The Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund project (WPHF), is a UN Women sponsored project, implemented by partners across Nigeria. Scripture Union West Africa (SUWA), one of the implementing partners has been working in Taraba State (Ibi, Wukari, Donga and Takum) and Cross River State (Ogoja) for over a year now. The project has a target participant of Five Hundred (500) women who have been reached directly in these locations and over One Thousand Five Hundred (1500) indirect beneficiaries have also been reached. The project has been of great impacts to the participants and their beneficiaries.
Recently, the project team carried out some activities in the project locations which so many participants attested to its benefits in their various communities. In the recent activities, participants were trained on some skills like soap making, tailoring and animal husbandry. Ten (10) beneficiaries are presently undergoing tailoring training in Ogoja, Cross River State. Over a hundred women were taught how to make liquid soap and eke out a living out of it in Ogoja. In Taraba State, two hundred women were trained on animal husbandry because the people in these communities are majorly farmers and fisher men. They were taught how they could leverage on other aspects of smart agriculture to further empower them financially. The women trained were happy and some attested to the fact that they have learned so much and the training will help them improve their businesses.
Again, participants were taken through trauma healing sessions. Many who have been depressed as a result of what they have gone through, confessed that they got relieved as a result of the trauma healing sessions they went through. Participants were also taught how they could improve their health and well-being through the consumption of their indigenous food crops. They were trained on the various nutrients they could get from each indigenous food crop and how beneficial these foods are to their health. Participants with infants got mosquito nets to protect them and their children from mosquitoes and the deadly malaria.
Through this project, twenty two (22) Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLAs) have been formed in these project locations. The outcome harvested from these groups within the period the groups were formed is enormous. Many beneficiaries who are farmers appreciated SUWA for the opportunity given to them to save and to get loan which helped them to be part of this year’s farming. Four (4) beneficiaries around Donga and Takum who planted groundnut this year were interviewed. They said their produce came out very well because, they were able to access loan from their groups to purchase good seedlings and fertilizer for their farms. Some have started selling off their farm produce and they are very happy for being part of VSLA. They all gave kudos to SUWA for helping them immensely through this project.
