SUMMARY OF OUR 2016 PROGRAMME
We were able to organise four programmes in 2016 with the Valentine Day visit to orphanage homes and a hospital female ward. The outcome of these programmes and their details were well reported and these can be accessed on our web page. It was amazing and the girls are asking for more.
Report of Our Valentine Visits
Title: Welfare package
Venue: General Hospital Female Ward) and an orphanage home (Compassionate Orphanage Home in Igandu) in Alimosho Local Government Area in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Date of Event: February 14, 2016.
Early in the year, February 14, 2016 to be précise, was another memorable day in the life of our loved ones. Usually our foundation shows love by visiting and showing love to our target group; so we did the same this year by visiting the female ward of a government owned hospital (Igando General Hospital Female Ward) and an orphanage home (Compassionate Orphanage Home in Igando) in Alimosho Local Government Area in Lagos State, Nigeria. This year’s visit to these places were special to us because we did not stop at giving them gifts; we also decorated their doorway with roses and spent some time with them as well.
Our visit to the orphanage home was fulfilling, the most fun part of it all was when we dressed up a physically challenged girl with our red T-shirt as our Val girl. Whenever I remember February 14, 2016, I see the joy and gratitude of the little girl through her waving of hands in appreciation and the beautiful smile displayed on her face while we were leaving her home. We are having discussion with an NGO, which can bring out the best in her because her case is not within our scope but in their niche area. The collaborating NGO has taken over the case.
Report Of Awareness And Mentoring Programme
Title: Catch Them Young!
Venue: Igandu/Ikotun LCDA Hall, Lagos, Nigeria.
Date of Event: July 14, 2016.
Over the years, a lot of attention has been given to the teenage girl- child and her life issues. Much support had been given to transform them and make them better persons. However, enough support had not been given to them in their early childhood stage on how to make effective and right decisions at this early stage of life and that could be one of the reasons for the challenges some of them are facing and finding difficult to handle. Such issues include rape, low esteem, lack of confidence, insecurity, lack of proper information and peer pressure, among others.
Considering the issues mentioned above, we were able to organise this programme in partnership with State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Lagos for public primary schools under Alimosho Local Government Area, which was fully sponsored by individuals, an organisation (product support) and the Foundation Board of Trustees. The programme was organised for young girls within the age bracket of 6 years and 12 years. Our niche remains the girl-child and women; however, few boys within this age group were present and benefited from the programme as well. We let the boys in to benefit from the programme since they have sisters and would grow up always having one thing or the other to do with girls and women coupled with the fact that the right information can mould them and make them good future friends and husbands, which can encourage peaceful co-existence in today’s society. The boys can receive knowledge that would enable them create more awareness on the issues militating against the girl-child and this can reduce or completely eradicate some of the challenges being faced by girls in today’s society, over time.
Over ten public primary schools were in attendance. Their teachers, facilitators of the programme and some government education board officials were present as well.
The Executive Director of Leadership Foundation For African Girl Child and Women, Mrs. Viola Okoro, addressed the children on what they were expected to do during the programme and the benefits of the programme. She emphasised on how the participants’ sincere contribution can support other children through the Foundation’s platform. The children set the ball rolling by performing activities such as dance and drama.
The programme focus was on creating awareness on child abuse, building self- esteem and laying emphasis on how overall education of a girl-child can help her maximise her potentials. The Executive Director of the Foundation and Dr. Tola Osagie of Ejigbo Health Centre who handled the sexuality education aspect made presentations. Dr Osagie explained different types of touch, the good touch and the dangerous ones, how to report to the appropriate authority when touched in a manner that is not appropriate.
The participants were taught things that can lead to sexual abuse and how to avoid them. The children participated in dance and drama, which made learning easy. They were mentored on forms of child abuse using audio and video clips and presentation slides on how to identify an abused person and the support to give before informing appropriate person or authority and how to handle the situation, the appropriate authority to call and the role of parents, teachers, guardians and leaders, among others, in giving support to person in such situations.
The role of self- perception in building self- esteem was also emphasised for them to be able to take decision that can promote them in life.
We also discussed those who could abuse a child, which led to their own input during the programme and it became an interactive session during which we got more of them talking.
To assess their level of assimilation, Question & Answer session was introduced as well. We were amazed at the level of information these children were able to access during the programme which was revealed by our after – programme evaluation. They had a lot of questions to ask in order to have a proper understanding of child abuse and other life-related issues and it appeared the appropriate people were yet to be found or maybe they were not sure who to meet for appropriate information.
The teachers were not left out in our mentoring session as they were able to learn something new from the programme and acknowledged the programme as worthy of a repeat. The programme came to an end after all the questions were addressed. It is worth noting that schools, parents and organisations, among others, that have something to do with children should consider this programme with any appropriate authority of their choice. It was real fun with them!
In conclusion, we are appealing to any change-maker to catch the children young, may be it would help us to actualise our goals in developing them on time so that their output would be maximised, especially the girl-child who has a lot of challenges to face before becoming an adult.
Report of celebration of the International Day of the Girl-child
Title: Digital literacy as a communication tool to sustainable development goal.
Venue: Digital Bridge Institute, Cappa Oshodi, Lagos.
Date of Event: October 11, 2016.
The International Day of Girl–child is a day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate girls worldwide. In order to tackle some of the issues militating against girls and women in Nigeria, we believe that exposure to digital world would be of an immense support to them. Leadership Foundation for African Girl-Child and Women, an N.G.O in Nigeria, organised a digital literacy for selected public and private secondary school female leaders with few boys among them to celebrate her day in Lagos.
This year programme was marked in collaboration with UNaids, UNfpa, and selected media. An opening speech was read by the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Viola Okoro, who emphasised on how digital literacy can support girls and women in achieving their life goals and dreams. Teenage female leaders from four secondary schools presented papers on the theme as well as UNAids represented by Dr Olubunmi Asa and UNFPA represented by Mrs Ijaye. They spoke on how digital literacy has helped them in achieving their organisational agenda. Mrs Josphyn Uba from The SUN Newspaper also made a presentation from the communication perspective. The students were provided with fifty laptops for practical and they were able to have experience on many things they can achieve using digital tools. They were able to boot their computers and also processed a word document each.
The programme was in an interactive forum, as the young leaders asked a lot of questions. Answers were given and the teachers contributed in the session as well. At the end of the programme a large number of the participants’ left updated and informed, which can turn their lives around.
This year’s programme was sponsored by individuals and Nutricima limited (product support). NTA Network and NTA Channel10 covered the programme and the girls were interviewed on the programme theme. It was real fun for all of us!
Report of Equipping Girls with 21st Century Skills
Title: Project Challenge
Venue: Baptist Model High School (B.M.H.S) Ijegun, Lagos.
Date of Event: November 4, 2016.
The 21st century skills are set of skills that distinguish people from general public in getting things done and they are what employers look out for when employing and entrepreneurs also need these set of skills in achieving their goals. Leadership Foundation For African Girl Child And Women in collaboration with the School Management and the Parent Teachers Association (P.T.A) of B. H. M. S organised a programme tagged “Project Challenge” as a way of exposing and empowering their Senior Secondary School girls and interested boys with these needed skills through a game-based project in a virtual business environment.
We believe that proper development of the girl-child and women would reduce the gender disparity issues and would maximise their potentials. The idea of training girls on these issues came up as a result of our previous interview on women where it was revealed that a lot of women could not maximise their potentials due to poor skills shown at the work place and in handling business transactions. Considering the outcome of our previous interview, getting girls involved with these skills early enough would help them close the gap at an early stage and achieve their goals on time.
The students really enjoyed it; they worked in groups with leadership roles assigned, and it involved a lot of thinking, proper communication and team creative spirit, among others. It was real fun and we were really encouraged to return for the junior girls as well. There was room for question and answers and the feedback forms revealed high level of impact.
The programme was in an interactive form, the participants asked a lot of questions, the right answers were given and the selected teachers and P.T.A Officials were not left out in all the sessions as well. At the end of the programme, a good number of the participants’ left with updated skills, which can turn their lives around.
OUR 2017 PROGRAMME Highlight
- February 14 is the Valentine’s Day; we will visit the less-privileged ones in our society to share our corporate love.
- MARCH 8 is International Women’s Day
- JUNE 14 is ‘Catch Them Young’ Programme for primary school students in Lagos metropolis
- AUGUST 15, we will be in Kaduna State in continuation of our Building Winning Attitude programme
- October 11 is the International Girl-Child Day Celebration.
- November 23, we would be going to Akwa Ibom State in continuation of our Building Winning Attitude programme.
- We may do other programmes that fall within our programme interest and involves collaboration but are not mentioned above.
The dates of the programmes could be adjusted if need arises.
