AUN students give back to the community by distributing food to over 5,000 IDPs.

culled from AUN Online
On September 9, at least 50 students and some residence hall staff members assisted Catholic Bishop Stephen Mamza with the distribution of foodstuff to displaced persons.


The distribution was held at St Theresa’s Diocese Catholic Cathedral in Jimeta, where Mamza is the presiding Bishop. The bishop, also a member of the Adamawa Peace Initiative, says that AUN-API is the biggest donor for the intervention.

President Ensign, who spoke on behalf of the AUN-API, addressed the over 5,000 persons who were representing various households of the IDPs.

API is still concerned about their plight and will continue to offer support with food and the basic things they need in their households. “We will not let you go hungry… we will make sure you have enough food,” she told the refugees, assuring them that the security situation in Northeast Nigeria has improved, and encouraging them to remain strong.

“I believe there is much more hope than there was a few months ago.”

Dr. Ensign also informed the IDPs of the support the AUN-API is now getting from the new administration of Governor Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla of Adamawa State. She said it is the first time the state government has supported the effort of the NGO since the IDP crisis began. She described the government’s involvement as “a huge development for us.”

Bishop Mamza explained that many of the beneficiaries were also Muslims, not just Christians alone. He explained that the church was prompted to re-register the IDPs who had not gone home following an incident three weeks ago where an IDP who had collapsed due to malnutrition was brought by a Good Samaritan. He said they carried out a survey and realized that some people were unable to go back to their ancestral homes because of the destruction in their houses or proximity of their homes to the Boko Haram enclave.

A highlight of the distribution exercise was when the Bishop identified some of the visiting helpers (mainly AUN students) who were entering a church for the first time. He prayed that the insurgence will improve relationship between Muslims and Christians living in the Northeast.