Hope for a new beginning

“Many Christian girls are queuing up for a scholarship to attend the Nazareth School in Enugu. I don’t know what to do. The number is overwhelming. I would be very grateful if ISHR could help us,” wrote Sister Mary Rose-Claret Ogbuehi, founder of the aid organisation WETE (“Women Empowerment through Education”), to ISHR on January 14, 2026. The school has an excellent reputation because many of its graduates successfully become independent after graduation, either through permanent employment or by starting their own small businesses. However, the good career prospects are not the only reason for the high demand, but above all, the hope for a new beginning: “Many people are fleeing and come to Enugu in fear for their lives. They arrive empty-handed,” Sister Claret describes the current situation. The families are fleeing attacks by jihadist gangs that specifically target Christians.

Vivian C. is delighted that the “Women Empowerment through Education” (WETE) initiative made her apprenticeship possible. © WETE

Recent reports show that the US airstrikes on positions held by the terrorist group “Islamic State” have not stopped the long series of attacks on Christians. These attacks are often carried out by radicalised Fulani nomadic herding gangs, as was the case on January 12, 2026, in the village of Otobi Akpa ( Otukpo district, Benue state), where four Christians and nine other residents were shot dead during the night. Around the turn of the year, many Christian villages were again targeted by violence, resulting in dozens of deaths.

The perpetrators’ methods include attacks on schools (such as the one in Niger in November) and churches; Christian clergy, in particular, have been victims of murder and kidnapping. Families and community members are forced to sell their land and livestock to meet the exorbitant ransom demands – solely in the hope of saving the lives of those abducted. Despite this, it is not uncommon for the kidnapped to never be seen alive again.

“Some of the families whose relatives were abducted also come to Enugu seeking help,” reports Sister Claret. With her initiative “Women Empowerment through Education” (WETE), she supports survivors of religiously motivated violence by enabling girls and young women to take part in one- to two-year vocational training in a trade or business. This gives them the skills to earn an income, become more independent, and help improve the lives of their families.

ISHR supports this aid organisation by helping to raise awareness of its work and the needs of Christian women and girls in Nigeria.