by HARRIET LAMB
PHOTO/Carol Allen-Storey/International Alert
“Stepping Out from the Shadows” marks the second installment of stories from around the world by peacebuilding organization International Alert. The following tales of capture, escape and continued hardship, as well as determination, love and forgiveness, are showcased in this series of portraits by award-winning photojournalist Carol Allen-Storey.
Since the start of the Boko Haram insurgency, approximately 8,000 women and girls, as well as many boys, have been abducted in Nigeria. Tragically, girls that escape or are rescued face stigma from their own communities, families and husbands, who fear they may have been radicalized. This places them at risk of rejection, isolation and poverty.
Barely a decade ago, Maiduguri in Northeast Nigeria was a thriving city and trade hub. People of different faiths lived peacefully side by side. Since invasion by the insurgency group Boko Haram in 2009, the city lies in near ruins, its surrounding villages pillaged. Hundreds of thousands of women, men and children have been displaced, kidnapped or forced to join the insurgency.
People fleeing the villages around Maiduguri fill the displacement camps located around the city. It is estimated that 2.1 million people have been displaced by the insurgency of Boko Haram.
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