The Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development (Allamin) was founded in response to the humanitarian and social crisis in northeastern Nigeria, caused by the Boko Haram-led insurgency. During her time with the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), peacebuilder and member of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL), Hamsatu Allamin, received support from ICAN’s Innovative Peace Fund (IPF). As a result of this backing, Hamsatu established Allamin with the aim of assisting returnees and survivors of abduction and forced marriage in Borno State in North-East Nigeria.
Allamin utilized the seed funding provided by the IPF to enhance their organizational capacity, carry out essential activities, and attract further funding from other sources such as the Open Society Institute (OSI) and Amnesty International. The foundation works to reduce the entrenched culture of silence suffered by returnees in Nigeria and empower individuals to manage conflicts and grievances nonviolently.
Empowering Survivors: Support Networks for Women
What began with an instructional handbook on how to engage women returnees evolved into support networks for survivors of sex trafficking and forced marriages, and for women living in IDP camps who were associated with or married to insurgents. These networks provided a safe space for women to come together, share their experiences, and raise awareness about the challenges they face.
Allamin’s efforts catalyzed a movement where survivors felt safe and empowered to come forward and share their stories, becoming part of the foundation’s social networks. Through these networks, many women who had disassociated themselves from extremism or escaped from forced marriages and sex trafficking found the support they needed. They received medical treatment and access to valuable information and resources, which facilitated their recovery and successful reintegration back into society. Allamin’s work has had a profound impact on the lives of these women, fostering an environment where they can heal, grow, and find strength in solidarity.
In 2019, Allamin provided direct grants to thirty survivors of sex trafficking or forced marriage in four IDP camps in Nigeria. These grants helped them start businesses and gain financial independence. Allamin worked closely with host communities to raise awareness about survivors’ experiences and promote acceptance within society. Thanks to these interventions, many women were not only accepted back into their communities but also started their own small businesses, taking the first steps towards economic empowerment. Allamin also organized weekly radio programs to discuss their work and educate the public about the survivors, leading to a positive shift in public opinion, with previously condemning individuals now offering vocal support.
“Through social networks and platforms we’ve enabled these women to speak and amplified their voices and plights across national and international radio broadcasts. We have helped women and girls to become leaders and started a cycle so they can support new arrivals to manage their traumas.”
– Hamsatu Allamin, Founder, Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development
Countering Extremist Narratives: Promoting Education and Non-Violent Conflict Resolution
Allamin’s previous projects focused on countering extremist narratives and preventing recruitment to violent extremist groups. They achieved this by promoting education and highlighting the connection between non-violent conflict resolution and Islamic principles. Allamin engaged community members, leaders, and students around the importance of teaching peace and conflict resolution in Islamic schools. By creating 75 Peace Clubs, Allamin has fostered tolerance and peaceful coexistence among students from diverse tribal and sociocultural backgrounds. Through a 14-week radio program with over 1 million listeners, Allamin discussed peacebuilding and conflict resolution in Borno State’s post-conflict period, resulting in a 40% increase in school enrollment.
