SLOC-VAWG

SLOC-VAWG:  is a project design to build the Capacity of local women rights organizations to convert violence against women and girls. AAN and MDF sign a partnership Memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the year 2021 January after a five Days organizational assessment by actionaid to point out areas of gaps that the organization needs to work on. The project focuses on working at state and community levels with women groups, girls, community leaders and men to change negative social norms that have affected women and girls, and that led to SGBV. Women Rights Organizations will design interventions that will change societal norms and behaviors at community levels towards ending VAWG, it’s a 3-year funded project by the ford foundation that seeks to support Women’s Right Organizations (WROs) in their work of advancing gender equality in Nigeria.

GOAL

To contribute to Women and Girls living with reduced GBV and fear of it through effective Women led VAWG programming.

OUTCOME 1

Improve institutional capabilities of Women right organization (WROs) to strategically design, implement and manage SGBV intervention.

OUTCOME 2

Increase effectiveness of WROs in delivering GBV intervention through provision of multiyear grand.

As MDF: We will be seeking to achieve the following objectives

-To create awareness for women and girls in communities to deal with issues of VAWG and

-To create a safe space to know their fundamental human right through community engagement and peer group mentoring

-Engage community especially male champions to raise awareness on violence against women and girls on how to mitigate occurrence of VAWG and utilization of referral path ways towards provision of effective services to survivals of VAWG

-To change negative perception practices and myths that exist within the community through intense social behavioral change for communication (SBCC) strategy using participatory theatre for development traditional/conventional media and lunch of YAKI DA CIN ZARAFIN MATA

 CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING

Motherhen Development Foundation having received its grant, programme implementation Commenced on March, 8th – 9th March, 2021 with a 2 day Capacity Building Training to key staff and volunteers under the Strengthening the Capacities of Local Women Rights Organizations to Combat Violence Against Women and Girls (SLOC VAWG) in two communities of Liji and Kwami-Gari of Yamaltu-Deba and Kwami LGAs which represent Gombe Central and Gombe North.

Output of the activity: 11 MDF staffs and volunteers were trained on understanding VAWG related issues and community engagement strategy

Capacity building training on SLO-VAWG Project.

 A 2 DAY NEED ASSESSMENT STUDY ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS (VAWG) TO GAUGE ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTIONS

The Activity started with the development and review of the Need Assessment Tools handle by two Consultants and was fine tune by Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of Actionaid Nigeria followed by Conduct of 2 day training of the Need Assessment tools to selected enumerators who are to administer the tools in the field i.e. Liji and Kwami-Gari the purpose is of the activity is to help in gauging the attitude and perspective on VAWG in the two community of intervention (Liji and Kwami gari).

Enumerator conducted a two need assessment study of the two communities administering 250 questionnaires to get their responses

1. Output – the study help show clearly the level of understanding of the people on VAWG and the level of its occurrence and type VAWG in the two communities
   1. It helps in identifying peculiar needs of the two communities

TWO DAYS COURTESY VISIT TO RELEVANT COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.:

the activity was carryout to the community stakeholders to create an enabling environment and take ownership of the project in Liji and Kwami Gari. It was a familiarization visit that MDF Staff took to community gate keepers where SLOC project as a whole was detailed to the gatekeepers and it was fully welcomed and accepted by both gatekeepers at Liji and Kwami-gari.

1. Output: secure buy-in of the project highlight some of the findings of the Need Assessment and continue community engagement critical stakeholders e.g. traditional leaders, women and youth leaders as well as other leaders within the communities
2. Improve the understand of stakeholders on what constitute VAWG and ways they can support in reducing, reporting and eliminating it using their position in the community

Stakeholders engagement/Courtesy visit

 COMMUNITY SENSITIZATION/TOWN HALL MEETING.

The activity was conducted at selected strategic place within the community of implementation where stakeholders, community members were all invited to witness a theatre presentation by Kainuwa Dashein Allah a popular drama troupe that did a short play-let on GBV, its forms, mitigating factors and proper use of referral pathways.  Also there was questions and answers session after sensitization talk by the GBV Consultant

Output –

i.      Create better understanding on the VAWG happening in   the communities and the negative consequences now and in future

1. Identify local champions/influencers to be trained as facilitators
   1. IEC Material(Hijabs,T-Shirts, face caps,and flyers) was distributed at the activity.S

STEPDOWN TOT TRAINING (TRAINING OF TRAINERS)

On 18^th May 2021, 3 days TOT training (training of trainers on the use of peer education manual was conducted at Liji and Kwami-gari respectively. The training was done after Six(6) of MDFs project staff and volunteers received 5 Days  training with Actionaid Nigeria for the proper handling and use of Manuals to be purchased by various organization and distributed as a guide to the mentors. The aim of the training is to build the capacity of the mentors while handling their sessions.

The Manuals has Nine (9) modules starting with building self-esteem, personal development, environmental hygiene, self-care etc.

ESTABLISHMENT OF SAFE SPACE (MAJALISAN MATA) AND SIGNING OF COMMITMENT CARD BY COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS

The main aim of the activity is to provide space where women and girls can socialize and rebuild their social network. The project leverage on already existing structures met at the communities of implementation for sustainability purpose. The activity has in attendance:

68 Women 32 men from Liji disaggregated by age group from 18 and above.

77 women and 23 men from Kwami also disaggregated by age group 18 and above.

Commitment cards signed by Stakeholders.

Pictures of Inaugurated women at the community.

DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD (FOOTBALL COMPETITION)

In its effort to address Violence against women and girls, MDF engage  young boys of age 16-18 in a football competition and  were sensitize on what GBV is all about, mitigating factors, HE for SHE and positive masculinity. The sensitization was conducted before and after the competition and has in attendance 63 Men/boys, 25 women /girls that supported the success of the activity. Principals of both schools were fully in attendance to witness the event themselves. The main aim of the activity is to build the Capacity of Men/boys to serves as champions in the fight against VAWG, also to easily have access to set a school clubs (Girls right clubs)

Output:

Sensitization/awareness on the Negative socio-cultural norms practices and myths that exacerbate VAWG was conducted to boys/men from Liji and kwami-gari secondary school.

Boys were used as agent of behavioral change.

INTERNANATIONAL WOMENS DAY RALLY.

International Women Day is a day set globally to celebrate women and their sacrifice as a mother, sister, aunty, grandmother etc.in this year celebration, MDF observes is IWD with a rally at Liji and Kwami-gari respectively. The main aim of the rally is to support SLOC Project in their effort to fight VAWG Violence against women and girls). The Rally has in attendance Sixty five (65) women in Liji and Fifty eight (58) in Kwami-gari respectively.

The Rally features women carrying IEC Materials with different messages of VAWG round their communities and also demand for justice to whomever her right is being violated. The Rally was kicked off after blessed by the community leader at the palace and goes round the community with the women happily dancing and singing songs to celebrate their womanhood with support of Band boys that added color to the activity.

Gombe media corporation covered the event and broadcast at the Radio and television news.

OUTPUT:

Awareness creation through IEC Material and Rally by Community women was conducted with 65 and 58 women in Liji and Kwami-gari respectively.

Cross section of women during rally

WORKSHOP ON DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL COMMUNICATION CHANGE (SBCC) MESSAGES AND IEC MESSAGE AND MATERIAL PRODUCTION.

This workshop was organize for community members to  them on developing  messages and approaches to design effective behavioral intervention that will best suite their communities and should be addressed based on target audience as trained by Actionaid Nigeria. It will be done through

Design

Diagnose

Design

Focus and create

Test and Evaluate.

A message that will be addressed to Community leaders will not be useful to women/girls of the community likewise message for the girls will not suite Boys vise-verse. Having knowledge of such will help in developing IEC messages that will improve in behavioral change of the community people on negative perception practices and myths that exarchate VAWG.

DESK REVIEW OF GOMBE STATE REFERRAL PATHWAY DIRECTORATE AND PRODUCTION

A review of Gombe state referral pathway was conducted by a consultant with support of Actionaid SLOC project. The aim pf the review is to update the pathway.

Methodology:

All contact on the pathway were reached to now their existence in their places of assignment and also get to know those on transfer and change in places of work.

COMMUNITY SENSITIZATION MARKET OUTREACH

Targeting Market days to conduct sensitization is a strategy MDF choses to meet not only the community members but also people that come from neighboring communities (Market goers).The message aim at reaching people that reside in the community of implementation and also to meet more men as they are always found at the market or their places of business.

PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICE TRAINING (PSS) TO PEER MENTORS

Gender Based Violence is a horrible act that affects one in every three women according to analysis conducted, it affect them either mentally, psychologically, emotionally or physically. when a woman is affected in either of the above mention ways, needs to be rehabilitated and bring back to life. Psychosocial support service is a service provided  to a survivor of GBV after regaining conscious or after stabilizing from the traumatic stage.10  Peer mentors from communities of implementing SLOC-VAWG AAN project were invited to attend a two(20) Days training at MDF office where a PSS Consultant was invited to facilitate the session

A DAY STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGEMENT MEETING TO SHARE EXPERIENCE AND LESSONS LEARNT FROM THEIR DIFFERENT SOCIO -CULTURAL BACKGROUND.

Stakeholders and key gatekeepers from Communities of implementation were invited to attend a day meeting were issues relating to their different socio-cultural background were discussed and also the negative socio -cultural norms that exacerbate VAWG was also discussed. Women leaders from the communities expresses their concern as women and some cultural norms and beliefs that is pulling them back and were lagging behind in some areas most especially not including them in decision making, denying girl child to further her education before giving her out for marriage, force marriage, and early marriage. They also express their grieve on how other men in their communities left their responsibilities on their wives which led them sent girl child on street for hawking in order to get means of survival. The Community leaders of both Liji and Kwami-gari promises to look at issues brought by their community members and will consult other communities that are doing well, they also promise to come up with Bye-laws that will guide the DOS and DON’T of the community.

Output:

Meeting was conducted and lessons were learnt from stakeholders that attended the engagement meeting.

VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL SCHOOL OUTREACH

Valentine’s Day is a day set aside to show love to loved ones; young people make out time to celebrate, enjoy and shower gifts and love to their friends mostly the opposite sex. Most of the times, the youths make negative use of the period with a series of activities including but not limited to; party, picnics, drinking, smoking, night clubbing which most times results to raping and violating young girls at the course of the events. The negative impact informs the reason MDF choose to leverage on the Valentine’s day to celebrate with young people and create awareness and enlighten the youth on the positive use of the period and protect the girls rather than serving as perpetrators of VAWG.

GEMS(GIRLS EMPOWERMENT AND MENTORING SCHEME) TRAINING FOR SCHOOL FACILITATORS ON USE OF MANUAL

On 7th -10^th of April 2022, Training on the use of GEMS Club Manual was observed at MDF office with 20 participants in attendance, 2 Facilitates, 2 MDF Staff and 16 from communities of implementation Kwami-Gari and Liji with age range 14-60 and all female because it’s a safe space where they were given chanced and space to share their views and experiences in life. It was taught on   how the Club should be established including the total number of club members, Criteria of becoming a facilitator,  code of conduct for the club, respecting and taking in mind school rules superior than the Club rules. So also it was discuss at the Training how the clubs should raise funds for its sustainability.

The harmful traditional practices such as denying women the right to speak-out on issues concerning their wellbeing in or outside their school or home were discussed during the session., Also early marriage, sending children to hawk rather than schooling, denying women the right to leadership positions such as chieftaincy titles in their community, how they can  raised awareness in their schools and community on a particular issue(e.g send my sister to school awareness campaign)

MEDIA CHAT WITH TRAINED PEER EDUCATOR MENTORS

On the 8^th of August 2022, Motherhen Development Foundation organizes and supervise Media chat with its Trained Peer Educator Mentors from Liji and Kwami-Gari at AMANA FM Gombe, it was an Hour phone-in program where issues related to Sustainability of Structure set up after the closure of the project, Domestic Violence its mitigating factors, Rape cases and Referral pathways were all discussed. Questions were ask by the listeners and answers were given by the Mentors. The harmful traditional practices such as denying women the right to speak-out on issues concerning their wellbeing in or outside their matrimonial home were discussed during the session, Also early marriage, child hawking rather than schooling, denying women the right to leadership positions such as chieftaincy titles in their community. The chat serves as an eye opener to women listening, the listeners commended the peer mentors for outstanding contributions and great advocates in the fight for other women’s right in the state, Nigeria and Africa, as well as mentors to the girls and other women within their communities.

Output:

-Media chart (Radio) was conducted with trained peer Educator mentors from Liji and Kwami-gari .

-Awareness was created on GBV by the mentors via Radio.

Peer Mentors at Radio chat on GBV

JOINT QUARTERLY REVIEW MEETING WITH OTHER AAN PARTNERS IN GOMBE

11 August 2022 MDF and other actionaid Partners in Gombe had a joint Quarterly review meeting with Peer mentor, Stakeholders and community response team. It was a session where experiences, success stories and lessons where discussed, issues related to their peer group and how to improve its settings was also discussed.  It has in attendance about 70 participants from all the Four (4) organizations that participated.

Output: Review meeting was conducted by mother hen Development foundation and all Gombe state actionaid SLOC partners (KWHI, FAIDAH and FOMWAN)

From 16-19 of August 2022, GBV/Skill acquisition Training was organize by Peer Educator Mentors from communities of implementation which is supported financially by Actionaid  SLOC project  under the supervision of Motherhen Development foundation (MDF) at Liji and Kwami-Gari respectively. The activity was conducted in other to have inclusion of People with Disability in the SLOC Project so as to reduce their vulnerability by empowering them with skills and also sensitize them on the need to develop the skill learned to make them self-reliance  and protect them from exploitation in the communities.  About 40 women benefitted ranging from all clusters (hearing impaired, Physical impaired, visual impaired and leprosy), where most vulnerable poor of the poorest were selected.

Output: 40 Women/girls, PWDs and most vulnerable were trained on GBV and Skill acquisition(Liquid soap, Vaseline, beats etc)

TRAINING ON PROPER DOCUMENTATION OF OUTCOME AND OUTCOME HARVESTING

On 20^th August 2022, A Training on proper Documentation of outcome and Basic tools for outcome Harvesting was conducted for MDFs Peer Educator Mentors from Liji and Kwami-Gari under the facilitation of MDFs M&E officer with support of 3taffs to help the mentors documents their success and impact even after MDF exit which can be used as reference, once it’s not documented it never happened.

Output: 16 Peer Mentors were trained on proper documentation of outcome and outcome harvesting at MDF office by M&E Officer with support of program officer.

Pictures of Training on proper Documentation of outcome.

On September 21-22 2022, MDF support its Peer Educator mentors to conduct sensitization to Women at Primary health care centers. The essence of choosing the Antenatal Day is to reach out to women that came from the neighboring communities where GBV messages has never been passed to them and also to include them into the peer education sessions. The activity was conducted at Liji ad Kwami-Gari respectively.

Output: Women during their Antenatal were trained on GB,  personal hygiene and proper use of referral pathways

Pictures of Women supported with Maternity pad during GBV training at Antenatal clinics.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF GIRL CHILD INTERSCHOOL DEBATE ON GBV

In Commemoration of International Day of girl child, November 2022, members of GRC (Girls right club) organize an interschool debate between two schools per community that are working tirelessly to end GBV in their school and outside. The debate was interesting as the students learned more and deliberated on what GBV is all about, how it relates with culture and tradition, how it affects, tarnishes, pull back the progress and impact of girl child. It has in attendance, girls, teachers (both men and women), school boys that always stand HE for SHE for the girls in all their activities. The girls choses a debate topic that has been itching them and became one of the things of worried to every girls mostly at every community not only that of Liji and Kwami-Gari. “EFFECT OF CULTURE AND TRADITION ON GIRL CHILD EDUCATION”.

MEDIA CHART WITH GIRLS(RADIO)

ON November 25, MDF supervises media chat with girls in commemoration of 16 Days of activism with support and Funded by Actionaid Nigeria.4 girls (members of GEMS Club) were at AMANA FM for a live phone-in program and issues discussed where: Efforts made by members of the girls right club in fighting Gender Based Violence in their schools, communities, and Gombe state at large. The Girls made mention of their target activity include but not limited to: conducting awareness on risk of street hawking and campaigning on positive impact of girl child education, they also wishes to carry and distribute IEC Materials containing different messages of GBV and Rally round the Street of their Community so that not only the girls that are out of school can sight but also their parents, guidance and youth of the Community.

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM MEMBERS OF GIRLS RIGHT CLUB SENSITIZATION ON STREET HAWKING

On 28-29 November 2022, members of girls right club organizes their sensitization /awareness campaign in commemoration of 16 days of activism in fighting gender-based violence against women and girls with theme “UNITE ACTIVISM TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS”. The girls conducted a short play-let which displays negative effect of street hawking on girl child. How it affect not only her life but her children’s future, communities development, life of women at hospitals and finally causes Domestic Violence as a result of burden to their husband. They also displayed how girl child education can bring a positive change to her family, husband, children and community at large. The activity was supervised by MDF project staff)

MEDIA CHAT WITH BOYS/YOUTH (RADIO)

Media chat with Boys/youth that stand HE for SHE was conducted on Dec 14 2022 at AMANA FM Gombe. The main aim and objective of the chat is for the Boys/youth to create awareness on negate ve socio-cultural norms that exacerbate gender-based violence and call for other men to positively use their masculinity and serve as ambassadors of change in ending GBV.

MEDIA CHART WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS(RADIO)

December 23, was the day that MDF invites Community stakeholders for a media chart (Radio discussion) to call on other Stakeholders, government and authorities in concern to stand and end GBV in Gombe State. The chat has in attendance Representative of District Head of Kwami (Wakilin HakimimKwami) and secretary to Liji emirate council. They had an hour live phone in program and issues were discussed.

COMMUNITY DIALOGUE MEETING

Community dialogue meeting is a forum that draws participant from different sections of a community and create opportunity to exchanging information and perspective, clarifying viewpoints, and developing solutions to issues of interest to the community.

In preparation for closure of SLOC-VAWG project, a community dialogue meeting was organized by the community leaders of implementing communities in order to discuss issues relating to sustainability, challenges, success stories and way forward.

The meeting brings about physical space back and makes them consider their own worldview as all stakeholders were confronted with other insights and experience that deepen their understanding of advances complex thinking of critical issues and the tension within them.

The meeting wake them up on issues of Bye-Laws, Night hawking, Men living their wives for a year( chi-rani) etc.