EU partners NGO to train 100 women on peace building in Yobe

Hajiya Hussaina presenting materials items to the beneficiaries

A total of 100 women have completed training on community peace building under the British Council’s Managing Conflicts in Northern Nigeria(MCN).

The project which is implemented by Women and Youths Empowerment Initiative (WOYEIN), a home based NGO targeted the building of capacity of women and girls in peace building and also empowered them through marketable hand skills to make them self-reliant.

                                        

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the beneficiaries, the Executive Director of WOYEIN), Hajiya Hussaina Ibrahim said the intensive training given to the beneficiaries has equipped them enough to realizing the objectives of the program.

“The major objective of the project is to identify and support sustainable platforms for reporting early warnings of violent conflicts, while strengthening the capacity of women and girls to manage and resolve conflicts, build trust among community members and reduce the perception of marginalization among women and girls. It provide empowerment opportunities to women and adolescent girls to help address issues of violent extremism,” Hajiya Ibrahim said.

She added that “The project activities started with series of pre-implementation meetings to map out plans for the successful execution of the project as well as step by step processes which led to the successful completion of the project,”.

According to her, five communities of   Ajari,  Fulatari,  Garin Tsakiya, Hausari, Lowcost were the target areas where the beneficiaries were drawn for the program through a rigorous and painstaking process in collaborations with the community stakeholders especially the ward heads (Bulamas) and LGA officials.

ED WOYEIN, Hajiya Hussaina Ibrahim with a dignitary at the graduation event

She explained that,  “The process was all inclusive especially as regards to other minorities residing within the communities. 20 beneficiaries were selected for each community and they formed peacebuilding groups where they go for peacebuilding advocacies to schools and within the community to sensitize them on the need for peaceful coexistence,”

Hajiya Ibrahim also disclosed that different marketable hand skills including, tailoring, petty trading, animal rearing, knitting, hair dressing, interior decoration, financial literacy, groundnuts processing, grinding, cosmetics and beverages making    were identified base on the choices of the beneficiaries.

The WOYEIN director who identified the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks on the access road to the implementing local government also decried the availability of skills acquisition centres for training of beneficiaries, just as he advocates for the sustainability of the peace building groups through community ownership.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with our correspondent described the program as life changing.

Khadija Abdullahi, a widow said she has now been fully empowered to stand on her own financially.

“My life has completely changed with the tailoring I have learnt. Even before our graduation, I have started making money to take care of myself and my family,” Khadija informed.

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