were desperate to see their families.
AUN worries about more than security:
Most of these women are in their 20s, and in
this region it’s unusual for them to still be in
school. If they hadn’t spent years in captivity,
many would be starting families. The previous
fall, eight students didn’t return to school, and
half of those were said to have gotten married.
On the Sunday before they left for home, a
pastor joined them for a sermon. “Some of you
have passed through terrible things, through the
shadow of death,” he preached.
“AMEN!” they replied.
“Some of you are about to travel. Some of you
are afraid.” His pitch climbed. “Do not be afraid!
If you live in fear, you are attracting danger.”
Grace Dodo, a statuesque student who walks
with a cane, tilted her head and joined in: “Yes!”
“I want you to go and come back and finish
your education,” the pastor said.
While Esther Joshua packed for a trip to see
her family, Patience Bulus spent the summer far
from home, on the idyllic campus of Dickinson
College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In 2018 former
AUN president Margee Ensign opened a college-
prep program at Dickinson, where she’s now
president. She enrolled four Chibok survivors.
Patience studied quietly, blending in among
the international students. Then in April 2019
she spoke on a panel at the U.S. Capitol about
the crisis in Nigeria. Soon, Dickinson students
began to recognize her broad smile and colorful
hair wraps on campus. They’d approach and ask
to hear her story. She’ll tell it now. Why not? She
plans to study psychology and become a thera-
pist or work with refugees. She’s stopped going
to therapy sessions herself and has started see-
ing a career counselor.
“I’ll never forget,” Patience said, “but I’ve
started to pretend like I forget. I have to move
on with my life.” j
Nina Strochlic is a National Geographic staff
writer. Bénédicte Kurzen is a French photo g-
rapher who focuses on West Africa and the
Middle East.
Last May, students and
faculty gathered to cel-
ebrate the anniversary
of the students’ release
from Boko Haram. The
event included poems,
speeches, and a play
about a fictitious
kidnapping. At the
end, the girls let go of
balloons, including 112
black balloons—one for
each of their missing
classmates.CHIBOK SCHOOLGIRLS 97