A Beacon of Hope: Maria Centre Commences Craft Workshops

As people continue to flee Boko Haram, Sr. Anne Falola, OLA writes from a camp close to Abuja where the newly opened Maria Centre began a craft workshop yesterday.

Greetings from the IDP camp in Abuja!

It was indeed a dream come true today (8 March 2016) as we began activities for skill acquisition and empowerment at the Maria Centre at the Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp in Durumi, Abuja.

Like every beginning, there was confusion, but God made something beautiful out of our chaos. About 50 people turned up for the first class and I was surprised at how much enthusiasm and expectation was on ground! After the settling down, everything went very well and everyone went home happy with some homework to do and bring back for next class on Thursday.

A) There are both Muslims and Christians at the workshop, which confirms that our people have no problem living together in peace. Although the majority are from Borno and Adamawa, there are people from Plateau, Bauchi, Kaduna and also Southerners, who lived in the troubled areas and have fled to Abuja for safety.

B) Some young men came round and there is also a serious need for activities to engage men and young boys, so we are looking into skills like shoe making, bag making etc.

C) Even at the end of the first day, many were very quick in learning and have gone home with some assignments. I am afraid more people will come up on Thursday and I pray we will cope with the crowd.

D) The NGO, Life Builders Initiative was indeed very helpful. We are using their space and their staff are very helpful. It was started by a Pentecostal Pastor and their selflessness is remarkable.

E) We are looking for sewing machines, leather sewing machines for the shoes and bag making.

F) I am grateful to the volunteers, a young lady, Bimbo who is self employed through craft was our teacher, and she too is very happy to be part of this.

G) We urgently need containers which can be conditioned and be used as workshops, so that we can lock up our equipments and have good shelter when it rains

Once again, thank you for the support, your help makes this possible and you have surely made some people happy today, as they all smiled home with their little assignments, something to look forward to, instead of a long dreary day in the camp.

Please kindly remember the Maria Centre in your prayers,

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Anne Falola, OLA

                                       Participants of the craft workshop at the Maria Centre in Durumi, Abuja.