Thousands have fled Cameroon for Nigeria following a crackdown on protesters who say English-speaking regions have been marginalized by the nation’s French-speaking majority.

“It is quite possible for the Islamic Movement of Nigeria to transform into militancy like the Boko Haram,” said professor Ishaq Akintola, director of the Muslim Rights Concern, an advocacy group for Nigerian Muslims.

The Miller Center at Santa Clara is just one institution in a broader network looking to make a positive social impact.

As she sat outside her hut making jewelry to sell to tourists, 9-year-old Sajon Lengupayi pleaded with passers-by to rescue her from an early marriage that she said her parents arranged without her consent.

The militant Islamist group Boko Haram has decimated villages in northern Nigeria, but Catholic parishioners remain faithful and courageous.

“We're supposed to show the face of Christ to people, but how can you do that if you take off when the going gets tough?” asked Dr. Tom Catena, a 54-year old physician from Amsterdam, New York.