Families who have lost everything and had to flee their homes

Tungan-Gero is a city in Nigeria located in a very poor rural area where most of the facilities are lacking: electricity, running water, medical facilities.

However, many families have sought refuge there because of the high level of insecurity in their communities. They have lost their homes, land and livestock and must rent agricultural land or farm others. 

In the absence of parents forced to work to survive, children are sometimes left on their own, unable to continue their schooling.

“As a result of unemployment, many poor families give little priority to the education of their children. The quality of public schools is also poor in these rural areas and tuition fees for private schools are far too high for them.    

Their children were abandoned, not going to school, until we stepped in and admitted a large number of them to our school, St. Mary Magdalena School.” Sr Benedicta

The Daughters of Charity are also able to provide boarding accommodation for children in rural villages far from the city. 

"Boarding schools for boys and girls have been added so that children in remote villages can access school, because they could not attend school during the day due to transport difficulties. Without these internships, most children in rural communities would not have access to primary education.”Sister Benedicta

But with crop failures, road threats and rising living costs, more and more children are dropping out of school. 

The project: Providing food aid to children from “displaced” families, victims of insecurity in their own country

These children usually came with raw food from their homes, which we supplemented by giving them a meal three times a day. But due to insecurity and banditry, most parents were unable to farm during the last crop season and yields have been very low: children sometimes come to school with empty stomachs.” Sister Benedicta

« Ces enfants venaient habituellement avec des denrées alimentaires brutes de leur maison, que nous complétions pour leur donner un repas trois fois par jour. Mais en raison de l'insécurité et des activités de banditisme, la plupart des parents n'ont pas pu cultiver pendant la dernière saison agricole et les rendements ont été très faibles : les enfants arrivent parfois à l'école le ventre vide. » Sr Benedicta

Les Filles de la Charité se mobilisent pour continuer à offrir des repas équilibrés et nutritifs aux 165 enfants du foyer, mais aussi à ceux issus de familles pauvres qui viennent à l'école tous les jours sans nourriture. 

                                                   With your support, the sisters will be able to:
                                       - improve student nutritional well-being and health 
                                       - decrease undernourishment and underweight
                                       - increase enrolment and school attendance 
                                       - improve students' concentration in class. 

                                                                                  With them, thanks to you!

Thank you!