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Nigerian school helping community affected by Boko Haram attacks heal

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A school in northern Nigeria is trying to help communities heal after years of attacks staged by Boko Haram militants in the region.

Future Prowess Primary School welcomes orphans, struggling children and even those born to Boko Haram fighters to learn together.

The school is funded by various donors and provides students with free clothing, meals and health-care. At the Future Prowess School in the Nigeria’s north eastern city, Maiduguri students learn Arabic during a morning class session.

The primary school runs a unique program. It also includes those orphaned by attacks by the militant group. It is part of efforts to bring healing to the community.

“On the day of my sister’s wedding, my father returned from a journey and arrived at night. While we were sleeping the militants came in and said we should give them money and phones. They collected all the phones and shot my father with a gun,” says one of the learners.

Head teacher Suleiman Aliyu is hopeful. “There are those ones that their parents are Boko Haram; we have those ones that are maybe so rich that died on the cause. One was a commissioner under the then government that was soldering responsibilities of Boko Haram. But he was somehow arrested in his farm but he said that he does not have anything to do with that but he was fired by the security agents. Now nobody is going to take care of his children and if we allow them to remain in the community they now become stigmatised and as time goes on maybe they will start thinking of having that kind of mentality because nobody gives them care,” said Aliyu.

Aliyu’s pupils are among the fortunate few going to school in the northeast. More than 1 000 schools have been destroyed by Boko Haram.

– By SABC Television Desk

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