MTC Foundation marks International Women’s Day with displaced women in Benue

By Benedicta Aboh

The Maria Touch of Care Foundation (MTC Foundation) celebrated the 2026 International Women’s Day with displaced persons at the Makurdi International Market Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, Benue State.

The event brought together more than 160 participants, including over 105 women living in the camp, about 50 men and five camp officials, placing displaced women at the centre of the celebration.

Speaking during the event, the Executive Director of MTC Foundation, Grace Udoo Tyowua, said the initiative was aimed at extending the visibility of International Women’s Day to women in displacement who are often excluded from mainstream celebrations.

According to her, the event was organised in line with this year’s IWD themes of “Give to Gain” and “Rights, Justice and Action for All Women and Girls.”

Tyowua noted that displaced women face some of the most severe challenges to their rights and dignity, stressing the need to amplify their voices and experiences.

“International Women’s Day should not pass without these women being seen and heard. This film was co-created with them, not about them. Their voices, their faces and their words are the action this day demands,” she said.

A major highlight of the event was the screening of a short documentary film produced in collaboration with women in the camp. The film captured the experiences of displaced women as they spoke about life in displacement, resilience, their rights and what meaningful support for women should look like.

The foundation described the documentary as an effort to make the struggles and resilience of displaced women visible to a wider audience.

The event also featured a drama presentation by members of the community illustrating the consequences of prioritising male children over female children in access to education and opportunities.

Using the metaphor of a three-stone cooking fire, the drama emphasised that excluding any member of a family or community from opportunities weakens the entire structure.

Participants at the event also signed a “Give to Gain Commitment Board,” pledging to support women in displacement and invest in women and girls in their communities. Both signatures and thumbprints were accepted, with organisers saying the board would remain at the camp to allow continued participation.

In further demonstration of the “Give to Gain” theme, the foundation trained 30 women from households within the camp in soap making as part of a skills acquisition programme.

The training provided participants with practical income-generating skills and starter kits to help them begin small businesses.

Founder of the foundation, Maria Onah, said empowering displaced women with skills was a practical step towards ensuring their economic independence.

“Rights and justice for women cannot remain words. They have to become action. For us, action means putting skills, resources and opportunities directly in the hands of women who have been displaced from everything familiar. That is Give to Gain in practice for us at MTC,” she said.

The foundation also announced that the documentary film is available on its YouTube and LinkedIn platforms and encouraged the public to watch and share it in solidarity with women living in displacement.

Maria Touch of Care Foundation is a women-led community-based organisation that focuses on improving the lives of vulnerable populations, particularly women, children and displaced communities through advocacy, education, empowerment and community engagement.