The fire occurred on June 9, in the evening at 7 p.m., when the students had gathered again in the classrooms after dinner to study.
One student, who was not feeling well, had stayed in the boys' living quarters and gone to sleep. Fortunately, he woke up in time and was able to escape to safety. However, the students' residential building of the secondary school burned out completely and the 61 students who had their accommodation there lost all their personal belongings. In the meantime, they have been accommodated in other school dormitories and provided with basic necessities.
Project support by Mission 21
The affected secondary school teaches students from various regions of Nigeria, especially the northeast. It is located opposite the headquarters of the EYN church in the village of Kwarhi in Adamawa state in eastern Nigeria, on the border with Chad. The EYN, in German Church of the Brethren, is one of the larger churches in Nigeria, with about one million members. It is a partner church of Mission 21.
The church is active in various fields of work and various projects are supported by Mission 21. These include a literacy program, women's work, a program to combat HIV/Aids, and an integrated rural development program. In addition, Mission 21 supports EYN in its interfaith dialogue with Nigeria's Muslim population as part of peacebuilding. This is particularly important because the northeast of Nigeria has been suffering for years from the terror of the Islamist militia Boko Haram. This brings suffering and death to the people and also undermines trust between the Muslim and Christian populations. Mission 21 supports the EYN and other partners in their persistent work for peaceful coexistence across religious boundaries.
â–º More information on Mission 21's project work in Nigeria
