In a bid to curb the lingering crisis in Plateau State and ensure peaceful coexistence among its residents, a non-governmental organisation, Apurimac Onlus, has empowered over 14,000 victims on various skill acquisition programmes.

The Jos-based NGO also said it has begun fresh drive to assist the victims overcome trauma, which has been identified as a common challenge among them, through an intensive trauma-healing training for health workers in the state which ended at the weekend.

Global Director of Apurimac, Mr Villa Victorio, and the Country Director, Mr Godwin Okoko, told journalists in Jos after the training that the prevalent rate of trauma among crisis victims in the state was high and as such the need for the NGO to device fresh strategies in order to reduce it to the barest minimum.

“We need to broaden the skills of the selected beneficiaries who will act as community trauma councillors. We are doing the training in six LGAs. We are sad about the situation and that is why reducing trauma incidence among crisis victims in the state is a commitment we are determined to achieve.”

Okoko further disclosed that the NGO with funding from the European Union had spent over N800 million in its peace building efforts since it started operation in 2008.

He said: “We have established four vocational skills training centres in each of the Senatorial zones of the state as well as an established Trauma healing centre in Jos North local government , the first of such health centre in the North central Nigeria, where victims of violent conflicts and bomb blasts receive free medical treatment and trauma counseling.

“The organisation is currently implementing an EU-funded project in six local government areas of the state under the instrument contributing to peace and stability (ICSP) programme in partnership with Bege Foundation and Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria.

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Plateau crisis: NGO empowers 14,000 trauma victims