Many girls live in unsafe environments, often facing the insecurity of being displaced again due to ongoing violence. This leaves them at risk of missing years of school, which has only been exacerbated due to COVID-19.
With EU humanitarian funding, the IRC has been able to offer young girls in north-eastern Nigeria spaces where they can learn in a supportive and nurturing environment.
These safe spaces have not only enabled these young girls to acquire valuable life skills, such as reading, but it has also allowed them to learn how to strengthen their emotional resilience.
We asked girls to share some of their favourite ways to cope with negative emotions. See some of their examples!
18-year-old Fatima loves to make use of a technique called “belly breathing”. By counting down from 10 to 1 while taking deep breaths, the girls ground themselves. They become able to quiet their minds and reduce feelings of anxiety or anger.
16-year-old Amina puts an active effort into being mindful and staying calm, especially whenever she is on the verge of letting her negative emotions take the upper hand. She has learned to transform anger and frustration into moments of calm.
When it came to dealing with younger children, 15-year-old Sadiya admits she used to have quite a short temper. However, she has seen a great change in her behaviour. “I didn’t know how to manage my anger, but now I do”.
Taking short walks is one of 16-year-old Fatima’s favourite ways to deal with moments in which her emotions seem too overwhelming: “Before I joined the sessions, I used to react to things with anger – but since I began attending, I have changed.”
17-year-old Hauwa loves singing traditional Hausa songs to relax and put herself in a better mood. “Before every session, we all sing and dance together,” she says. Singing puts Hauwa in the right mindset to process complicated feelings.
But the girls know, if there’s one thing that always helps, it’s having good friends and loved ones around to talk through your feelings of anger or anxiety with.
