BRIDGE-IDAs: From Pilot Testing to Community Implementation of Contextualized Life Skills Education

In September 2025, the Building Resilience through Inclusive Development and Gender-Responsive Life Skills Education for Internally Displaced Adolescents in Nigeria (BRIDGE-IDAs) project conducted a Life Skills Education (LSE) facilitators' training as part of its effort to build resilience through inclusive development and gender-responsive strategies for internally displaced adolescents in Nigeria. The team carefully implemented the process to ensure the adapted LSE materials would effectively benefit Internally Displaced Adolescents (IDAs). The process began with a pilot session in Wassa settlement on September 19, 2025, to evaluate both the delivery approach and the content's socio-cultural appropriateness. Based on the insights from this pilot, community sensitization meetings were held across the three intervention sites, beginning with the Dakwa settlement in early October. This method allowed for thorough testing of the materials and ensured meaningful community engagement before the full-scale rollout. 

The pilot was carried out with 20 Internally Displaced Adolescents (IDAs), evenly split between boys and girls (10 boys and 10 girls). Session Four of the LSE session plan, which focuses on problem-solving, was chosen for the pilot. To aid learning, a locally translated infographic was created and shared with the participants. 

Each facilitator delivered a 20-minute session, applying the gender-responsive and inclusive teaching approaches they had learned during training. The sessions were highly interactive, encouraging participants to share examples from their daily experiences. A key insight from the pilot was the effectiveness of the translated infographic, as IDAs could read and understand the content in their local languages, making it easier to follow discussions and stay engaged. Post-session feedback indicated that most participants found the materials visually appealing and easy to comprehend. Many images were correctly interpreted before facilitators explained them, demonstrating strong visual communication. Importantly, the socio-cultural relevance of the materials was rated as satisfactory, as participants felt the examples and illustrations reflected their realities and cultural contexts. 

Overall, the pilot yielded valuable insights and boosted the project team's confidence. It confirmed that the adapted LSE materials are suitable and effective for the target group and will provide a solid foundation for implementation in the intervention settlements.

Building on the pilot's success, the project team visited three study sites, Dakwa, Gongola, and Karomajiji, to engage with community leaders and steering committees. These visits focused on introducing the intervention to the IDAs, building local ownership, and agreeing on timelines for delivering the full LSE sessions.

The first of these community engagements took place in the Dakwa IDP settlement on Saturday, 4th October 2025. The BRIDGE-IDA team organized a sensitization meeting to introduce the LSE intervention to Internally Displaced Adolescents (IDAs), their parents, and the community intervention steering committee, and to outline the intervention's expectations and benefits. 

The meeting brought together IDAs, representatives from Brooks Insights, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), trained facilitators, members of the Intervention Steering Committee, and the Vice Principal of LEA Tunga Kwasou. The team started the session by explaining the project in clear, accessible terms, describing what the intervention involves and what the IDAs can anticipate from their participation. They emphasized that the sessions are structured to support adolescents' personal growth, decision-making skills, and daily-life challenges. This was followed by short goodwill messages from the Vice Principal, who urged the IDAs to take the program seriously and stay committed. The facilitators then introduced themselves, helping to build familiarity and trust before the full program began. 

One key takeaway from the meeting was the strong presence and support of parents, many of whom expressed genuine interest in the intervention and its potential benefits for their children. The IDAs expressed strong excitement and curiosity, particularly when learning about the non-financial support to be provided, including water bottles, infographics, books, pens, pencils, school bags, and a modest financial stipend. These incentives were clearly seen as additional motivation and helped to strengthen their commitment to attending the LSE sessions regularly. 

Having completed the sensitization, the project will now start delivering LSE sessions in the Dakwa settlement. The team plans to maintain close collaboration with community leaders and parents to ensure ongoing engagement and lasting impact.