Born in 1994 in Kogi State, Nigeria, Mariam Oyiza Aliyu is a medical radiographer, human rights activist, peacebuilder, and feminist. In 2016, she founded the civil society organization Learning Through Skills Acquisition Initiative (LETSAI), of which she is currently the Executive Director.
LETSAI trains and empowers youths and women on life-saving skills, as well as conflict management, emergency response and resilience. The organization also delivers psychosocial and mental health support services to conflict-affected women and girls in northeast Nigeria, including provision of trauma healing to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).
Mariam envisions a world where every women and girl will have equal opportunities and become self-reliant to live decent lives. She has successfully led and supported the establishment of 11 Village Savings and Loan Associations for conflict-affected women across 8 communities, and she is implementing an entrepreneurship development project with support from WPHF under the MOGEWE Consortium in Borno State.
