Following the displacement of families across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary are working to restore hope and dignity among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State. The empowerment of young people, especially women, through education, which lies at the heart of their charism, remains central as they minister to all.
By Sr Linda Ugwu, MSHR
“No one leaves home unless… and, no one chooses refugee camps…” are two lines from Warsan Shire’s poem “Home,” which show that Home is the place people flee from last and the first place they hope to return.
The UNHCR Global Trends Report (2024) notes that, despite record levels of displacement, the desire to return home remains strong. This longing is shared by many IDPs in Nigeria, who continue to hope for a return to their ancestral villages.
Contextual background
Since 2012, Nigeria has experienced growing insecurity across several regions. Attacks by armed groups have led to widespread loss of life, property, and deep fear, with the nature and intensity of violence varying from region to region.
In the Middle Belt, repeated attacks on villages and farmland over the past decade have forced thousands of families into IDP camps. Explanations for the crisis vary, ranging from tensions linked to land use to ethnic, religious, political, or ideological factors.
The lack of lasting solutions has left many communities in prolonged displacement, marked by uncertainty and a deep longing for peace and home.
Finding hope in displacement
In Yelwata, in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, more than 200 people were killed during a night attack on 13–14 June 2025. Many of the survivors now live in the International Market Camp in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State. Memories of that night remain vivid.
Joseph Angur, an IDP in Makurdi, speaks with Sr. Mary Unwuchola, a Missionary Sister of the Holy Rosary, at the camp. Photo: Sr Patience Mary Udele, MSHR
Cypraian Targule, a father of four, recalls hearing gunshots. He fled into the bush with no immediate security response. He arrived at the camp two days later. Although he feels safer there, farming, his main livelihood, is no longer possible. “The hardest part is not being able to farm. The sisters come with food and encouragement. It gives us hope,” he says.
“The camp is not a good place for me,” says Dekaa Elizabeth, a mother of two, who lost several family members, including a brother and his four children. Life in the camp offers her some safety, but daily challenges remain, including water shortages, toilets, school fees, and a child with psychological needs. Asked what keeps her going, she replies, “God gives me hope; His word touches my heart.” The sisters’ presence, she added, encourages and supports her.
Joseph Angur, who fled with his wife and children, remembers hiding in silence as attackers moved through their village, burning houses. Hunger and lack of water remain daily struggles, but he is hopeful. “I want people to seek peace at all times,” he says. “I hope to leave this place and go home. There is no place like home.”
Planting seeds of hope
Since 2022, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary have accompanied IDPs in several camps across Benue State, including Daudu 1, Itcwa, Agagbe, and the International Market camp. Their work began with food support and grew to include skills training for young women and men in sewing, laundry, hairdressing, shoemaking, and plumbing.
After training, participants receive start-up kits to help them earn a living. Some have gradually been able to move beyond life in the camps. Sr. Mary Unwuchola and her team also offer regular visits, prayer, and counselling, encouraging families to remain hopeful that peace will return.
From displacement to dignity
In Daudu Camp, Sr. Mary met Regina Nyamve, who arrived at the camp at age fifteen. After two years, the sisters helped her return to school. She completed secondary school in 2025 and is now training at a fashion school in Makurdi.
“From the IDP camp, I finished secondary school,” she says. “Now I am learning a skill. I want to study Nursing Science.” Her training allows her to imagine a different future with confidence.
Sr. Mary acknowledges the challenges of unmet needs and food shortages, but reflects: “The IDPs could be any of us. When you hear something, don’t just say something, do something.”
The hope that endures
Across the camps, families continue to hope for peace and a return home. Despite loss and uncertainty, faith, community support, and simple acts of solidarity sustain them.
The sisters remain present, offering what they can, even without all the answers. The challenges remain, and so does hope, “because there is no place like home.”
