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  • Impact Of Livelihood Program on Safiya Musa

    Impact Of Livelihood Program on Safiya Musa

    Impact Of Livelihood Program on Safiya Musa

    Safiya Musa

     

    Safiya Musa and her family (2 sons and 4 daughters) were displaced from Gamboru Ngala and fled to Mouruwa in Cameroun to seek refuge. They stayed for months before they were conveyed to Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital. They were camped in the Teachers Village Camp (TVC) by the State Government when they arrived from Cameroun. She and her family stayed in TVC for 8 years before it was closed by the Government; she stayed back in Musari Community in the State capital and was given a piece of land (with no building) to stay temporarily.

    The owner of the land allowed her to build a temporary shelter to stay until the need for land arose. She could build a makeshift roof with the little money she had.

    Safiya’s parents were killed by the insurgents; she was traumatized. She encountered many difficulties in Mouruwa, from water, food, and shelter to an extent; sometimes, she and the family stayed for days without taking a shower and only ate once a day, sometimes twice. Fortunately, when she arrived at TVC, and was registered and given shelter to stay, they were assisted by the humanitarian aid workers.

    In 2022, when the TVC camp was closed, she moved into the Musari Community. Weeks later, the UNHCR Protection Partner GISCOR came to Musari to search for those with a UNCHR Card Token Number, and Safiya was verified and found eligible for assistance.

    Weeks later, the American University of Nigeria team came to Muasri and conducted the interview; she was fortunate to be called by the AUN Team and was scheduled for Tailoring trade training.

    Soon, the AUN Office invited her to the Women’s Development Centre, and she was trained. All beneficiaries were given transport stipends daily for the whole period of the training program. They were also taught Business Development and Financial Literacy.

    After completing weeks of tailoring, Safiya was taken to Maiduguri Monday Market to select a sewing machine of my choice along with tools and materials needed for the tailoring business, and also 10,000 Naira was sent to her account as working capital; later, she got a sustenance allowance for 3 months that help her take care of her family before my business grew and established.

    POSITIVE IMPACT

    1. I rented a shop for my tailoring business in my neighboring community, where I am currently doing my tailoring business.
    2. With the profit margin I earned from the tailoring business, I export goods like; Grasshopper, sewed fabrics, and children’s wear from Maiduguri to Njamaina in Chad and Moura in Cameroun because those goods are in demand there, and more profitable than are sold here.
    3. Myself and my husband joined hands to buy a quarter plot of land and build 2 rooms.
    4. I and my husband contributed to taking care of our family, and 3 of the kids are now in school.
    5. We are fully settled in Maiduguri; I don’t think we will return to Gamboru Ngala, my place of initial displacement.
    6. The beneficiary is doing well, and she is open to others who are willing to learn from her.

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  • Impact of Livelihood Program on Lucy Audu Yerima

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Lucy Audu Yerima

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Lucy Audu Yerima

    Lucy Audu Yerima

     

    Lucy Audu Yerima lives in Pompomari by-pass in Maiduguri. She was displaced from Baga local government to the Maiduguri metropolis by the insurgents. She was married but could not bear children for her husband due to some medical issues, so she adopted 3 children from the orphanage home. She engaged herself in selling knitting and sewing,, which she used to take care of the children without the help of her husband. Coming to Maiduguri from the Baga Local government area, they were received at the TVC camp and stayed for a period of 2 years.

    After the closure of the camp, fortunately, a good Samaritan gave them a room. Lucy was finding it challenging to care for the children at that time because she had nothing left. One day, an organization visited their area and heard her story in the community, and they referred her to AUN.

    She was enrolled in the UNHCR/AUN Livelihood Program and was trained under the micro business component (Wrapper Selling). After successfully completing the training, she was empowered with a startup capital of 80,000 nairas transferred into her Bank account opened by AUN; she started the business selling wrappers but later diversified to selling beverages, hiring wheelbarrows to people when needed, and selling pepper soup. Below are her achievements and successes:

    • She bought a plot of land worth three hundred and five thousand naira [305,000]
    • She bought a fridge at the rate of one hundred and ten thousand naira [110,000]
    • She purchased two pushes at the rate of forty thousand naira [40,000]
    • She bought two bags of millet at the price of 20,000 naira which she stored and will be sold later
    • She bought a wardrobe at the rate of 80,000 naira
    • She was able to enroll one of her adopted sons in private school, and the fees cost 60,000 naira
    • She has a savings of 46000 naira as of July

    Challenges:

    • Her children were stigmatized in the community because they were adopted

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  • Impact of Livelihood Program on Zara Ali Yarwama

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Zara Ali Yarwama

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Zara Ali Yarwama

    Zara Ali

     

    Zara Ali Yarwama was originally living in Marte with her family. Still, she fled to Maiduguri due to insurgency with her sick husband, who later passed away, leaving her with 8 children to care for. While in Maiduguri, she lives at a teacher’s camp, solely dependent on government and non-governmental organizations for survival with her children.

    The single mother of 8 nightmares started when camps in the Maiduguri metropolis were closed in 2022 by the Borno state government.

    Although the State government provided her with a package to start life afresh in her new location, that money was used to feed her family as she did not invest it in a meaningful venture. Zara was later faced with the challenge of meeting her essential family needs, such as food, shelter, medical bills, and school for her children, etc., as there was no support from anywhere and no means of livelihood.

    Zara was, however, identified and enrolled for the livelihood intervention tag Urban IDPs program by UNHCR in collaboration with AUN, where she was trained and empowered under micro business. Learning from her previous mistakes, she was very much committed to her newly found business, which her eldest son is running for the family.

    The son has done well by growing the business and making significant income for the family. Zara can now feed her family three times a day, have a shelter to live in, take her children back to school, provide books and uniforms, and pay medical bills; these were things Zara couldn’t do before the intervention. More so, her business, which initially started in her house, has now moved to a rented shop with customers coming to patronize her.

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  • Impact of Livelihood Program on Ali Abubakar

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Ali Abubakar

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Ali Abubakar

    Ali Abubakar

     

    Ali Abubakar lives in Muna, Ethiopia. Ali, who before UNHCR/AUN livelihood intervention struggled to feed and meet other basic needs, was also identified as enrolled for the Urban IDPs program last year. He was trained in micro business (Phone charging and accessories business), financial literacy, and business development, after which UNHCR/AUN was empowered to commence business. Ali now makes money from his business. From his profit, he bought a laptop to expand his business, and he now transfers (service provider) songs and films to people for money. In addition, he can make savings from it after meeting his family’s basic needs of improved quality and number of meals they eat daily, enrolling his daughter in school, and being self-dependent.

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  • Impact of Livelihood Program on Abdullahi Tahir

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Abdullahi Tahir

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Abdullahi Tahir

    Abdullahi Tahir

     

    Abdullahi Tahir lives in Muna, Ethiopia. Maiduguri is 30 years old, originally from the Mafa local government, but moved to Maiduguri due to insurgency in 2014 with his immediate family and parents, who were both sick. This family of 7, while in Maiduguri, literally lived on support from government and non-governmental organizations for their needs as they were then living in an IDP camp. His major challenge started after the closure of IDP camps in Maiduguri by the Borno State government; he had to resort to begging from spirited individuals and religious institutions to provide for his family because he didn’t have any means of livelihood.

    In 2022, he was enrolled as a beneficiary under the Urban IDPs program implemented by UNHCR in partnership with AUN. Abdullahi was trained in microbusiness, financial literacy, and business development. He was empowered, and Abdullahi now sells grains, where he makes sales of around 66,000 daily with at least 10,000 profits. From this business, he was able to improve his living standard (Being able to eat 3 square meals daily) and bought a plot of land worth 450,000. bought a bicycle (38,000), which he uses for local transport within the metropolis because of the high cost of transport occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy, pays his parent’s medical bills, etc.

    Abdullahi, when interviewed by the AUN team, appreciated UNHCR/AUN for transforming him from a beggar to a responsible man who can provide for his family without depending on NGOs or individuals to meet basic family needs.

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  • Impact of Livelihood Program on Babagoni Abdu

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Babagoni Abdu

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Babagoni Abdu

    Babagoni Abdu

     

    Babagoni Abdu was displaced from Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, reaching Maiduguri. The State Government received him at Stadium Camp Maiduguri. After closing camps in Maiduguri, he integrated into the Musari community and enrolled in the UNHCR/AUN Urban Livelihood program. Babagoni is among many who were trained under the vocational skills, where he was trained and equipped with basic skills of Bricks making/Blocks.

    He was empowered on the 26th of October 2022 alongside three other beneficiaries with 21 bags of cement, which he used to produce 1300 pieces of bricks (1,300); after that, he sold it all and purchased another twenty-three (23) bags of cement to continue his business, he made some money and saved seven thousand five hundred Naira (7,500) from his profit.

    Achievements/Improvement

    The turnover made from business has turned into more capital; he added another line of business (petty trading) to strengthen his livelihood. His business has improved to the extent that he has become an employer of labor, where he has 16 people working under him, and he pays them daily and weekly, depending on how they make sales. He later partnered with Abdullahi Abubakar, one of the forcibly displaced persons, with token MMC-36636, who was also trained in bricks and block making and was empowered under the vocational skills component. They have expanded their business and are now selling building materials (Planks and Cement), and they have a zinc container where they store their items.

    Babagoni is also called 50 million in his community because of his hard work. He has four children. He enrolled 2 in a Western school, one in an Islamic school, while the other is underage. Due to the empowerment, he can now provide for his family’s basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, and education. He saves and also assists other relatives in the way he can.

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  • Impact of Livelihood Program on Hafsat Adam

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Hafsat Adam

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Hafsat Adam

    Hafsat Adam

     

    Hafsat Adam was suffering alongside her family until the UNHCR/AUN livelihood intervention came into her life. She was trained by AUN under the Urban IDP Program 2022 (1st batch) and eventually got empowered after a successful training session that lasted for 4 weeks.

    When she received her business items through the voucher, she started her business of cap-making and selling threads superbly and got a huge profit. She runs her business perfectly, earning at least N60,000 monthly as profit.

    Speaking to AUN field monitors, she said this empowerment has changed her life completely because before AUN livelihood intervention came her way, life was very difficult for her family, but not now. As a result of this empowerment, she can now support the whole family by providing food and three meals per day, buying clothes for family members, paying PTA levy for 4 of her children in school and 2 orphans, and also providing school materials such as bags, shoes, books, and pen. In addition, she enrolled herself in an Islamic private school in the Customs office area named (Taha).

    Moreover, she settles medical bills and pays house rent for her family and her brother. She added by saying that she gave her younger brother the sum of N120,000 to settle his school fees (University of Maiduguri), who has now graduated from the Faculty of Education (Mathematics) and is currently serving (NYSC) the country in Nasarawa state.

    Also, one excellent achievement she made from this business is that she purchased a quarter plot of land not too far from her current residential area at N250,000. She is now making bank savings to build it so they can move to it instead of living in a rental house.

    However, she added the business of making local soap, shampoo, local bournvita, and local mentholated, and that earns her much.

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  • Impact of Livelihood Program on Bakawu Bukar

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Bakawu Bukar

    Impact of Livelihood Program on Bakawu Bukar

    Bakawu Bukar

     

    Bakawu Bukar resides in Muna, Ethiopia, the host community of Jere local government of Borno state. He lives with his parents, a family size of 7.  Bakawu Bukar was a camp resident when the camp was closed in 2022. However, the government has put in a lot of effort to see all camp residents relocated safely to their places of first displacement. Bakawu, his family, and many others decided to remain in the Maiduguri metropolis with no house to live in, no source of income, and no one to depend on; this has given rise to another form of displacement in the urban center.

    Bakawu manages to get a temporary place through a host community dweller where he and his family stay. Bakawu Bukar was selected for UNHCR/AUN livelihood training for the Urban IDP Program 2022. He was trained by AUN under the Cap Making program for one month and received empowerment after the training session through a voucher of fifty thousand nairas (N50,000) only in October 2022. He started the business of making caps and selling threads immediately after he received the empowerment kits.

    His N50,000 business is doing very well to the extent that he now gets N30,000 monthly as profit.

    Subsequently, this intervention has changed his life entirely because, from the profit he makes out of his business, he can help his family (parents and siblings) financially in many ways by buying them food, paying medical bills and clothing, paying PTA levy for 3 of his siblings, buys school materials for them. Now he is preparing to get married in the next 4 months.

    However, he added a point of service (POS) and poultry farming to his other business.

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  • SBMC approach and support to reading

    SBMC approach and support to reading

    SBMC approach and support to reading

    Sport materials provided by SBMC of Nassarawo Girls Pry School after training by SENSE on resource mobilization

     

    Before the training of SBMCs by SENSE activity, most of the SBMCs in SENSE intervention schools were not functional. The narrative changed after the hands-on training of the SBMCs. The training sessions were practical and interactive. The SBMCs were trained and guided on developing their school development plan (SDP), resource mobilization plan (RMP), and school monitoring plan supporting reading outcomes. After the training sessions, SENSE Activity visited the SBMCs bi-monthly to provide supportive supervision.

    In the period under review, some of the SMBCs established reading corners, bought sports equipment, organized reading competitions, renovated classrooms, and repaired broken furniture based on the activities of their SDP. SBMC monitoring activities have reduced learners’ and teachers’ absenteeism.

    After the training and development of SDP and RMP, the SBMC of Tumbushi Primary School in Kwami LGEA embarked on an advocacy visit to a philanthropist in the community who gave them the sum of 50,000 naira. The money was used to repair 48 seats, and the community mobilized another 50,000 naira to dig a reservoir in the school. Kwami Science Primary School SBMC mobilized resources to buy two first aid boxes.

    Hajiya Hadiza Muhammad, the head teacher of Jalingo Primary School in Funakaye LGEA, who doubles up as the SBMC secretary of her school, appreciated the resource mobilization training, which served as a gateway to her school getting support from CBN. The SBMC got the sum of N2,000,000 naira, which was used to build one block of two classrooms. She said, “SENSE, where have you been since we could have gotten more than 2,000,000 naira to solve many educational issues.”

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  • TRC and impact on quality of teaching

    TRC and impact on quality of teaching

    TRC and impact on quality of teaching

    SENSE Refurbished Teacher Resource Center, Shelleng LGA

    With USAID funding, SENSE Activity, in collaboration with Adamawa and the Gombe state government, refurbished twenty-two (22) Teacher Resource Centers (TRCs) across the two states. Teacher Resource Centers have become an invaluable resource for teachers as they provide a space for continuous professional development and a space to create interactive teaching and learning materials to engage learners in a fun, interactive, and meaningful way.

    The TRCs are open to all teachers within the LGAs, and the teachers are guided by the TRC assistants who are staff of SUBEB.  So far, a total of 11,026 (5,064 males: 5,962 females) teachers have paid an unscheduled visit to the TRCs to produce interactive TLMs.

    In this reporting year, excluding the boot camps organized by SENSE, a total of 84,054 sets of flashcards and 48,658 posters were made by teachers during their unscheduled visits to the TRCs.  The TRCs have become popular and are in high demand for use by teachers from all schools within the target LGAs. Due to the popularity of the TRCs, other implementing partners have started using them to conduct teacher professional development (TPDs), and the state is benefiting greatly from them as locations for site-based TPDs.

    SUBEB from both states has started supporting the TRCs through the provision of consumables initially solely covered by SENSE. Gombe state SUBEB has committed a monthly operational cost of N20,000 per TRC. Adamawa SUBEB gave generators to five centers and promised to give the remaining six generators to the centers. SBMC in these LGAs carried out resource mobilization activities, resulting in community members donating funds for the purchase of consumables, and some philanthropies have made monthly commitments to the TRCs. Rose Russha, a teacher at Central Primary School, Guyuk, one of the beneficiaries of the resource center from Guyuk local government area of Adamawa state, said she used to have to source materials that she could improvise as teaching aids from a dumpster, but since the center was created she no longer had to do that. She said that she now visits the center weekly to get materials like cardboard paper, markers, etc., to help her in class.

    Peace Luka, a teacher from a non-intervention school in Ganye local government area, said, “The center has helped me to be able to teach my pupils better because of the teaching aids I make from the TRC when I teach with teaching aids; the pupils capture and understand immediately.”

    A primary school teacher at central primary school in Akko local government area, said, “I enjoy teaching now because of the new teaching methods I have learned from the SENSE team, such as making demonstrations and adding songs to my lessons.” Whenever I teach using songs, my pupils learn very fast, they are not scared, the class is lively, and they are interested in coming to school every day; even during break time, they keep singing the songs and demonstrating what they have learned in class. I am happy that I have learned this simple method of teaching because the teaching aids I placed in the class for the pupils to see, touch, and read also help them learn.

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