SGBV, SRH: Participants share Experience as NGO trains 40 Young People as Advocates in Igabi

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

Some adolescents and young adults at the weekend shared their experiences after a two days training in Igabi Local Government Area, to equip them to become advocates for improved access to comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).

The 40 young people who were selected from Riga-chikun, Mando, Maraban Jos and Hayin Danmani, were equipped with tools and insights needed to champion SGBV and SRH within their communities.

The training was organized by Enhancing Communities Action for Peace and Better Health Initiative (e-CAPH) in partnership with Beulah Future Leaders Foundation, with funding support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

One of the participants, Jamila Sambo, said she has been empowered with knowledge and skills to withstand her self-esteem and become advocates for improved access to comprehensive SRH and SGBV in her community.

According to her, “I now know how to create awareness on youth and other related problems. I also learned more on family planning and I now know how to approach women in the community on the health implications when a woman refuses child birth spacing.”

For Aliyu Muhammad, he got to understand during the training that lack of awareness is the major cause of the problem of early pregnancy and that most your people don’t have good communication between them and their parents.

Aliyu, therefore pledged to use his knowledge from the training to teach his sisters, fellow students and friends and also mentor other people using the social media.

“Now I have come to know exactly what to do to prevent myself and defend my friends from rape and sexual harassment.” Unaisa ma’azu, another participant said.

Mubarak Muhammad, said “I was able to learn about sexual and reproductive health and other issues in society associated with it such as unwanted pregnancy, infections, and more.”

“For me, I now understand the advantage of doing child birth spacing and the need to champion it in my community. Most importantly for me is how to prevent myself from rape and also protect other children against it.” Hindatu lbrahim, said.

Others who spoke are, Jamila Haruna, Aisha Abdullahi and Maimuna Ilyas, who all said they now understand the importance of using condoms and other Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) to control pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, a knowledge they agreed to take back home.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of e-CAPH, Yusha’u Abubakar, explained that the initiative holds the potential to catalyze significant positive changes in society, aligning with the broader goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda.

“By empowering young advocates to combat SGBV and promote SRH rights, we are directly contributing to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). These advocates will work tirelessly to bridge existing gaps and inequalities, fostering an environment where gender-based violence is condemned and health services are accessible to all.

“Our project embodies the principles of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). By training advocates to amplify the voices of marginalized communities, we are striving to create a more just and inclusive society where every individual’s rights are upheld, and violence is eradicated.” Yusha’u added.