The presence of SELL volunteers across the SELL communities in the North East and Plateau State has continued to yield positive results. These volunteers in different communities have continued to champion the cost of SELL programme through workshops, awareness among others. In the last two months, resource team have recorded a good number of workshops conducted by the SELL volunteers in their various communities in different thematic areas like Leadership, Self awareness, Entrepreneurship and peace building.
Yola community:  from the month of June to August the SELL volunteers have conducted two leadership workshops to Christian mothers group and the Catholic cadet. The workshop took place at St. Garvans Catholic Church and St Joseph Catholic Church Jada on the 9th July and 16 August 2022.

Jos Community: The team in Jos conducted a leadership workshop for the Ministers of Hospitality of Jos Arch Diocese. The workshop took place on the 25th June, 2022 at St Williams Zawan. They equally organized a friendly football match for both Christians and Muslim youths in Dadin Kowa community of Jos to promote peace and Unity among the community members especially the young peoples.
Maiduguri/Yobe community: SELL facilitators in Yobe and Maiduguri community conducted two workshops. The first workshop was on self awareness with the youths of St. Rita’s Catholic Church Bullumkutu, Maiduguri while the second workshop on Child Safeguarding and protection with the youths of St Mary’s Catholic Church Yobe State. The workshops took place on the 21st and 23rd June, 2022.
Bauchi Community: SELL volunteers in Bauchi conducted three different workshops. The first workshop was on Life choice programme to the students of the Immaculate Conception Secondary School and supported by the SELL resource persons. The second workshop was with the students of Bishop Moore Memorial School on Child protection, gender equity, self awareness and hands on skill where they were taught how to make pomade and liquid soap. The third workshop was on child safeguarding and protection for the Catholic Women Organization of St Mary’s Catholic Church, Jimpi. The women were also taught hands on skills like Liquid soap and Izal disinfectant.

Tafawa Balewa community: The SELL team in Tafawa Balewa in collaborations with JDPC in the catholic Diocese of Bauchi established three different peace clubs in Toro, Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government areas. These peace committees were established to propagate peace among their peers and the community at large.
​

Acceptance and support of the SELL project by the traditional institution, of particular note is the Goemai traditional council headed by the Long Goemai, a first class chief, and vice chairman of Plateau state traditional council who did not just support the project, but invited all the traditional leaders of villages in all the four districts of Shendam where SELL facilitated inputs on basic rights of women and children, and the procedures for conflict resolution in the communities. The outcome of the platform is the willingness of the traditional council to support efforts by SELL community volunteers and other stakeholders trained in Shendam community to carry out awareness activities and other interventions without obstructions.

​This is part of the commitments by staff, volunteers and beneficiaries of the project to uphold and promote ALL acceptable behaviors that safeguards and protects the Rights of Children, consequently avoiding actions or behaviors which may be misrepresented, and may constitute poor practice or potentially abusive behaviour. This commitment has ensured safety for children within the communities. From available records, two hundred and two (202) stakeholders, including project staff, volunteers and beneficiaries have so far signed the commitment form.

​Recognizing the structure of mobilization and sensitization that SELL yields in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State, the Local Government administration appointed some members of SELL community facilitators into the local government community on Drugs and illicit substance abuse. The Committee has the Local Government Director of the National Drugs Law enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as the Chairman, while SELL and other stakeholders as members. Among the terms of reference of the committee is sensitization and awareness in schools and public places to people on the dangers of Drugs abuse and consumption of illicit substance. This, SELL has been actively involved in and some sensitization activities have already been carried by the committee. The SELL Animator in Pankshin, Mr. Nentawe Godit, who is a member of the committee revealed that membership of the Local government committee, has afforded the entire SELL team in Pankshin the platform to cascade the knowledge they have on child Safeguarding, Gender Based Violence and peace building to the people of Pankshin in the course of their sensitization activities.

The training on Child Safeguarding and protection has built the capacity of SELL community Volunteers in the communities. In Yobe and Borno states where the Child Protection law and VAPP law were not domesticated initially, two of our Volunteers, Mr. Stephen Ibrahim, and Mr. Joel Chibuzor were part of the committee of the Civil Society Organizations, representing SELL foundation in the committee in Yobe and Borno States respectively. The committee fundamentally carries out advocacy to the executive and legislative arms of government, traditional and religious leaders on the need to domesticate the Child's Right Act and VAPP act in the two states. The tireless efforts of the committee, supported by SELL and other CSOs successfully saw the two acts passed into law by the executive in January 2022 for Borno state, and May 2022 for Yobe states respectively. Fifteen (15) Community Based Child Protection Committee (CBCPC) have also been formed in 7 local government areas of Yobe state to ensure that people in the grassroots are enlightened to know the provisions contained in the two laws.

​In the month of August, SELL Programme Malawi conducted the following activities.

Step down workshop in Nkhatabay

Two Resource Persons from Sell Programme Malawi - Maria and Leo – visited St Joseph Parish in Nkhatabay district for a step down workshop on Self Awareness where they had the opportunity to mentor two trainee SELL facilitators. The workshop took place from 12th to 14th August 2022 and 29 young adults took part.
​

​Safeguarding and Child Protection at Ungweru.
On August 18, 2022 in its Laudato Si Hall, Ungweru Organization held a session to build awareness of Safeguarding and Child Protection. In attendance were all members of Ungweru organization, including students of the Lusekero computing school. The session was facilitated by Tommy Hayden a member of the SELL Programme at Ungweru Youth development unit. Among the topics covered were - What safeguarding and child protection are; Where abuse of children is most likely to happen; Policies on keeping children safe; Preventing harm to children.

Step down workshops in Mzambazi and Lusangazi communities
Two stepdown workshops on Self-Awareness took place on the weekend of 26th to 28th August in Mzambazi and Lusangazi communities. Leo and Emmanuel, from the Resource Team attended Mzambazi as mentors, while Tommy, with the assistance of Joackim - a trainee from Ungweru - went to Lusangazi. Once again there was the opportunity to mentor the two teams of trainee facilitators.

Meeting with local arts group  
​                     
On Tuesday 30th August the SELL Resource team received a visit from three representatives of the Kachere Arts Group. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of partnership between the two groups. Having heard from the arts group about their ideas of partnership and the SELL Resource Team having outlined possible ways in which they could help, both groups agreed that there could be the possibility of future discussion.