Healing Circles for Peace: Psychosocial Support & Peace-building for Youth in Maiduguri

Maiduguri (in Borno State, Nigeria) has experienced years of conflict and displacement. Many youth aged 16-25 in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps and host communities continue to live with trauma, anxiety, grief, and social isolation. This affects their education, relationships, and community cohesion. There are very few safe, youth-led spaces where young people can talk, heal, and learn skills for peaceful living. This gap contributes to tension and reduces resilience in communities.

Young people deserve safe spaces to talk, recover, and lead. I want to contribute to building that foundation so the youth can thrive instead of just survive.

My project aims to promote mental health, resilience, and peaceful coexistence in IDP camps in Maiduguri through structured psychosocial support and community peace-building.

Specific objectives: 12 weekly Healing Circle sessions will be held for a total of 50 youth (25 males and 25 females) to build coping skills and emotional resilience.  10 youth will be trained as Peer Peace Ambassadors in basic psychosocial support and conflict mediation.  Two community dialogues will be conducted to raise awareness on mental health and reduce stigma.

Expected outcome: 80% of participants report improved mental health, including reduced stress and anxiety, and better coping skills.