Literacy Amidst Violent Conflict (LAVC): Nurturing Hope through Education

Addressing Literacy in Conflict-Affected Rural Areas:

The consistent herdsmen and farmer conflicts in various Nigerian communities have brought violence, loss, and fear complex realities that many students carry with them into the classroom. These issues are difficult to discuss, especially when students come with different personal and community narratives. How can educators create a safe space for reflection, healing, and hope?

At Community Outreach for Educational Change (COEC), we recognize the urgent need to address literacy in conflict-affected rural areas. We have introduced the Literacy Amidst Violent Conflict (LAVC) model through a partnership with Jennifer Chinenye Emelife, made possible by the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation Academic Enrichment Grant. This initiative equips students and teachers with the skills to process trauma, foster critical thinking, and find agency through literacy.

A Literary Approach to Healing: One of our key tools at LAVC is the novel Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree, which narrates the story of Boko Haram’s insurgency and its impact on communities. By exploring the experiences of the characters, students can process their own hurt and confusion while developing critical literacy skills.

A Classroom Example: Finding Hope Amidst Fear: Recently, our LAVC students at COEC Model Schools, Samaru Kataf, explored a chapter where a teacher, Malam Zwindila, discusses Boko Haram with his students. Connecting the conflict to their social studies lesson, he uses a map of Nigeria to reassure the class that insurgents cannot take over the entire country. This moment of contextualizing violence gives the protagonist, Ya Ta, and her classmates a glimmer of hope a reminder that violence does not have to define their future.

Mapping Emotions: A Literacy Activity for Healing To further foster healing, we implemented a literacy activity where students created emotional maps reflecting their own experiences with conflict. Working in groups, they:

• Drew emotional maps sketching moments when they felt unsafe due to violence in their communities.
• Identified sources of support highlighting people, places, or opportunities that helped them cope.

The responses were poignant and reflective. Many students referenced Fulani herdsmen attacks, recalling homes being burnt, farm destruction, and feelings of hopelessness. Yet, they also spoke of resilience: finding strength in community, peer encouragement, and scholarships that keep them in school. Above all, they expressed a shared longing for peace so they could focus on their education and dreams.

Empowering Minds, Building Resilience Our approach at LAVC is rooted in creating a safe learning environment where literacy becomes a tool for emotional expression and critical thinking. We believe that by helping students reflect on their experiences, we nurture not only academic growth but also emotional resilience.

Join us at COEC in this journey of hope and healing. Through literacy, we are helping students reclaim their narratives, one story at a time.

Literacy Amidst Violent Conflict (LAVC): Nurturing Hope through Education

Addressing Literacy in Conflict-Affected Rural Areas: The consistent herdsmen and farmer conflicts in various Nigerian communities have brought violence, loss, and fear complex realities that many students carry with them into the classroom. These issues are difficult to discuss, especially when students come with different personal and community narratives. How can educators create a safe space for reflection, healing, and hope?

At Community Outreach for Educational Change (COEC), we recognize the urgent need to address literacy in conflict-affected rural areas. We have introduced the Literacy Amidst Violent Conflict (LAVC) model through a partnership with Jennifer Chinenye Emelife, made possible by the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation Academic Enrichment Grant. This initiative equips students and teachers with the skills to process trauma, foster critical thinking, and find agency through literacy.

A Literary Approach to Healing One of our key tools at LAVC is the novel Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree, which narrates the story of Boko Haram’s insurgency and its impact on communities. By exploring the experiences of the characters, students can process their own hurt and confusion while developing critical literacy skills.

A Classroom Example: Finding Hope Amidst Fear Recently, our LAVC students at COEC Model Schools, Samaru Kataf, explored a chapter where a teacher, Malam Zwindila, discusses Boko Haram with his students. Connecting the conflict to their social studies lesson, he uses a map of Nigeria to reassure the class that insurgents cannot take over the entire country. This moment of contextualizing violence gives the protagonist, Ya Ta, and her classmates a glimmer of hope a reminder that violence does not have to define their future.

Mapping Emotions: A Literacy Activity for Healing To further foster healing, we implemented a literacy activity where students created emotional maps reflecting their own experiences with conflict. Working in groups, they:

• Drew emotional maps sketching moments when they felt unsafe due to violence in their communities.
• Identified sources of support highlighting people, places, or opportunities that helped them cope.

The responses were poignant and reflective. Many students referenced Fulani herdsmen attacks, recalling homes being burnt, farm destruction, and feelings of hopelessness. Yet, they also spoke of resilience: finding strength in community, peer encouragement, and scholarships that keep them in school. Above all, they expressed a shared longing for peace so they could focus on their education and dreams.

Empowering Minds, Building Resilience Our approach at LAVC is rooted in creating a safe learning environment where literacy becomes a tool for emotional expression and critical thinking. We believe that by helping students reflect on their experiences, we nurture not only academic growth but also emotional resilience.

Join us at COEC in this journey of hope and healing. Through literacy, we are helping students reclaim their narratives, one story at a time.