[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

Esther Ibanga pastors a church in Jos, Nigeria.

She remembers the day in 2010 when Islamic militants set fire

to her mother's home.

It really hurt me, because it was like my whole childhood

just went into flames.

That same year, less than five miles away in Dogo Nahawa,

more than 500 women and children were slaughtered

by Islamic militants.

The Christian women leaders in the city

began to come to my house.

And they said to me, Pastor Esther, what should we do?

I mean, this cannot go on.

Esther says they dried their tears and organized a protest.

Thousands of women marched, petitioning the government

to end the corruption and violence.

Shortly after, women from a nearby Muslim village

responded with a march of their own

for women and children killed in an earlier attack

by Christian militants.

So I decided to reach out to the Muslim women.

And I said, listen, you're not my enemy

and I'm not your enemy.

She called Khadija Hawaja, a Muslim community leader

to come up with a solution.

But Esther struggled with giving her own anger and bitterness

over to God.

And I told the Lord, no, I'm not

going to forgive because I was hurting so much.

I just did not want to have anything to do with any Muslim.

Then she heard Khadija's story.

Her personal house was also set on fire

by Christian youths.

When she said that, I just stopped right there

in my tracks, because she understood what I felt

and I understood what she felt. And we just

realized we needed to come together and help these kids.

So that healed me and that brought me

to the point of actual forgiveness.

It was then they established Women Without Walls Initiative,

working to help Muslims and Christians resolve

their differences to bring peace to Nigeria.

They believe women are natural agents

for social and national change, because they

know the key to transforming Nigeria

is to reach the children.

The Mother School basically is raising local women

to be the first line of security for their families

and their communities.

So we take them to a 10 week training

on how to recognize the signs of radicalization

in their children.

They're also giving at risk youth scholarships

to finish school, offering support for physically

challenged students, and helping communities engage in dialogue.

But Esther says their message of peace

hasn't always been welcomed.

They said, we don't have drinking water

in this community.

Why are you coming to talk to us about peace?

What is peace?

So we said to them, OK, if we get you drinking water,

will you talk with us?

And they said yes.

Women Without Walls persuaded an engineering company

to dig what they call The Peace Well,

a source of clean drinking water shared by Christians

and Muslims alike.

Through this and other efforts, Esther

sees lives being changed.

I've had a Muslim boy call me mother.

I've had a Muslim boy listen to my tape

and just quote my sermon.

And he said he can relate to what Pastor is saying.

So for him to want to see Jesus, to hear Jesus just

through association with me, I think God is glorified.

Esther has been criticized by Christians for partnering

with the Muslim community.

But she's not quitting any time soon.

She says the stakes are high, and the only way to bring peace

is through God's message of hope and love through Jesus Christ.

He died for the sins of the whole world.

He didn't die for Christians.

He died for those Muslims, He died for those unbelievers.

God is ready to transform lives if we would

let Him use us as vessels.