Displaced mother in Nigeria rebuilds life through UN-backed sewing program

In 2023, bandits attacked the town of Kankara in Katsina State, killing roughly 20 residents and leaving Safiya Musa widowed and without two of her children. She escaped to her hometown Batsari, then moved again to Jibia after another raid, joining a displaced-persons camp. Through the United Nations Development Programme’s Climate Security Project, she received training and a sewing machine to produce handbags, creating a modest but steady income.

The program, which taught 20 women in March 2024, aims to foster self-reliance among conflict-affected females. While the venture has improved her family’s food security, ongoing violence and limited funds for materials threaten its sustainability. Local security initiatives like the Community Watch Corps have shown some progress, yet many displaced families remain uncertain about returning home.