T-Fresh Civic Voice

“Behind the silence, many Nigerian youths battle invisible wounds that need healing.” How many times have we laughed with people who are silently bleeding inside? Recently, I read an article by Mrs. Ijeoma Thomas-Odia in The Guardian titled “We need systems that will support Nigerians’ resilience to trauma.” Her words struck a chord deep within me, because what she described isn’t just theory—it’s our reality, especially for young Nigerians. We walk through classrooms, church halls, family compounds and hostel corridors with invisible wounds, trying to appear “fine.” But we are not fine. The Hidden Wounds We Carry In Nigeria, trauma isn’t only found in the ruins of conflict or the aftermath of robbery attacks. Trauma also lives in broken homes, in the harsh voices of abusive teachers, in the shame of poverty, and in the guilt young girls carry after facing gender-based violence. It’s in the hush-hush stories of students being harassed or bullied. It’s in the silence that follows the pa...