The Global Peace Foundation of Nigeria (GPF) and Kukah Center of Faith, Leadership and Public Policy, on Tuesday provided psychosocial support to 80 kidnap victims in Kaduna State.
The Country Director GPF, Rev. John Hayab, in his remarks at the commencement of the programme said, it was to allow the survivors pick up their lives after the harrowing experience.
“Our world is facing increasing challenges everyday and our organisation has chosen to collaborate with Kukah center, Christian Council of Nigeria, and many other NGOs to assist.
“Not only by standing with the victims of kidnapping, banditry and their loved ones, but by providing psychosocial support for them to pick up their pieces and take back their lives again.
“The psychosocial support is an integral part of every humanitarian response which victims of kidnapping and their relatives need during and after their experiences.
“Psychosocial support helps individuals and communities to heal psychological wounds and rebuild social structures after a critical event such as a kidnap experience.
“It can help change people into active survivors rather than passive victims,” he added.
According to him, early and adequate psychosocial support can prevent the distress and suffering they experienced from developing into something more severe.
“It can also help people cope better and become reconciled to everyday life; psychosocial support can help beneficiaries to resume their normal lives, because the pains of staying in the camp of bandits has psychosocial consequences.
“Emotional wounds may be less visible than the destruction of homes, but it often takes far longer to recover from emotional impact than to overcome material losses.”
The country director, therefore, said that the psychosocial support and adaptation processes would respect local customs to fast track healing and allow the survivors to cope better with any difficult situation.
Hayab disclosed that the 80 kidnap survivors were from Bethel Baptist High School, Federal School of Forestry, Greenfield University and other victims from different parts of Kaduna state.
“We will do our best to keep this engagement ongoing with you and other victims, so that we can work together to put behind us the unfortunate experiences you have gone through and start a new and better life,” he added.
In his remarks, Fr. Sixstus Onuh of the Kukah centre, said the programme was not to remind the victims of their past, but support them to move on in life.
Also, the Northern Coordinator GPF, Sheik Halliru Maraya, urged Nigerians to shun violence and criminality and live together as one family under God.
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