They say hope is a good thing. This is probably true of 42-year-old Abdul, an indigenous Kashimri from Gulumba, Bama Local Government Authority (LGA), northeast Nigeria.
In 2014, two of Abdul's young daughters were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents. Like any doting father Abdul was distraught, to the extent that he even contemplated suicide. Until attending an intra-community dialogue session organised by International Alert and our local partner, Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), the only thing keeping Abdul alive was hope. Hope that one day his two children would return home.
"I remember that day so vividly. It was around 9.30 in the morning when Boko Haram barged into my house. They demanded I hand over every penny I had, leaving me with nothing. Months later, another set came and demanded for my daughter's hand in marriage. I tried to explain that she was too young for marriage, she was only thirteen, but they did not want to know. They threatened to kill me if I did not let her go. I had no choice. A month later, they came back and demanded her younger sister, who was only eleven. Again, I had no other choice but to let her go too. They stayed in our village for about a month before leaving for Sambisa Forest. I have not seen my two daughters since," Abdul recalls.
Abdul goes on to say, "before the insurgency, I was a successful farmer and businessman. I bought beans, corn and millet, and sold them to people at Gulumba market. I had two wives and thirteen children."
Abdul currently lives with members of his family in Bama internally displaced persons camp, waiting for the return of his two young daughters who are still in captivity.
Recently Abdul participated in International Alert's community dialogue sessions, where messages on reconciliation, dialogue, acceptance of survivors and repentant perpetrators were shared. He said he felt relieved after the sessions, that the discussions had changed his earlier opinions on the incident and his plight, and was helping him cope with his daughters absence.
"I was invited to the sessions by a community leader in the camp. At first, I didn't know what to think of them. However, the sessions have been helpful, especially with regard to persevering and dealing with the situation I find myself in. I've learned to forgive repentant Boko Haram, even though they abducted my daughters.
We must forgive the past in the interest of peace and development. As a father and a community member, I've to play my part in helping those returning from Boko Haram captivity to be reintegrated back into the community without stigmatisation and rejection. This will include my girls when they do finally return.
"I want to offer full support to every Boko Haram survivor and ensure they are supported by every member of the community. The sessions have been helpful to me, and I hope to pass on the knowledge to others within my community," says Abdul.


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After the huge success of asking for the best money advice in ten words or less, I decided to repeat the experiment. About a week ago, I challenged my followers on Twitter to give me their best single piece of career advice in ten words or less.
Again, I was flooded with responses.
After spending some time digging through the pile of good suggestions, I picked out fifty of the best ones to share with you. To pick them out, I actually loaded them all into a spreadsheet, tried to filter out some obvious duplicates, and chose the ones that I thought were either really useful, worthwhile, or entertaining. A few of them break the ten word limit a bit, but all are very short, snappy, and valuable.
moneyhighway: Attending extra training opportunities and taking part in pilot projects.
awesome_john: Make eye contact with everyone, and smile.
PracticalNerd: No matter what you do, be prepared to work. Hard.
ObliviousInvest: Whether you realize it or not, you're self-employed.
phdbre: I only need 2. Work hard.
FiscalFizzle: Jobs are targeted expressions of our current passion or responsibility.
CColeman802: Pursue only what you really love — you'll be more fulfilled.
acousticdryad: Diversifty income, never rely on one source that could disappear.
randifity: Show enthusiasm for learning because no career is stagnant.
mmcgreger: Don't just chase the money. Find something you love.
notquitebetty: Trust your gut, and find a mentor.
robbfulks: Stay out of collections, and your boss' wife.
vasthatlunch: Never be afraid to take a risk occasionally!
princewally: Stop whining and do your freaking job.
MattJabs: Take time to live life before deciding upon a career.
esehe5: Pick your battles carefully.
sugarbandit: Get to know people in your desired industry.
John_Parris: find another concept to be the recipient of your allegiance.
centsiblelife: Your work is not just about what you know, it's about who you know.
pksmith: Stick with your own experience.
Matt_SF: Find your niche, become an expert, then diversify your strengths.
MichaelBRubin: You may be underpaid now, but someday you'll be overpaid.
jillianlou: If it feels wrong it probably is – move on.
lisefrac: Develop yourself as your own best career asset.
MoneyMateKate: Take an acting class, HUGE for public speaking/presentation skills.
stevesuhr: Get to know everyone and tell them what you want.
msimonkey: Don't do anything you'd be ashamed to tell mom about.
thisisbeth: Don't be afraid of change.
soundzdj: Dress to impress or for success.
roryboy: Follow your heart. work hard. success will come.
fcn: Presence does not equal productivity. Stay on task, work efficiently.
ryrobes: Don't follow the common script, define 'career' and 'success' yourself.
ColletteCowan: Treat every day like it's your first day at work.
YourWorkDone: Say what you will do, do what you said, then prove it.
RBotti: What would you do for free? Find a career there.
BudgetsAreSexy: Be nice to everyone, even if you have to fake it.
MaddenBible: Not Tomorrow or the next day, BUT Right NOW!
jane_meyer: If you work in an office: DO NOT wear t-shirts, faded, ripped jeans or flipflops.
lahondaknitter: Do what you love and you'll never hate your job.
Coathalia: Watch what you say, compose yourself and be overwhelming honest.
myazngreenworld: Career and spending habits should be in sync.
The_Weakonomist: It's not how many resumes you send out, it's how many hands you shake.
jimseybert: Know what your strengths are and focus on them.
LouiseHornor: Your signature is your integrity. Never sign any false statements.
scottcolecfp: Be careful what you read.
Now, how about you? What's the best career advice you can give in ten words or less? Leave yours in the comments!