SOAR INITIATIVE HOLDS TRAINING FOR SCHOOL MANAGERS IN NAKA
James AdzandeThe rise in Sexual and Gender- Based Violence and Child Sexual Abuse in the wave of conflicts in Benue State is a worrisome trend. The protracted Farmers-Herders conflict has pushed people from their various ancestral homes. They are distributed in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Gwer-West, Guma, Makurdi, Logo and others. Against this backdrop, child sexual abuse amongst other SGBV has threatened human rights of children particular the girl child across Benue State. Sexual Offences Awareness and Response Initiative (SOAR Initiative), a non-governmental organization with support from United Nations Trust Fund (UNTrustFund), implementing the project; Strengthening Communities – in – Emergencies to Address Sexual Based violence of Adolescence Girls, within the COVID-19 Pandemic Context in Benue, Nigeria, did a one day introductory training titled: “ Creating Safer Schools against Sexual and Gender Violence of Adolescent Girls (SBVAG) for Schools Authority, Management, and Parents of Project schools hosting displaced girls in Benue State.”
The training is a flagship training to provide safer space for adolescent girls in Naka Gwer West Local Area being one of the project benefiting LGA, to equip school authority, management and parents in Naka serving internally displaced adolescent girls who are at risk of sexual violence, due to risk factors of COVID-19 to have improved knowledge about SBVAG as a human right violation; break the culture of silence and create safer school environment against SBVAG.
The Executive Director SOAR Initiative Mrs. Chinyere Eyoh speaking through the Program Officer, Mr. Njoku Chibuzor, appreciated the participants for attending the training and United Nations Trust Fund (UN Trust Fund) for their support thus far. The statement said the campaign against SBVAG became necessary following the increase in the number of SBVAG in terms of physical, emotional, child neglect, sexual as well as psychological abuse: “Most recently, children especially girls have become object of sexual abuse especially in schools and the need to build the capacity of school authority, management and parents has become necessary; to curb the ugly menace and create safe spaces for the girl child especially in Naka schools, housing IDPs.”
The statement further said, the project will last till May 2024 in Naka and Gbajimba, with the hope that this enlightens the vulnerable and survivor groups. she called on participants to take full advantage of the opportunity. The Executive Director appreciated the Ministries of Education, Women Affairs and Social Development, Benue State for creating the enabling environment for a smooth take off of the project in the State.
The Lead Facilitator of the training, Joseph Gbagyo Legal Officer of Civil Organization Research Advocacy and Funding Initiative Development (CORAFID) working with the Team Member of SOAR Initiative including Njoku Chibuzor and Janet Aba took the participants through various topics including: how to handle cases of SGBV, clarification of concepts of SGBV, understanding SGBV as human right violation and the need to create safer schools as well as identification of challenges of SBVAG in schools and action plan for the schools .
Speaking to participants after the training, the Education Secretary, Gwer West LGA, Mr. Kenneth Adeke appreciated the good work SOAR Initiative has brought to his Local Government and pledged his commitment that the training will be stepped down to his teachers most especially during their monthly National Union of Teachers (NUT) meeting, so as to take the message against SBVAG to all schools in Gwer west LGA.
For Mr. Abaya, a Community Stakeholder and Chairman Parent Teachers Association, Government Comprehensive College Naka,… “this has become a great challenge for us parent. We must see that the issue is vigorously addressed during our PTA meetings, so that more parents can be sensitized to speak out against Sexual and Gender Based Violence.”
On her part, a female participant and teacher at UBE Secondary School Naka, who prefers anonymity, lamented the attitude of some parents. She stated that, “if you see a person’s girl child doing a bad thing; even following unknown male adult and you try to caution, some mothers and fathers would rather, confront you.” She appeals that parents should join hands so they can train children, to avoid exploits against the girl child. She maintained that the training has given her the necessary knowledge to be Counsellor in her school and will not shy away from the responsibility.
Stakeholders including, Members of Benue State Child Protection Network (CPN), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) like Child Care Foundation and Osa Foundation among others, attended the workshop.
