No fewer than 500 internally displaced persons (IDPs), predominantly women and children, have received empowerment support at the Durumi IDP Camp in Abuja. In contrast, 10 children were awarded educational scholarships under the AMA Care and Shelter Initiative.
The empowerment outreach, led by Ambassador Amina Albert, featured the distribution of vocational tools, start-up assistance, and educational support aimed at enhancing livelihoods and promoting self-reliance among displaced persons.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Albert said the intervention was designed to go beyond the routine distribution of relief materials, emphasising its focus on restoring dignity and creating sustainable economic opportunities for beneficiaries.
According to her, women in the camp were provided with sewing machines, grinding machines, chillers and start-up capital to enable them to establish small-scale businesses and attain economic independence.
She stressed that humanitarian interventions play a critical role in empowering vulnerable populations and strengthening communities, noting that limited access to basic needs often traps displaced persons in cycles of poverty and dependency.
As part of the programme, Ambassador Albert also announced the award of scholarships to 10 children, bringing the total number of beneficiaries under the initiative’s scholarship scheme to 32. She described education as a crucial pathway to a brighter future and sustainable development.
“The focus of this initiative is to build hope, restore dignity and create lasting change,” she said, adding that investing in vulnerable groups ultimately contributes to broader national development.
The outreach, which coincided with the ambassador’s birthday, was supported by partners and volunteers, whom she commended for their dedication to improving the welfare of displaced persons.
She further called for sustained collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations and individuals to ensure continuous empowerment and upliftment of disadvantaged communities across the country.
Reacting to the intervention, the Women Leader of the Durumi IDP Camp, Ayuba Yusuf, described the programme as unprecedented in the camp’s 15-year history.
Yusuf noted that while organisations and individuals often visit the camp to distribute relief items and leave, the AMA Care and Shelter Initiative had provided practical support capable of transforming lives.
“I have never seen this kind of programme before. What Ambassador Amina has done is practical and real. Many people—both men and women—are going to benefit from this gesture,” she said.
She added that the intervention brought joy and renewed hope to women in the camp, helping them momentarily forget their past hardships.
“You can see our women dancing. She has truly put smiles on our faces and made us forget some of the painful experiences of the past. We say a big thank you to her,” Yusuf said.
Calling on other Nigerians to emulate the gesture, she urged stakeholders to support IDPs in rebuilding their lives and reintegrating into their communities.
“We are tired of staying in this camp. We want to return to our communities and take care of ourselves. We call on others to join hands with the ambassador to support us,” she added.
