“If There Is Life, There Is Hope”: Fathima’s Journey from Displacement to Dignity

Michika, Nigeria – At just 16, Fathima fled her community Michika, Adamawa State with a newborn in her arms to Mubi North internally displaced persons (IDP) camp. Today, she is a landowner, a skilled entrepreneur, and a source of hope for other displaced women.

At 16, Fathima Aminu’s world revolved around school, family, and a small farm she tended with determination beyond her years. Growing up in Michika, a peaceful community near the Cameroon border, she cultivated groundnuts, pressed oil with her mother, and harvested enough to support her schooling and help pay tuition for her siblings.

“I dreamed of becoming a teacher,” she recalls. “I wanted my siblings to go to school too.”

But in 2012, violence erupted in her community. The peace she knew was shattered in a single day.

Fathima had taken her week-old step-niece for a routine immunization when she saw people running. “Fear gripped me,” she says. With no phone and no way to reach her family, she followed the crowd, clutching the fragile baby. She used the little money she had to reach Song in Adamawa State, Nigeria, where a local family took her in.

But survival came with new challenges. Fathima was only 16, separated from her family and caring for a newborn. She worked small jobs to afford food, especially for the baby. “I struggled to care for both of us,” she says. “There was no support for months.”

As a teenage girl caring for a baby, Fathima faced painful stigmatization. “People called me names, saying the child was mine and that I was a prostitute,” she says quietly. “I had no support, and the hardship was overwhelming.”

Six months after her arrival, she was finally reunited with her family. With time, she found love and understanding. She later met the man who would become her husband, who listened to her story without judgment. His support became a turning point. “He stood by me,” she says. “He understood what I went through.”

A Safe Space, Healing, and New Skills

In Michika, UNHCR and Caritas support Borno Women Development Initiative (BOWDI)’s Women and Girls Safe Space, where Fathima attended counselling sessions and skills training groups.

“The sessions helped me cope with the trauma and heal,” she says.

In 2021, after completing a tailoring training, Caritas provided her with a sewing machine . “That sewing machine changed everything,” she says. She began earning a steady income, saving ₦10,000 (~7 USD) every week. In a few months, she saved ₦250,000 (~172 USD), which was enough to buy a 50/50 plot of land legally registered in her name. “My hard work paid off,” she says proudly. “Owning land makes me feel secure. It has brought peace and respect into my family.”

Building a Life With Dignity

Today, Fathima is a mother, a wife, a businesswoman, and a community inspiration. Her sewing business is thriving, “Life is better, bigger, and sweeter now,” she smiles. “I am blessed.”

She continues to support her parents and siblings and dreams of expanding her work. “I want to train others and help them the way I was helped.”

“ (My)experiences taught me that if there is life, there is hope,” she says. “I am glad I came out strong.”

Thanks to generous support from European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (EU-ECHO) and other donors, more than 3,000 refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Northeast Nigeria are moving toward rebuilding their lives with dignity and resilience - even in displacement.