Maimuna is ten years old and lives in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in north-east Nigeria.
The ongoing conflict forced Maimuna and her mother to flee their home in Kawuri, near Maiduguri, when Maimuna was just two. They moved around Borno State before eventually settling in the camp − where they have been living for the past seven years.
The Bakassi IDP camp where Maimuna lives
Maimuna does not remember life outside of the camp.
IDP camps are a difficult place for a child to grow up. They can be bleak and, above all, very boring. Maimuna has some friends that she plays with regularly, but she told our team that she believes there is a better life for her outside of the camp − a life that she wants to find one day.
Maimuna sings a MAG song which teaches girls and boys what to do if they find a landmine or bomb
MAG’s Community Liaison Officer, Rukaiya Alhaji Bilal, delivered one of our life-saving lessons to Maimuna in the camp where she lives. They used songs and colouring sheets together to identify different types of explosives. Maimuna is lucky that she has never encountered an explosive before, but now she knows what to do if she does come across one.
Maimuna said: “I liked the lesson, especially the colouring book. I feel safe and I can teach other children how to stay safe from dangerous items.”
MAG is working with conflict affected communities in Borno State to teach women, men, girls and boys how to recognise and avoid explosives. Through the power of play, our life-saving lessons engage girls and boys by providing not just information, but a reprieve from fear and boredom. During these lessons, they get to be children again – with songs, games and colouring books to teach them key safety messages.
The power of play can save lives
Find out more
