Northeastern Nigeria has battled with insurgency for the past eleven years which has resulted in many orphaned children.

A 15 year old Modu Kachalla of Dalwa village Borno State, whose parents died as a result of the insurgency, told RNI reporter Fatima Grema Modu on how he struggles for survival.

Speaking to her, he said he flee to Maiduguri together with his parents after Boko Haram attacked his ancestral home.

The insurgents tried to make his father their Amir (leader) but his refusal to join them meant that they killed him in a bomb attack.

“My mother was taking care of us after my dad’s departure but a few months later she died too. We are nine in our family, I am the eldest and I have eight siblings, three girls and five boys. All of them are under my care now”

“It’s hard to survive. Every blessed day I have to go out into safe areas to cut down firewood, sell it and provide us with something to eat from the little I earn” said Modu.

He further stated that, studying at school together with his siblings is one of his major dreams. He hasn’t lost that hope of having western education in the near future.

He finally appealed to the government and nongovernmental organizations to come to their aid as he doesn’t want that they all end up roaming the streets begging.

Sadly, according to a report by the United Nations children’s fund UNICEF, this year 1.9 million children are displaced in Northeast Nigeria due to conflict and violence.