“For the first time in a long while, I laughed. I felt like myself again.” – Woman, 67
“I didn’t know I could tell stories like this. I want to keep doing it.” – Youth, 16
“The drama made me forget my problems. I felt free.” – Boy, 13

In April 2025, the Access to Play team sat with 78 internally displaced people; women, adolescents, and children at the Mega IDP Camp in Benue State, Nigeria. Survivors of the devastating farmers-herders conflict, they spoke of fear, loss, and years spent in uncertainty.

But then, through theatre, storytelling, and creative play, something powerful happened:
They began to heal. They began to hope again.

Over the next 8 months, we are expanding this creative psycho-social support initiative. At the heart of our work is a safe space called Ijiir i been angev—a TIV phrase meaning “A Place of Healing.” Here, participants gather to express themselves, process their trauma, and rebuild their sense of self through arts-based healing.

Already, the impact is deeply felt:

“Since I started coming to do this drama, I have been very happy. I just laugh every time and I’ve stopped worrying. That’s why I came back.” – Woman, 50

“Before now, I couldn’t face a crowd. I was very shy and kept to myself. Now, I can speak openly and address people without fear.” – Male Youth, 18

“This program has taught me how to think on my feet and act without a script. I’ve learned to build stories by collaborating with others.” – Girl, 14

This is the work of Access to Play. And it is working.

But we need your support to continue.

We’re raising $20,000 to sustain and grow this program. Your contribution will help us:

• Provide ongoing psychosocial support sessions
• Ensure the welfare and participation of displaced women and youth
• Build a dedicated, weather-proof safe space for the program (we currently rely on a borrowed venue that is not always available)

What Your Gift Makes Possible:

• $20 gives refreshments to 5 participants during group sessions.
• $50 covers travel for our team members to reach the camp from Abuja.
• $100 helps contribute towards building a safe space for workshops and interventions.

Your Donation Supports:

• Healing & Expression for 28 survivors of Gender-Based Violence through Playback Theatre.
• Hope & Skills for 25 displaced adolescents via creative livelihood training.
• Mental Health Support for 25 children living with chronic trauma.
• And a revived Access to Play Ensemble, building mental health facilitators across Nigeria.

Without our interventions, many of these women and young people will remain unheard, unseen, and unsupported. But with your help, they can step into the spotlight—and rewrite the narrative.

Will You Say Yes Today?

Be one of the individuals, partners, or organizations that helps make this story one of hope.
Your name will be honored on our Playful Donors Wall at https://accesstoplay.org/playdonors/playfulgivers/ and if you refer a donor or sponsor a program, we’ll dedicate a performance to you.

How to Donate:

• Bank Transfer: Zenith Bank Nigeria Plc, 1014654636
  Access to Creative Play Foundation
• GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/a331028dSend Proof: WhatsApp +2349072808091 or email [email protected]

Let’s not wait. Let’s heal. Let’s act now.