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.
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.
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.
TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION EMBRACES SELL APPROACH; PLEDGES COMMITMENT TO PEACE BUILDING
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.
SELL TRAINEES PARTNERING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO ADDRESS CHILD ABUSES AND SEEK JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS
Contacts established with relevant government agencies, especially social welfare departments at the local government level is helping to consolidate and make more visible the presence of social service providers who are helping address cases of child abuse and Gender Based Violence by ensuring restitution, reconciliation and rehabilitation for victims. An instance among many others was the case of a minor in Pankshin who was abused physically and mentally by his foster mother after the death of his father. The abuser used all kinds of harmful objects to beat the boy at every mistake such that he sustained numerous physical injuries. SELL volunteers and other trainees reported the case to the welfare unit in Pankshin, and the officer, Miss Victoria Paul Kaze, who was also a beneficiary of the training intervened and ensured that the abused boy is rehabilitated and reintegrated back to his family who promised to take care of him. Miss Kaze and other beneficiaries used the case to create awareness among the people in the community by engaging teachers, uncles and aunties of the child, as well as the landlord of the perpetrator on what constitute child abuse. Other stakeholders engaged on the case include representatives of the youth leader, Nigerian union of Teachers (NUT), Primary Education Board and the supervisory Councilor of Social Welfare depart.
SIGNING OF CHILD SAFEGUARDING COMMITMENT FORMS BY VOLUNTEERS AND OTHER BENEFICIARIES.
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.
INTEGRATION INTO THE COMMITTEE ON DRUGS ABUSE OF PANKSHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
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.
APPOINTMENT INTO THE CHILD PROTECTION/VAPP LAW COMMITTEE OF YOBE, BORNO STATES
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.
SELL RECORDS BREAKTHROUGH IN ADAMAWA STATE; GOT APPROVAL FOR IN-SCHOOL AWARENESS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
 Copy of the Approval letter by the Adamawa State Government | The Adamawa state Government and the State's education authority have granted approval for the SELL project to reach out to students and teachers in secondary schools in Adamawa State. This has opened up grounds for SELL community volunteers who have continued to reach out to schools in the state. This is no mean fit, because getting government approval, especially for NGOs to run school programmes is usually greeted with resistance and bureaucracy. SELL was able to achieve this fit through robust advocacy and community impact. So far, six (6) schools have so far been reached with awareness and a peace club has been established in one of the schools in collaboration with the Justice Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC) of the Catholic Diocese of Yola. |
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