“Mothers of Chibok:” 10 years after Boko Haram kidnaps Nigerian girls

of Mothers of Cibok 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 ago by the terrorist group, Boko Haram. It is a story of pain and resilience in the face of blatant injustice. Director Joel ‘Kachi Benson aims to “capture the whole humanity, not just the grief” of the Chibok mothers.

Ten years ago, 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a government-run boarding school in Chibok, a town in the northeastern corner of Nigeria. Punished for daring to seek education, the girls endured forced childhood marriages, repeated physical and sexual assaults, and religious coercion by militants. Some of the girls escaped captivity on their own, while others were released after ongoing campaigns by activist organizations such as Amnesty International. Today, 82 girls—now young women—remain in captivity. Since then, another 1,400 children have been abducted.

How are these new today? How do mothers, aunts and neighbors feel?

“The world has been told the same story of Chibok – a story of tragedy, loss and victimization,” Benson describes. The Nigerian director wants the world to “see these women as they really are, not as victims, but as warriors of hope.” That’s why he chose to do Mothers of Cibok— a film, he adds, about women who bravely hold on to hope in the face of adversity.

As I was watching the documentary, at first glance, it seemed that the women were going about their day in a haphazard way, toiling in the fields, looking somewhat sullen and resigned. Not that I could blame them. They were subjected to a terrible attack on their village. Their daughters, sisters and friends were removed from their community. But I soon learned that they are not sad and helpless victims.

Strength in the Feminine

Chibok women are, in fact, extremely skilled, intelligent and resourceful. Benson shows a 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 city market negotiating the best possible price for their produce. In another scene, a woman is in a field teaching a young child the nuances of growing groundnuts, a major driver of the Nigerian economy and culture. I was inspired by their calm endurance.

Education is everything

Speaking of teaching, Benson highlights the role of education throughout the film. We see women teaching in classrooms. Another old woman, sitting on the floor of her house and helping a young man with his homework, reminds him that “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 who takes care of the children of her daughter, Aisha, who was kidnapped. Time after time, the headmistress shows a woman who pays cash to school officials, asking if she does not beg for her child to be admitted to the school. When a young boy messed up the letter “L,” he was scolded by an old woman, “You should pay attention in school,” adding sternly, “Your father won’t pay a dime for your education.”

Where are the men?

Whether working in the fields or at home, one absence was glaringly obvious: men. From time to time we saw them negotiating with women for land and crops, appearing to hold positions of power. In one scene, Benson showed men, young and old, sitting around playing cards. We don’t see them trudging across the fields, cooking or cleaning at home, carrying heavy loads on their heads to the markets or negotiating for food. Maybe 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 male 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 prisons, I have cared for many patients who have experienced traumatic 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 numbing—a behavior exhibited by the Chibok mothers. Somatic symptoms such as headache and abdominal pain appear without any obvious medical cause. Trauma also changes the brain: the prefrontal cortex malfunctions, impairing decision-making; the hippocampus shrinks, impairing memory and learning; and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin are altered, causing mood swings, depression and addiction.

Pain Healing

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

While 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 between [the women]”, explained the director. “They spend time together, talking, comforting and holding each other.” all the time Mothers of Cibokwe see images of women laughing, telling stories and dancing. They also have a strong spiritual conviction: “God will bring our daughters back.” The women of this Nigerian village know well that connection heals – a concept, in the face of damaging loneliness, that the West is learning.

Looking Forward

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some rage inside me throughout the movie. After ten years, I can’t help but wonder, where is the justice I now understand why many of the women in Chibok looked and perhaps felt demoralized and abandoned. When one of the mothers received a call that four girls were saved and that her daughter could be one of them, she rejoiced and thanked Jesus. Later, we see her sitting on a bench, saying to the other girl: “Your sister was not one of the saved girls.” The latter answered emphatically: “Everyone is anxious [about] the returning girls. Not in the news anymore. The government could have saved 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 kept their faith. “There is nothing God cannot do,” said the mother.

Over the past few years, advocacy has played a larger role in my medical career. I believe that doctors have always advocated for individual patients. But now I’m seeing the impact in educating and empowering larger populations, especially those who are oppressed. Advocacy, in my opinion, also involves talking 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 multinational response to the Hamas hostages, I can’t help but wonder, where is the global outrage about nigerian girls? (not to mention the 1400 children abducted since then). It is hard not to conclude that the lack of response stems from a lack of will rooted in gender and race: girls in Africa are not worth saving. This speaks to a wider issue of human rights violations against girls and women who are still treated as second-class citizens. A recent United Nations report found that little progress has been made to combat femicide, the most extreme form of violence against girls and women. We need significant cultural changes to respect, support and treat girls and women as equals. Telling the stories of Mothers of Cibok it’s a start.