To me, as a full-time house wife, mother and ordinary member of the farming community, I use to stereotype only the other groups that are presumably our enemies, in this case, the herders, by generalizing that all of them are bad. This is because even in the peace processes and initiatives by other peace organizations, the approach was basically for farmers to be in their separate groups and herders to be in theirs. However, joining CCAPAD had really given me a different perspective to my stereotypes because in CCAPAD, the herders and the farmers are joined in a single group to make up a team.
This has therefore, given me an opportunity to know them first hand and even get to hear their own sides of the story. I now know their plights and most importantly, I transmit same to my people so that we can see that our common humanity is threatened by the absence of peace. “From the trainings, I now realize that yes we can do it. Today I am no longer afraid of them (herders) as I was before, I can now go to the Fulani settlements without any fear”. As far as I am concerned, this a very powerful success story in our coexistence with our fellows and I want to thank CCAPAD and Bread for the World for these wonderful thought of bringing our communities together to live in peace, our prayers are with them always and forever. (Ruth Ahinche member peace club consultative forum Bassa)
