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How LeadUp helped displaced children return to school and strengthened families in Abuja
Across Nigeria, thousands of families displaced by conflict continue to rebuild their lives in fragile settlements where access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity remains limited. In New Kuchingoro IDP Camp in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, many children face the risk of losing their education entirely because their families cannot afford basic school costs or healthcare needs.
Recognizing this urgent gap, LeadUp Foundation launched a targeted community intervention in early 2025 under its SafeAccess approach — designed to restore access to education, improve well-being, and strengthen resilience among displaced families.
What followed was a powerful reminder that small, well-targeted interventions can unlock transformative change.
Reopening the Door to Education
For many children living in the camp, the inability to pay school fees had forced them out of classrooms and into uncertainty. Education — often the most powerful pathway out of poverty — was slipping out of reach.
LeadUp stepped in to help change that trajectory.
Through direct support, the organization reintegrated 100 displaced children back into school, ensuring they could resume their learning and reconnect with the structure, stability, and hope that education provides.
Returning to school meant more than academic continuity. It restored confidence, protected children from deeper vulnerability, and reminded families that their children’s future still mattered.
Supporting Health and Dignity
Displacement often weakens access to basic healthcare, particularly for children and young people. To address this challenge, LeadUp provided essential medicines and drugs for IDP residents, especially children and young people, helping families manage urgent health needs and prevent minor illnesses from becoming serious threats.
For households living in fragile conditions, access to even basic medical support can significantly improve daily well-being and reduce stress for caregivers.
Strengthening Families and Community Resilience
LeadUp’s intervention did not stop with children alone.
The organization also engaged with approximately 50 households in the camp, recognizing that supporting children requires strengthening the families that care for them. During the outreach, mothers were assessed for future capacity-building opportunities, laying the groundwork for programs that can enhance their skills, livelihoods, and economic resilience.
By connecting education support with health assistance and family engagement, the intervention addressed multiple dimensions of vulnerability at once.
A Community-Rooted Approach to Impact
LeadUp’s work in New Kuchingoro reflects the organization’s broader philosophy: solutions are most effective when they are designed with communities, respond to real needs, and deliver practical results quickly.
Rather than waiting for large-scale funding before taking action, the organization implemented a focused response that delivered immediate and measurable benefits to displaced families.
The results demonstrate the power of community-driven development:
Each of these outcomes represents more than numbers. They represent renewed opportunity, improved well-being, and restored dignity for families navigating the challenges of displacement.
Why This Work Matters
For displaced families, the difference between vulnerability and opportunity can often depend on timely support. When children remain in school, when health needs are addressed, and when parents are given opportunities to build capacity, communities begin to recover and rebuild stronger foundations for the future.
LeadUp’s intervention in New Kuchingoro demonstrates how community-rooted, practical solutions can create meaningful change even with limited resources.
Looking Ahead
The New Kuchingoro initiative also points to the potential for deeper engagement. By identifying mothers interested in skills development and economic empowerment, LeadUp is exploring ways to expand support that can strengthen household stability and reduce long-term vulnerability.
For LeadUp, this work is part of a larger mission: ensuring that youth, children, and women in underserved communities can access the knowledge, opportunities, and support systems needed to thrive.
Impact at a Glance
Location: New Kuchingoro IDP Camp, Abuja, Nigeria
Intervention period: Early 2025
Quote for the page
“When access to education and basic health support is restored, displaced children regain more than learning — they regain hope for the future.”
