school, and HEARTS THAT NEED HEALING.” These were words of Shirley one of the students that visited with the camp with us.
To explain her experience, listen to this voice from the camp: “I lost 10 persons to the herdsmen crisis. My husband, two sons, and relatives were all killed in the crisis that affected our community.” These were words of Mrs. Esther S. one of the internally displaced Women I spoke to at the Daudu internally displaced persons camp in Benue State during my one to one listening time with some of the crisis victims in the camp.
The Daudu camp is right at the entrance of Makurdi from Lafia and serves as a temporary home to 3515 persons (515 children, 338 men, and 2662 Women). The persons all live on the camp in small coverings of the canopy from the sun with many wounds of the heart. From the report, we got Beside this camp there two other camps in Benue with 35,000 persons and 25,000 persons respectively (these two camps are recognized by the government with a shelter built for them).
I visited the camp in Daudu with a team of 13 persons (Student, graduates, and Staff workers). During our visit through your partnership we were able to provide them with over 1500 clothes; 200 shoes; 1 carton each of toilet and laundry soap. We also made provision for the production of over 15 benches for the children to sit on during their classes (the presently use trees as classroom and the bare ground as their chairs).
From our interactions, we discovered that besides the need for food and clothes; the need to return back to their homes is the DEEP NEED FOR TRAUMA COUNSELLING. The symptoms of trauma- wounds of the hearts were glaring on the camp and their faces. God can work through you to change this story.
As I appreciate you and especially Chapel of Redemption Zaria, the Pukat’s family in Jos, NIFES Students in NVRI, the Isa’s in Abuja for making our outreach possible yesterday and giving students the opportunity to see the great need in our world, I APPEAL FOR MORE OF YOUR PARTNERSHIP TO REACH OUT TO JUST ONE MORE SOUL IN THE IDP CAMP.
Beloved, that clothing you are no longer using; the shoes you are no longer wearing and any other thing that can be of help to our brethren can be gathered and sent to us. A gift of N1k, N2k, N4k, N5k, N10, N20 … can make a difference in the life of just one soul.
This is a NIFES Social Response Initiative aimed at providing care to crisis victims and exposing the student to the great need of our nation. To invest in reaching just one soul send funds to NIFES 0040627084 ACCESS (Diamond) Bank.
It is not the great acts of kindness that make the big difference in the life of those in need but those little acts done from Christlike hearts by those who also have needs.
Hankuri Tawus Gaya
Area Director, NIFES Keffi Area
#JustOneStudent
#JustOneSoul
#LightHouseArea
8th May 2019