Christmas 2024 arrived early in Durumi. On Saturday, 14 December, members of Matured Like Minds descended on the Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) Camp in Durumi, Abuja, with one simple goal: to give the children there an afternoon they would not forget.
The camp is home to hundreds of families who have been uprooted from their communities across Nigeria. The children who live there carry stories that no child should have to carry. And yet, when they gathered that afternoon — dressed in their brightest colours, eyes wide with anticipation — they looked exactly as children should: full of joy and ready to play.
A feast, gifts and music
MLM members arrived at the camp carrying food, drinks and wrapped gifts. The afternoon began with sharing a warm meal together — one of those simple acts that transcends language and circumstance. Around the tables, laughter broke out freely. MLM members and the camp children ate side by side, strangers becoming friends over shared plates.
After lunch came the gifts. Each child received a carefully wrapped package, and watching them tear into the wrapping paper with wide grins was, by the accounts of every member present, one of the most moving sights of the year. Small things — toys, stationery, sweets — but delivered with the warmth of people who genuinely wanted to be there.
Music filled the rest of the afternoon. Songs were sung, rhythms were clapped, and before long there was dancing — children pulling MLM members onto the makeshift dancefloor with the fearless energy that only children can manage. It was the kind of afternoon that reminds you what a community can do when it simply decides to show up.
Why Durumi?
Durumi holds a particular place in MLM’s story. The IDP camp there is one of the largest in the Federal Capital Territory, housing families displaced by conflict and insecurity from various states across Nigeria. Many of the children there have never experienced a Christmas party of any kind.
MLM chose Durumi not because it is convenient, but because it matters. The community there is resilient and warm, and the children are hungry for exactly what MLM had to offer: time, attention and joy. This visit in December 2024 would also prove to be a precursor to our return in 2026, when we brought 100 school desks for Betharbel All Inclusive Academy — a school that sits inside the same IDP community at Area 1, Abuja.
What this day means for MLM
Giving back is not an add-on to Matured Like Minds — it is woven into our DNA. Since our very first anniversary in February 2022, every milestone we celebrate has included an act of service. The Christmas party at Durumi sat outside our regular anniversary schedule, which made it even more meaningful: it was not prompted by a birthday, but by the simple desire to spread joy at the most celebratory time of year.
There is something powerful about watching a group of adults — professionals, parents, friends — set aside a Saturday afternoon not to celebrate themselves, but to make sure a group of displaced children feels seen and loved. That is what Matured Like Minds looks like in action.
“Create a supportive and inclusive Group where individuals feel supported, valued, and accepted.”
From the MLM Mission Statement
Thank you
Our thanks go to every MLM member who gave their time and resources to make the day happen, and to the management of the Durumi IDP Camp for welcoming us with such warmth. And most of all, thank you to the children, who reminded us — as they always do — that joy is contagious, and giving it away only multiplies it.
If you would like to be part of moments like this, we’d love to hear from you.
