Rising from the remnants: restoring God’s kingdom and serving persecuted Christians in Nigeria

Originally published by Global Christian Relief

Against the azure Nigerian sky, Milka stands with quiet confidence — a far cry from the terrified 12-year-old who fled through the night in 2014 when Boko Haram militants stormed her village. “We started running, running, running,” she recalled, her fluent English carrying the weight of memories still sharp despite the passing years. For three harrowing days, she and her siblings didn’t know if their parents were alive, their young hearts gripped by a fear no child should know. It’s difficult to imagine that this strong young woman, who has dedicated her life to serving persecuted Christians in Nigeria, once lived in such terror. 

The family eventually reunited and found refuge in a displacement camp, joining millions of other Nigerian Christians forced from their homes by extremist violence. But safety came with its own kind of despair. “We were hopeless,” Milka said. “We had no school. Just sitting at home, nothing to eat.”

Yet even in displacement, hope found a way to take root. Milka’s father, through backbreaking farm work, scraped together enough money to send her to school. She seized the opportunity with both hands, excelling through secondary school and eventually graduating from the College of Health Technology Maiduguri in 2022.

Serving persecuted Christians in Nigeria

It’s what Milka did next that reveals the extraordinary arc of her story. Rather than seeking opportunity in the city, she returned to her displaced community, joining a youth empowerment programme sponsored by Global Christian Relief. The shy, serious girl transformed into a confident young leader, working in a mobile medical clinic that serves the camps scattered across northern Nigeria.

“We treat everything from malaria to typhoid to ulcers,” the now 20-year-old explained. “When I see them become well and healthy, it makes me very, very happy.” Her work brings healing not just to bodies, but to a community that has known deep trauma. Through the programme’s combination of counselling, biblical discipleship and vocational training, Milka found not only purpose but also a platform to help rebuild what violence tried to destroy.

Seeing God’s hand in her story

The significance of her journey isn’t lost on her. Milka finds comfort in Isaiah 46, which speaks of God sustaining “the remnant” of his people. “Sometimes when I sit down and remember the life where I was… Seriously, it makes me scared,” she admitted. “But then I thank God for making me who I am. God knows the reason.”

When asked what she would say to those considering supporting such programs, Milka’s answer was simple: “I tell them the story of my life, how I’ve grown up, and now I’m telling them, ‘Look at me. I’m becoming somebody.’”

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