As a child, Zakaria had never heard of "Boko Haram"—until, one day, his mother went to a humanitarian aid distribution center and was hit by a rocket. She died instantly. Two other members of Zakaria's family were seriously injured. "I saw the bodies left by Boko Haram. That day, I saw and understood," says Zakaria.

The young boy left the town of Gueskerou with his 6 brothers and sisters and settled in the city of Diffa. Life was back on track, with Zakaria attending school and making new friendships. One day, he decided to buy a guitar from a friend. This seemingly harmless purchase would mark the end of his adolescence. "What I didn't know was that this friend had joined Boko Haram's ranks. He sold all kinds of things to finance the group. He ended up getting arrested, [and] so did the people who had bought from him. My name was on the list because of this guitar," explains Zakaria.

Suspected of belonging to the extremist group responsible for his mother's death, Zakaria was held in the gendarmerie. "I just thought it wasn't possible, that they would realize the mistake and that I would be released," he says. He was not. Instead, he was transferred to the prison in Niamey. "Even then I still believed [...] it would last 2 or 3 months at most," he adds. Zakaria spent a year-and-a-half in prison before being released.

Today, Zakaria is able to meet his brothers and sisters in Diffa. Since September, he has been learning to weld thanks to the professional training offered by Search and financed by the European Union. This project helps former detainees and repentant violent extremists reintegrate into their communities of origin.

"When I work, I feel alive again. All the negative thoughts I had when I got out of prison are gradually dissipating. This is how I feel during the activities but also every time I think about the future, as soon as I tell myself that this will allow me to have an occupation that will help feed my brothers and sisters. There is a real demand for this type of work, even in construction. We need people who know how to work with iron," explains Zakaria.

"When I think back to my mother’s death, I'm unhappy and angry. But despite that, I have to live with [former Boko Haram fighters] and even work with them. If some of them have committed crimes and are here today among us, it is because they have understood their mistake. I forgive them," he says.

Zakaria now dreams of opening his own workshop and moving forward.