Tabitha, 35, is fondly known as Mama Chinedu by the other people living in Salama Camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), Adawama State, Nigeria. She’s from the Nigerian town of Madagali but was forced to flee her home due to the Boko Haram insurgency and has spent the past ten years in a camp for internally displaced people with her husband and six children. 

Three years ago, something changed. Tabitha, along with other people in the camp, took part in a livelihood programme aimed at communities in the States of Adamawa, Borno, Delta, and Edo. The initiative was conducted by JRS Nigeria in collaboration with the Global Solidarity Fund. 

“We learnt modern farming and livestock-rearing techniques,” she says. “Afterwards, each of us received seed funding to start our own businesses.” 

With the income generated from selling her products, Tabitha invested in several business ventures, including the purchase of a knitting machine to make jumpers and children’s clothes for sale. She also reinvested in livestock and opened a small shop within the camp, selling essential household items such as seasoning cubes, detergents, soap, beverages, and snacks. 

This additional income has allowed her to support her children’s education and provide for her family’s daily needs. “The support we received was not limited to livelihoods. We are now also more mindful of gender equality, hygiene, and education. In my household, both my sons and daughters help with domestic chores, and they all go to school. They’ve also received school materials like books and bags, which have made learning easier.” 

Her dream is to own her own home—and slowly, she is turning that dream into reality. With the proceeds from farming and livestock, she bought a piece of land and began collecting the materials needed to build her house. “I have started moulding blocks to build my own house. My dream is that in the next five years, I will be able to leave this camp and move into a house of my own with my family. I also hope to help other displaced persons find stability.”