John, the Barber
A barbershop in a small town in Adamawa State
John, 17, owns a modest barbershop in a small town in Adamawa State in north-eastern Nigeria. He bought the premises from his former boss, who opened a larger barber shop in a trendy neighbourhood. When his boss made him the offer, John sensed a bargain and didn't hesitate. “I bought the business with my savings. Now I'm on my own," he stated with a gleam of pride in his eyes.
John is one of the hundreds of young people directly affected by the armed conflict that has been ravaging northeast Nigeria for more than a decade. He and his father were kidnapped in 2020 while working in their farm, somewhere on the outskirts of the city. During the kidnapping, his father attempted to resist and was killed. “I'll never forget that tragic day. It wasn't so much my abduction as the death of my father that was hardest. It was horrible. I miss him so much," he says, his voice shaking as tears rose.
The resilience of this adolescent is impressive. He finds the strength to carry on and move forward despite everything. But he has not forgotten this dark chapter in his life. John spent two years in captivity. He was forced to do domestic work and farming. Traumatised and living in difficult situations, the young man fell ill. “They tried to treat me with herbs but to no avail; my condition worsened. As I was no longer of any use to them and became a burden, my captors abandoned me at the entrance of the town. As I lay dying by the side of the road, some young people on a motorbike rescued me and took me straight to the hospital," he recalls. John spent several days in intensive care. He gradually recovered and was looked after by social services. The adolescent was placed in a foster home while social services traced his family. His mother was in a nearby town, and there was an emotional reunion. Sadly, his father was missing.
"What a joy to see Mum again! But Daddy leaves a big hole in my heart,"
Following his release, John was identified by the social workers of the MWASD and enrolled in the Vocational Skills Acquisition Programme, funded by UNICEF. He was placed as an apprentice with a barber who was a partner in the Vocational skills acquisition for six months. At the end of his training, with the support of UNICEF, John received a kit to run a barbershop.
Impressed by his excellent performance, his master trainee hired him. They worked together for six months until he took over the business. “I am now independent and proud to be able to take care of myself. You could say I've come a long way, a very long way," he declares.
John has no intention of stopping here. He wants to enroll in an informal evening class to get an education. "I need to obtain an education, even if it's informal. I'm saving because evening school is quite pricey”, he says.
This 17-year-old adolescent is mature for his age. Although his mother has rebuilt her life and remarried in another city, he has chosen to stay in his hometown: "Everyone knows me here. This is my home; there's a bit of my father here," he says with a sad smile. A year after his reintegration into the community, there is still a veil of sadness in John's eyes. Healing will take time. With the support of UNICEF, John has been included in psychological support groups. At first, the teenager was reluctant to talk about his captivity, especially the murder of his father in front of him.
"To tell the truth, I was convinced that no one would ever understand what I had been through and felt. But I was surprised to meet other young people who had been through almost as terrible situations. Gradually, I opened up, and the sessions were an outlet for my grief."
The healing process will be long, but the young man looks to the future.
