Worrying news from John Dada and Fantsuam Foundation reached us on Tuesday.
John had written:
“We were woken by heavy gun fire and have been up since 10pm Monday. My house is now a refugee camp from people fleeing fighting inside Kafanchan."
"The attackers are heavily armed, better than the military police. Not sure where to evacuate the folks in my compound as we will probably be the next target. “
John went on to say that the violence was a protest against President Goodluck's PDP party win. He then pointed out the irony that in Kafanchan it was the rival CPC party who had actually won, yet it was their members who were attacking the community.
As John said “ It looks like heads or tails, we lose.”
John also shared with us the disturbing news that three FF staff had their homes burnt down, leaving them the clothes they were wearing as their only possessions.
He said that he had spent the day ferrying men with gunshot wounds to a village hospital, some 35km away from Kafanchan.
As is so often the case it was to John that members of the local community turned to for leadership and refuge. By lunchtime he had taken responsibility for 200 people at his home/compound - 75 of whom stayed the night there. Also there was the problem of what to have for breakfast as the Kafanchan market had been torched and John predicted that this would result in a period of food scarcity, expensive household items etc
Dadamac UK were therefore very relived to hear via email this morning that John and his houseguest had had a peaceful night and that those who could do were returning to their homes. John and Kelechi explained that the religious divide, mutual suspicion and hatred runs deep. But hope remains, as John reported that there were stories of brave people, on both sides, risking their lives to protect their neighbours.
We were very surprised that John was in fact able to join our skype meeting later in the morning. I think that he was probably at Fantsuam Foundation checking the situation there. He explained that his next task would be condolence visits to those who had lost families and properties and to visit the youths at the police station who had claimed sanctuary there.
After 25 minutes John needed to leave urgently as he had received news of fresh outbursts of violence near his home. During the meeting and via emails it became clear there was an urgent need to initiate short term and long term objectives for a Truth and Reconciliation strategy for Kafanchan.The priority is to help reduce the local tensions and to reduce further violent outbursts and loss of lives.
Never before has the need for Fantsuam Foundation and John Dada’s non-partisan and non-religious integrated development been so great.
As John said: “ I am sure the current misfortune can be turned into opportunities for moving people out of subsistence. The reconstruction of the Kafanchan market can create hundreds of jobs if only I know how to go about it. Massive cheap housing is another opportunity to engage the restless jobless, youths. Where can we get a listening ear?
I believe reconciliation will be enhanced if done in parallel with job creation. Government is in paralysis at moment, National Union of Road Transport Workers, NUTRW members suffered heavy losses: their vehicles burnt, motor parks razed to the groung. How, who can we engage for market reconstruction, providing new vehicles for NURTW members as loans: these can be povided as Social Business investments that will make profit and do public good. Do we know any social investor or angel investors who can work with us? A private public partnership”?
Massive job creation linked to grassroot reconciliation efforts will be a powerful tool to help John and his team continue and build upon their work of bringing the two communities together. If you can help in any way please email nicola.fishman@dadamac.net