Over 500 IDPs at Makurdi's International Market Camp received psychosocial support, sanitation, grooming and child-focused care.
MAKURDI, BENUE STATE — For several hours on Saturday, the usual quiet atmosphere at the International Market Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Makurdi gave way to songs of worship, children's laughter and the hum of volunteer activity as hundreds of displaced families participated in a humanitarian outreach aimed at restoring hope beyond emergency relief.
Prime Brief Media observed volunteers cutting children's hair under temporary shelters, women receiving free hairdressing services, sanitation teams clearing overgrown bushes and refuse, while counsellors moved from tent to tent speaking privately with families still struggling to rebuild their lives after fleeing attacks in their communities.
The outreach, organised by A Thousand Hills Empowerment Foundation, a ministry of IGNITION633, combined medical-style hygiene interventions, environmental sanitation, psychosocial support, children's activities and spiritual encouragement in what organisers described as a holistic response to the needs of internally displaced persons.
According to the foundation, more than 500 camp residents participated in different aspects of the programme.
"Most interventions focus on food or relief materials. Today we wanted to remind people that dignity, hope and emotional healing are also essential," one of the volunteers told Prime Brief Media during the exercise.
By mid-morning, dozens of children had gathered beneath a temporary canopy where volunteers led songs, storytelling sessions and educational games.
Parents watched from nearby as children laughed, danced and interacted freely, an atmosphere many residents said had become rare since arriving at the camp.
At another section, barbers worked continuously while hairdressers attended to women and young girls waiting patiently for their turn.
Several beneficiaries left smiling after receiving fresh haircuts and hair treatments, with many expressing appreciation for services they said had become difficult to access since displacement.
According to organisers, 81 people received free grooming services, including men, women and children.
Elsewhere, another team moved through the camp clearing bushes, sweeping communal walkways and removing refuse that had accumulated around residential areas.
Rather than simply cleaning the environment, volunteers engaged residents on proper waste disposal and personal hygiene practices aimed at reducing the risk of disease outbreaks within the crowded settlement.
Some camp residents joined the exercise, turning what began as a sanitation campaign into a collective community effort.
Security personnel stationed at the camp also commended the exercise, noting the visible improvement in the environment by the end of the day.
Away from the public activities, perhaps the most emotional interactions occurred inside family shelters.
Counsellors and prayer volunteers visited households individually, listening as displaced residents recounted stories of losing homes, farms and loved ones to violence.
Several conversations ended in prayer, while others became moments of quiet reflection.
Some residents wiped away tears as volunteers offered words of encouragement and reassurance.
Organisers said more than 200 people received one-on-one counselling or prayer support during the outreach.
For many of the camp's youngest residents, the day was less about displacement and more about simply being children again.
Over 140 children participated in recreational activities, Bible lessons, hygiene education and snack distribution.
A separate session brought together 45 adolescents, where facilitators discussed personal hygiene, puberty and life skills, topics many humanitarian workers say are often overlooked in emergency settings.
Benue remains one of Nigeria's states with a significant population of internally displaced persons following years of armed attacks in rural communities.
While emergency relief continues to play a critical role, humanitarian experts increasingly argue that displaced families also require psychosocial support, education, sanitation and community-based programmes to help them recover from trauma.
For residents of the International Market IDP Camp, Saturday's outreach provided more than temporary assistance, it offered a reminder that, despite the uncertainty surrounding their future, they have not been forgotten.
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