Two Nigerian ladies who survived the onslaught of Boko Haram have graduated with Master’s Degrees from Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida, USA after years of hard-work and overcoming trauma.
The women, Joy Bishara and Lydia Pogu were among the 276 school girls who were abducted by Islamists from their dormitory, at Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria.
The kidnap drew wide condemnation from across the world from prominent figures who waged a social media campaign with the #BringBackOurGirls.
Through scholarship by a US-based charity, the ladies were able to graduate from high school with diplomas from Canyonville Christian Academy, followed by undergraduate degrees from Southeastern University and Masters degrees from the same institution in that order.
Pogu graduated with a Master’s Degree in Human Services Administration while Bishara has a Master’s in Social Work.
On their plans, Pogu disclosed that she wants to combine being a motivational speaker and working for a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) with her enrollment into Southeastern University’s law school.
On her part, Bishara hopes to end up working in a hospital as a social worker; they aspire to use their skills to assist other victims of injustice and oppression.
The two cousins were among the 57 girls who escaped from their captors by jumping from a moving truck shortly after they were kidnapped.
According to Lydia, our abductors told us “that school is a taboo for women and warned us that if we go back to school, they will come for us.”
She added that she never wanted to return to school “because they advised us that wherever we went, they [Boko Haram] were going to find us.”
Loosely translated, Boko Haram means “education is forbidden” in reference to western education.
Meanwhile, 4 young ladies who also suffered the brunt of Islamists recently graduated from University of Notre Dame, USA.
The graduates, Dinah Lawan, Godiya Simon, Maijidda Haruna and Laila Ibrahim who comprise of 4 sisters, 2 Muslims and 2 Christians from Chibok, Borno State and Bukuru-Jos, Plateau State lived together for the last 4 years as sisters.
In 2015, the then governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State tasked Girl Child Concerns (GCC) to take care of the first 55 abducted Chibok girls that escaped.
4 of the graduates are among 25 young girls who escaped communal crises from Plateau State and were granted scholarship by former governor Jonah David Jang.
According to their teacher, Dr. Mairo Mandara “They are a great example for all Nigerians.”
Fr. Dyikuk is a Lecturer of Mass Communication, University of Jos, Editor – Caritas Newspaper and Convener, Media Team Network Initiative (MTNI), Nigeria. Email: justinejohndyikuk@gmail.com. Mobile: 08036232232.
Congratulations to them. May the perpetrators of this dastard acts never know peace. God cannot be mocked