Focus on Boko Haram: Sarah Topol Speaks at Davidson

Pulitzer Center grantee Sarah Topol speaks about her most recent reporting project on Boko Haram during her visit to Davidson College on Thursday, September 21, 2017.

Topol and photographer Glenna Gordon spent one month in Nigeria visiting the cities of Maiduguri, Bama, and Monguno talking with former child soldiers who were abducted by Boko Haram. The resulting article and photographs appeared in The New York Times Magazine.

The children told their stories of how some were used to provide tactical or logistical support while others were trained to use weapons. While Topol's article gave readers a glimpse of some of the heinous acts the children were forced to commit, it also shared their stories of heroism, hope and perseverance.

Topol previously reported on the schoolgirls who escaped the Chibok abduction in April 2014, which lead her to pursue the stories of child soldiers who were forced to live under the control of Boko Haram.

In her Thursday evening, lecture, Topol speaks on her experience reporting in Nigeria as well as explores other topics. She also plans to connect with students and faculty in classes and via informal sessions throughout her visit at Davidson, a Campus Consortium partner.