On the 22nd of January, 2018; Toolz visited the IDP Camp in Maiduguri, with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria; Paul Arkwright and the trip is documented in this documentary (by Osita Phillip for Ritzy Arts) below in which you see live sights, from the camp.

It was good to see the children smile and act warmly to the camera and it was quite impactful, watching the women tell their stories as shown in the 12 minute documentary. It was also amazing to see how entrepreneurial the women have become despite their trauma. They talked about their academic learning experience as well as the lessons they have learnt on peaceful co-existence and more.

However, there were some sensitive situations that couldn’t be filmed:

kk

#FlashbackMonday One of the people that made a massive impact on me during my trip to Maiduguri last Monday was Falmata. Her story really moved me. Her family was attacked by Boko Haram, and unfortunately her husband was killed. She was left to look after 7 children, and after walking for days she got to an IDP camp. After settling in, Falmata received a grant of N70,000 to start a business to help support her family. The grant was predominantly set up to empower women, and to help them support their family. Falmata started selling scent balls, and was then able to buy a small sewing machine for her daughter. Her daughter now makes clothes and is able to sell each item for about N1,000. Falmata seemed so happy…the reason? Now her children can eat more than one meal a day. She would love to go back to her village, but unfortunately like a lot of places in Borno and nearby areas, there isn’t enough security, and they are at risk of being attacked by Boko Haram again. @FCOHumanRights @foreignoffice @UKinNigeria

A post shared by Toolz Oniru-Demuren (@toolzo) on Jan 29, 2018 at 10:29am PST

Last year the British High Commissioner @PaulTArkwright challenged me to accompany his team on their next trip to visit an IDP camp. Today, I visited Maiduguri for the first time and met these spirited kids at the Bakassi I.D.P Camp. ❤❤ Thank you so much for the invitation!

A post shared by Toolz Oniru-Demuren (@toolzo) on Jan 22, 2018 at 12:35pm PST

Leaving Maiduguri with British High Commissioner @PaulTArkwright and @JoannaRoperFCO – Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s Special Envoy for Gender Equality @FCOHumanRights @foreignoffice @UKinNigeria

A post shared by Toolz Oniru-Demuren (@toolzo) on Jan 23, 2018 at 3:53am PST

Excuse my greasy face. 🙈First time meeting a Nigerian Female Major. Major Susan Johnson just got back from fighting in the Sambisa Forest. She didn’t understand why I was so excited to meet her. #GirlPower💪

A post shared by Toolz Oniru-Demuren (@toolzo) on Jan 23, 2018 at 4:47am PST