‘Mothers Of Chibok:’ 10 Years After Boko Haram Kidnaps Nigerian Girls

The Mothers of Chibok recently had its world premiere at the DOC NYC film festival. The documentary tells the story of a community of women in a Nigerian village whose daughters and sisters were kidnapped a decade earlier by the terrorist group, Boko Haram. It is a story of pain and resilience in the face of flagrant injustice. Filmmaker Joel ‘Kachi Benson aims to “capture the full humanity, not just the sorrow” of the mothers of Chibok.

Ten years ago, 276 schoolgirls were abducted from a government-run boarding school in Chibok, a town in the northeast corner of Nigeria. Punished for the audacity to seek an education, the girls endured forced childhood marriages, repeated physical and sexual assaults and religious coercion by the militants. Some of the girls escaped captivity on their own while others were released after persistent campaigning from activist organizations such as Amnesty International. Today, 82 girls—now young women—remain in captivity. Since then, 1400 more children have been kidnapped.

How are these young women today? How are the mothers, aunts and neighbors feeling?

“The world has been told the same story of Chibok—one of tragedy, loss and victimhood,” describes Benson. The Nigerian director wants the world to “see these women for who they truly are, not as victims, but as warriors of hope.” This is why he chose to make Mothers of Chibok—a film, he adds, about women bravely holding onto hope in the face of adversity.

As I was watching the documentary, at first glance, it seemed the women were nonchalantly going about their day, toiling away on the fields, appearing somewhat sullen and resigned. Not that I could blame them. They underwent a horrific attack on their village. Their daughters, sisters and friends were ripped away from their community. But I quickly learned that they are not sad, helpless victims.

Strength In Womanhood

The women of Chibok, in fact, are incredibly skilled, bright and resourceful. Benson shows one woman negotiating with a man for land. They go back and forth in a reasonable exchange, finally reaching a price that satisfies both. Some women are also seen in the town market negotiating the best possible price for their crops. In another scene, a woman is in the field teaching a young child the nuances of growing peanuts, a major driver of Nigerian economy and culture. I was inspired by their quiet fortitude.

Education Is Everything

Speaking of teaching, Benson underscores the role of education throughout the film. We see women teaching in classrooms. Another older woman, sitting on the floor of her home and helping a young boy with his homework, reminds him that “the other women are fat from eating meat, but I spend my money on school fees so you can have a better life.” We later learn that the woman is a grandmother, caring for the children of her daughter, Aisha, who had been abducted. Time and again, the director shows a woman paying cash to school administrators, asking if not begging for her child to be admitted to school. When a young boy mistook the letter ‘L,’ he was scolded by an older woman: “You need to pay attention in school,” sternly adding, “Your father won’t pay a dime for your education.”

Where Are The Men?

Whether working on the fields or at home, one absence was glaringly obvious: the men. We occasionally saw them negotiating with women over land and crops, seeming holding positions of power. In one scene, Benson showed men, young and old, sitting around playing cards. We don’t see them slogging away on the fields, cooking or cleaning at home, carrying heavy loads on their heads all the way into markets or negotiating for food. Perhaps the men were performing all these tasks but it was a creative decision not to show it? Benson denied this. When I asked him about men’s roles, he said, “not much. You saw them playing cards.”

Trauma Affects The Body And the Brain

As an addiction medicine physician who has worked in homeless shelters and jails, I have cared for many patients who’ve experienced traumatizing events. Trauma can change a human being physically, mentally and emotionally. Chronic activation of the stress response system can disrupt sleep, impair memory and cause hypervigilance or emotional numbness—a behavior displayed by the mothers of Chibok. Somatic symptoms such as headaches and abdominal pain arise without any clear medical cause. Trauma also changes the brain: the prefrontal cortex malfunctions, impairing decision-making; the hippocampus shrinks, impairing memory and learning; and neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin change, causing mood changes, depression and addiction.

Healing The Pain

In Western medicine, we have several tools to help people who experience trauma. Cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, physical activity, creative therapy and mindful practice can all be helpful, particularly using a trauma-informed approach. Were the women of Chibok receiving any of these evidence-based treatments? “I am not aware of any mental health services for the mothers, but the girls who are registered in school do have access to some therapy and psychosocial support,” said Benson.

While the mothers may or may not have had access to ‘modern medicine,’ they are clearly finding other ways to heal. “There is a strong sense of community amongst [the women],” explained the director. “They spend time together, talking, comforting each other and holding each other up.” Throughout Mothers of Chibok, we see footage of the women laughing, telling stories and dancing. They also have a strong spiritual conviction: “God will bring our girls back.” The women of this Nigerian village are well aware that connection heals—a concept, in the face of detrimental loneliness, that the West is learning.

Looking Ahead

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some rage brewing inside me throughout the film. Ten years out, I can’t help but wonder, where’s the justice? I understand now why many of the women in Chibok looked and likely felt demoralized and abandoned. When one of the mothers had received a call that four girls were rescued and that her daughter might be one of them, she was elated and thanked Jesus. Later, we see her sitting on a bench, telling her other daughter, “Your sister wasn’t one of the girls rescued.” The latter flatly replied, “Everyone gets anxious [about] girls being returned. Not in the news anymore. The government could have rescued them. They got what they wanted.” These women have clearly tried. They were angry, they fought, they advocated. Despite their disappointment in the government, they held onto their faith. “There’s nothing God can’t do,” said the mother.

Over the past few years, advocacy has played a bigger role in my medical career. I believe doctors have always advocated for individual patients. But now I’m seeing the impact in educating and empowering larger populations, particularly those that are oppressed. Advocacy, in my opinion, also includes speaking to people in decision-making positions including elected officials, law enforcement, judges and the corporate sector. My late father always said, If there’s a will, there’s a way. When I see the multi-nation response to the Hamas hostages, I can’t help but wonder, where’s the global outrage for the Nigerian girls? (not to mention the 1400 children kidnapped since then). It’s hard not to conclude that the lack of response stems from a lack of will rooted in gender and race: girls in Africa aren’t worth saving. This speaks to a broader issue of human rights violations against girls and women who are still treated as second-class citizens. A recent United Nations report revealed that too little progress has been made to fight femicide, the most extreme form of violence against girls and women. We need significant cultural shifts in order to respect, support and treat girls and women as equals. Telling the stories of the Mothers of Chibok is a start.