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Impact

COVID-19 Pandemic 2020

Project title:                      COVID-19 Rapid Response Phase 1

Project location:               Imo-State Nigeria

Organization:                    VA&WEF

Sponsored by:                   Wilde Ganzen & Haella Stichting Netherland

Year:                                   2020-2021

Status:                                Still in progress.

Project objective

The objective of this project was to provide emergency food palliatives and social care to those affected by the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the rural communities in Imo-state Nigeria.

 

Summary of the project

This project titled COVID-19 emergency rapid response phase 1 – for vulnerable households in rural Imo State Nigeria supported the communities with food aid, facemasks, and hygiene materials while also delivering public enlightenment on safety measures against the current COVID-19 pandemic in selected communities.

 

Within the framework of emergency response services to vulnerable groups, cases of domestic violence and abuse were taken note of and reported to the responsible authorities for further action.

Achieved results:

  • 1,500+ Food parcels delivered to the poor in Imo-state.
  • 1000+ masks distributed to local communities in Imo-state Nigeria
  • 1000+ people in Imo-State equipped with COVID-19 awareness and hygiene kits
  • 300+ Basic healthcare assistance related to maternal health
  • 250+ women sign posted and referred to relevant the authorities for redress against domestic violence.

Water and Sanitation Project

Project title:                      Water of life and Spring of Hope

Project location:              Owerri local government and Iheme Mbano Imo-State Nigeria

Organization:                   VA&WEF

Sponsored by:                  Aqua for all and Wilde Gansen Netherlands

Year:                                  2010-2011 and 2019

Status:                               Completed.

Project objective

The objective of this project was to contribute to the achievement of water and sanitation related development initiative targeted at children in the rural communities of Imo-state of Nigeria.

 Specifics:

  1. To reduce infant mortality, unnecessary death from water borne disease and wasted man‐hours and school hours spent in search of cheap water.
  2. To improve on the productivity and socio‐economic situation of women and care givers by reducing the time they spend in search of clean water
  1. To reduce the amount of money spent on buying clean water from water Vendors, by making use of this boreholes, money can be invested inchildren’s education and welfare of the family

Project results

  1. Increased levels of awareness on hygiene and sanitation which could be measured by the reduction of water borne diseases.
  2. Two boreholes constructed and commissioned
  3. More than 2000 people accessing safe and clean water from the boreholes.
  4. Walking distance per day looking for clean water minimized
  5. Water maintenance and monitoring Committees were formed for the 2 communities for sustainability of boreholes.
  6. 500 community members from all 2 local government trained on good hygiene and sanitation
  7. More households able to save money and send their children to school
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Vital Aid Women empowerment network (VEWEN)
and Mobile medical clinic

Program title:                 VEWEN Women Network 

Project location :            All 3 senatorial zones in Imo-State Nigeria

Organization:                  VA&WEF

Sponsored by:                Various donors including shell Nigeria

Year:                                 2011-and now

Status:                              Still running

Status: Still running, but slow due to lack of funding to carry out projects
Donate for Gender Equality-Invest in women and mobile clinic

Background information:

Vital Aid and women empowerment Foundation (VA&WEF) is a network of over 2,500 registered members from various educational back grounds, represented by all three senatorial zones in Imo-state, it is one of the outstanding contributions of Vital aid foundation in the region.

The network started in 2011 and serves as a platform for women to promote and carry out development initiatives and to voice their concerns on issues that concerns women e.g Their economic rights, maternal health, education for children, water and sanitation, women participation in politics and leadership positions, elimination of all form of violence against women, including unconstitutional customary laws that demean women.

Since 2011 – 2019 the network has carried out various free medical mobile clinic to the rural areas in Imo state to relieve women of gynaecological health problems. The project has reached over 4,000 women in varies senatorial zones in Imo-state Nigeria with the medical programme.

Further the network has carried out various trainings and workshops on income generating skills and capacity building for its members.

Outcomes

  • Participation of women in leadership positions, conflict resolution and advocacy engagements
  • Improved community ownership of programmes and generation of new initiatives with full stakeholder and women participation.
  • Strong support base women network and implementation team to carry out projects effectively
  • increase in women understanding their rights and using international legal instrument such as the UN-1325 for conflict resolution and development to advocate and lobby for better life of their children and communities
  • Transfer of knowledge through global partnership, capacity building trainings and community networks of women established within this project to scale up good practice on development issues
  • Over 1500 rural women who do not normally go to formal medical centers, treated with various gynecological ailments with the mobile medical clinic that provides health service, traveling from village to village.
  • Women equipped with the tools to be entrepreneurs or access gainful employment

Capacity Building on Vesico-Vaginal
Fistulae (VVF)

Project title:                      Women of Courage

Project location:               Imo-State Nigeria

Organization:                   VA&WEF

Sponsored by:                  HIVOS Netherlands

Year:                                  2010-2012

Status:                               Completed.

Background of Project

The project was designed to carry out a series of 5 trainings spread out in a space of one year. The trainings were organized by our sister organization, Vital Aid and Women Empowerment Foundation (VAWEF) to advocate for support and mobilize resources for safe motherhood, including the prevention and treatment of obstetric fistula and provision of emergency obstetric care.

There were 150 participants mostly women and experts specifically selected for both their experience and knowledge in the field and their potential to disseminate programme information to the unreached populations that VAWEF was unable to reach during the intervention.

Impact area:

  • Raised awareness on obstetric fistula and ways to prevent it
  • Counter the marginalization and ostracization often faced by women living with obstetric fistula
  • Strengthened institutional capacity of existing facilities to manage obstetric fistula through capacity building of duty bearers and care givers. 2 times workshops for community hospital, police, community leaders and NGOs working with women
  • Shared lessons learned in other countries and in other parts of Nigeria.

Surgical repair for women with
Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF)

Project title:                      My Health, Mind & Body

Project location:              KANO -State Nigeria

Organization:                   VA&WEF

Sponsored by:                  CORDAID NETHERLANDS

Year:                                  2012-2014

Status:                               Completed.

Background of Project

Vitro Vaginal Fistula (VVF) Or Retro vaginal Fistula (RVF) occurs when extended pressure damages the soft tissue in a woman’s pelvis during the process of giving birth. The tissue eventually dies from lack of blood supply, and a hole develops between the rectum and vagina or between the bladder and vagina, causing a woman to lose control of the flow of urine and sometimes faeces.

The major cause of VVF in Nigeria is prolonged obstructed labor due to contracted pelvis. Teenage primigravidae are most at risk to acquiring obstetric fistulae. In the early teenage life, the pelvis is often too small for the baby, because growth is not completed when they become pregnant nor has it grown sufficiently by the time of labor. It has been estimated that poor childhood nutrition, frequent infections, and an early start to childbearing, often before growth is completed results in nearly 90% of the VVF

In Nigeria, an estimated 529,000 women died from the complications of pregnancy and childbirth in 2010. For every woman who dies, approximately 20 more are seriously injured or disabled. This means that, every year, close to 9 million women suffer some type of injury from pregnancy or childbirth that can have a profound effect on their lives and that of their families

 

Project impact

  • Facilitation of surgical repair for 32 women
  • Offered participants appropriate pre-operative and post-surgery nursing care in a residential accommodation where activities were coordinated and managed to educate and train women on various life skills, like building self-confidence, physical, psychological and mental health care was offered for 3 months and later women were subsequently discharged for reintegration into their communities with 6-months of follow-up and monitoring.
  • Increased information dissemination and awareness campaign on the human rights of women on VVF.
  • Train the trainers to fill such positions as native counselors or mediators.
  • After the surgery the target group were restored with their dignity and self-worth, they can live again and have normal functionality within their communities, perhaps a different community where they need a fresh start in life but this option was very slim because most of the victims are bound by religion, illiteracy and cultural mindset that might impair their socio-economic growth. Most victims stay within the communities that shunned them and try to re-integrate the best way they could.

Empowering victims of domestic violence
through skills acquisition

Project title:                    Time to act

Project location:            Imo-State Nigeria

Organization:                  VA&WEF

Sponsored by:                 Oxfarm Novib Netherland:

Year:                                  2014-2016

Status:                              Completed.

Background information:

Domestic violence or Sexual and Gender based violence (SGBV) in Nigeria has remained pervasive and continues to be one of the major hindrances to women’s empowerment in Nigeria.

In our view, domestic violence in this region has persisted because of the following reasons.

  • The absence of a significant increase in the cases of prosecution or securing of convictions for offenders.
  • Domestic violence still highly socially acceptable.
  • High levels of poverty amongst women, and dependency on men for financial support, this creates vulnerability that makes women to be less confidence in leaving their situation of abuse or even seek legal redress.
  • Lack of skills or opportunities to gain skills necessary in enhancing the prospects of economic and financial freedom.
  • No immediate help desks in the rural areas where they could turn to in seeking alternatives, or pursuit of legal redress
  • Cultural mind set and stigmatization of leaving spouse

Project objective:The main objective was to improve on the socio-economic situation of Women through income generating activities. So that women can be less vulnerable seeking redress for their human rights.

The project was implemented in Imo-state of Nigeria within three local Governments areas.

Project impact:

  • 150 participants acquired the knowledge of baking bread, wedding cakes and other confectionaries, catering service, hall decoration for a party, making of cocktail drinks and wine.
  • Received training that could help them become self employed.
  • Received training and recommendation to micro financing institutions to access loan for their business.

Received training in home management that could help them become better home makers

 
 
 
 
 
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Street rally campaign against Drug Abuse and
Domestic Violence in Nigeria

Project title:                  Stop violence now!

Project location:         Imo-State Nigeria

Organizations:            VA&WEF and National Drug Law & enforcement  agency (NDLEA)

Sponsored by:            Oxfam Novib Netherlands

Year:                             2008 and 2009

Status:                          Completed.

Background information:

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is the government agency empowered by the Nigerian Government to combat drug trafficking within the country and to prosecute offenders among other statutory duties. Research has shown that more than 60% of the men who abuse their wives do so under the influence of drugs or due to its unavailability when they need it. Therefore, VAF in partnership with NDLEA who already are pro-active in the country lunched an aggressive regional campaign to stop violence against women. Participant took to street rallies, house to house, villages in rural areas and advocacy visit to the house of assembly Imo-state to bring awareness and improve on policies that will effect change and protect the human rights of women.

Project Impact

  • Through street rallies gained a wider community support and an expanded audience that would give domestic violence knowledge a fast multiplier effect.
  • Introduced to Imo-State Nigeria workable tools for analyzing, sharing and distributing information and knowledge relating to domestic violence and its dangers.
  • Established a formidable network/forum of domestic violence fighters across the communities.
  • Improved government policy to hold perpetrators accountable and increased budget in providing facilities and emergency help desk for community women to access counselling and redress on domestic violence and abuse.
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Advocacy on Female genital mutilation (FGM) and
Violence against Women and the Law.

Project title:                Let’s Talk about it project and Drop the Killer knife project

Project location:         Imo-State Nigeria

Organizations:            VA&WEF and Ministry of women affairs Imo-State  

Sponsored by:              Oxfam Novib & Cordaid Netherlands 

Year:                              2007-2010

Status:                            Completed.

Key project objectives:

To create awareness on the dangers of female genital mutilation and to shade light on all cultural and by laws that hinders peace and security of women.

Educate women on international human right treaties and conventions available and applicable under domestic violence which Nigeria is signatory to.

To sensitize women on the need to stand up for their rights when abused.

To raise comprehensive and co-ordinate community-based services for battered women and their children.

To continue research on issues that advances the current understanding of the prevalence of domestic violence and lasting intervention programs for victims.

Project Impact

  • Better handling of cases and victims of FGM by the relevant agencies
  • Greater public support against FGM and greater global support for a holistic intervention in addressing FGM
  • Effective legal and institutional services available for victims of FGM
  • Established a formidable network of female genital mutilation fighters (whistle blowers) across the communities.
  • Improved government policy to prosecute perpetrators of FGM
  • Established 3 help centers for three local communities for women redress.
  • Research on the prevalence of FGM in the region with recommendation to policy makers
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Training/ workshop on the use of
multi-media for communication

Project title:                 Arise and Act Women

Project location:         Imo-State Nigeria

Organizations:            VA&WEF and Ministry of women affairs Imo-State  

Sponsored by:             HIVOS Netherlands

Year:                              2006-2007

Status:                           Completed.

Project objective:

General:  To build the capacities of women to effectively communicate and participate in decision making processes especially those related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5) in Nigeria. This would be achieved through media advocacy.

 Specific activities

  1. To build women’s skills in information building and packaging
  2. To train women in public speaking, confidence building and advocacy engagement
  3. To sensitize women on the use of various media such as print, broadcast, art, events
  4. To enhance women’s capacities in information assimilation and disseminate through the provision of news monthly
  1. To train women on the various means and use of communication like basic use of Computer and internet.

Project impact:

  1. 1. Increased participation of women in public policy and development dialogue
  2. Increased access and critical analysis of information on issues related to development
  3. Increased confidence and willingness amongst women to share and disseminate information on issues affecting their lives
  1. Increased and effective use of various media by women using ICT and internet
  2. Increased mass awareness, documentation and dissemination of information on regional developmentconcerns, the dangers and negative impact of environmental pollution, climate change and poverty  through media advocacy
  1. Increased media influence specific to gender rights, knowledge in the use of media advocacy, equalityand human rights issues affecting women.
 
 
 
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About Us

Vital aid and women empowerment foundation (VAWEF) commenced work in Nigeria on the 2nd of January 2008 as a Non-profit organization inspired by Christian faith to relieve human suffering.

Useful Links

Urgent Causes

Water and Sanitation Project
Water and Sanitation Project
FOOD SECURITY
FOOD SECURITY
COVID-19 emergency food relief For the rural poor Nigeria
COVID-19 emergency food relief For the rural poor Nigeria

Our Address

N0 1 Ikenegbu/Aladimma Rd Owerri Imo stae Nigeria

N0 1 Ikenegbu/Aladimma Rd Owerri Imo stae Nigeria

+234 913 019 3439

+234 913 019 3439

+234 8036134082

+234 8036134082

info@vawef.org

info@vawef.org

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