She woke up each day inhaling the aura of peace, love, and family unity among her people. For her, each day was another opportunity to move closer to her dreams. She would trudge to school with high hopes, facing the difficult subjects and the intensity of the curriculum without complaint. She knew it would pay off. One day, she’d tell herself, she’ll be a doctor or a nurse. She would be one of the few educated women in her village, making her parents proud and bringing recognition to this place she called home. Never did 13-year-old Patience Terwase, imagine that these hopes would be dashed. 

In 2017, armed herders attacked Tse-Aji, Mbakyoondu, Benue State. On that day, Patience saw her resting place in a way she hadn’t seen it before: filled with terror, distress and blood. The herdsmen killed Patience’s parents. They didn’t stop there, they brought her school; the channel through which she could attain her dreams; to ruins.

Patience was lucky to escape death. She has made a life with her grandmother in Naka’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp. However, she has been out of school since the incident. According to her grandma, they cannot afford an education for Patience. Their farm, from which they made their daily income, is no longer at their disposal. They were forced to flee for their lives, and now they have no source of income.

According to the Daily Trust, Patience is just one out of the over 260, 000 children who have left school due to unabated violence in villages in Guma, Gwer-West, Makurdi, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Agatu, Ukum, parts of Kwande and Buruku local governments of Benue State. At least 66 primary and junior secondary schools out of the 140 in Gwer-West Local Government Area have been either destroyed or abandoned and left to rot in rural communities, leaving 12, 507 children out of school.

“I feel bad and depressed because I wanted to go to school so that I can become a doctor or a nurse, but that dream has been cut short,” Patience said.

How can one be left to pay for a situation they did not cause? This is the story of these little ones, left at the mercy of you and I to reshape their future. 

How Can You Help Children like Patience?

According to the chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board, Benue Chapter: Comrade Joseph Utse, more schools are being opened in IDP camps. The Government sure plays their part, but we the citizens must also show loyalty to our country by contributing to the cause. Here are simple ways to help these kids: 

• Volunteer: Join an education aid program 

• Donate: According to the Governor of Benue state, an assessment was conducted in 2018, which revealed that the state would need an estimate of 6bn to rebuild schools across local government areas. To aid this rebuilding, we can dedicate our resources; money, time, desks, books, etc, to selected LGAs in Benue state.

• Advocate: Speak on social media about the situation. Speak words that trigger people in power to take action. 

• Connect: Network with influential people, remind them about the tragedy and pitch solutions to them. 

• Tell Stories: Just like we do here, you can highlight stories of the tragedy and share them with peope around you. This would remind them that the situation is real, close to home, and worth fighting against. 

Jana Stanfield once said, “I cannot do all the good in the world, but the world needs all the good I can do.” What good can you do in this situation? Go for it!