"Boko Haram held my entire community captive. They killed some of my neighbors who were trying to escape,"says Bulama, who was 10 years old at the time. Less than three kilometers from the Cameroon border, the town of Banki was a strategic point for the extremist group to secure territory beyond northeast Nigeria. "The army managed to free us after one year," Bulama continues, his gaze intensifying.

Freedom. Not for long.

The lines became blurred between captives and captors. “Some of the youth in my village were part of the group." Amidst the growing confusion, men, youth, and children were taken to a detention center in Maiduguri. Bulama was one of them.

"When I was released four years later, I was told that my village was now deserted. Most people had fled. We had to find my parents in the myriad of IDP camps in the city of Maiduguri." Reunification was just the beginning of a long journey to help children like Bulama pick up the pieces of their lives.

Over the past two years, Search has been adding pieces to that puzzle to facilitate the reintegration of children allegedly involved with armed groups into their communities.

With funding from UNICEF, Bulama benefited from trauma management sessions to help him overcome the effects of years in captivity. He learned to recognize the symptoms, as well as how to address them. "I used to get angry easily, lose patience with people, and have memory loss. Now my mind is stabilizing."

With a calmer mind, Bulama was able to fully engage in new life projects. For four months, he was paired with a tailor for an apprenticeship. "I received a job offer right after the training. I now make school uniforms, clothing, masks."

Time has also turned back the clock on Bulama’s education. With the increase in attacks on schools, he interrupted his schooling as a child. The project offered him an accelerated learning program to get him back on track, providing one last piece to the puzzle of his life. "I can now write my name to deposit what I earn from sewing in the bank," he says.

Between school and work, Bulama thrives, his field of possibilities ever-expanding. With the stipend he received to start his business, he is also building his own clientele. "On weekends, I continue to work, this time for myself. I hope to expand and be able to hire people soon. I feel fortunate; what I got from this project, most kids couldn't get from their relatives."

Inspired and inspiring, he paves the way for young people to keep hope alive by showing that it's never too late to pick up the thread of your life. "People look up to me now; they see me as a role model," he concludes.