Rise 4 Women's Rights: Justice & Equality, Nigeria

PROJECT REPORT

Name of Organization: Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation.

Project Title/Name: Help Fight Against Gender-Based Violence in Southeast

Focus Country: Nigeria.

Project Locations: Southeast, Nigeria.

Focus Area: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the
Public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual
Exploitation.

Project Type: Direct service, Street based Project

Proponent: Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation

Address Klm 1 Eke-Ahiara Junction, Umuofor Nnarambia
Ahiara, Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria

BRANCH OFFICE: 88 Murtala Muhammed way,
Yaba, Ebute Metta, Lagos.

EMAIL: support@samonyemaechihumanitarian.org
WEBSITE: https://www.samonyemaechihumanitarian.org

Introduction;
Gender-based violence (GBV) or violence against women and girls (VAWG), is a global pandemic that affects 1 in 3 women in their lifetime. Gender equality is achieved when women, men, girls and boys have equal rights, conditions and opportunities, and the power to shape their own lives and contribute to the development of society. It is a matter of equitable distribution of power, influence and resources in society. When we talk about gender-Based Violence (GBV), we mean any type of harm that is perpetrated against a person or group of people because of their factual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Executive Summary:
As the world battles with the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging evidence indicates a sharp rise in gender-based violence (GBV), especially violence against women and girls. Referred to as the Shadow Pandemic, * the rise of GBV in Nigeria during the COVID-19 crisis will have life- threatening consequences for women and girls and a profound impact on their opportunities and life trajectory. These impacts will have consequences that will ripple across communities and the whole country as Nigeria begins to recover from the detrimental economic and health impacts of the crisis.

This violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. ... Victims of violence can suffer sexual and reproductive health consequences, including forced and unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, traumatic fistula, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and even death. Statement by the General Assembly sensitize that “Violence against women means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”
General Assembly Resolution 48/104 of 20 December 1993, Article 1.

Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development. Moreover, it has been shown that empowering women spurs productivity and economic growth. Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian foundation as a social reformer, has achieved to a greater extent in fighting against GBV especially in Southeast where lots of women and girls are subjugated into violence, sexual exploitation and trafficking. We have organized seminars occasionally to Talk to women and girls in rural communities. Created awareness to stop child marriage and sexual harassment, made education gender sensitive, raised aspirations of girls and their parents. We also aimed at empowering mothers, give proper value to 'women's work' get women into power and encourage women into non-traditional vocations, all these aimed to be achieved before the year 2030.

Organizational Background
Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ started in the year 2012, officially registered September 7, 2017. Joined GlobalGiving community May 29, 2021, with a vision to Fight and defend any type of harm that is perpetrated against a person or group of people because of their factual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation and/or gender identity. In the first 3 months of its operations, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ did a rapid assessment in the region to discover a dearth of serious, structured interventions with young and aged people in the area. The team from ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ visited more than 20 rural communities and several NGO functionaries operating in the area to learn about the involvement of youth and adult in social initiatives in the area. In these visits, most of the principals, teachers and social workers voiced a need to build leadership among young people on social issues and motivate them to take up social action initiatives. The educators expressed their concerns and difficulties involved in mobilizing young people for social action initiatives.

In the same period, a team from ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ participated in the ‘Change Makers program’ that was conducted jointly by The Nonprofit council with the aim of understanding the current community development initiatives of other NGOs across Nigeria. During this phase the team studied the program design and the community mobilization methods of these NGOs. The team also underwent a one year long mentoring and handholding under this program. In the process, the team also participated in a several learning programs with several NGOs working on community issues from across the nation. In these sessions, the team interacted with more than 12 NGOs and their several community leaders working in different parts of the country.

Equipped with an understanding of local issues and an understanding of the best practices of NGOs from across the country, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ started conducting basic life skill and active citizenship programs in communities in Southeast. The program was named ‘change for life’. These workshops caught the interest of educators and students alike and they welcomed ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ team to conduct repeat workshops on several issues in 15 communities with around 8,367 in attendant. This program also had an indirect outreach of another 4200 people. ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ also initiated a pilot program named ‘Metamorphosis’ that involved families in community outreach program. This program involved around 10,600 farmers from 15 different communities in the area. In the same period, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ conducted two parent counseling workshops in two different communities to discuss the issues of their children. This program titled ‘Parenting and grassroots child-care' helped us put forward our standpoints and increased our acceptance with parents who are the prime decision makers for their children

Now in its second year of operation, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ has started conducting life skill and active citizenship workshops in 10 additional Communities. This program so far had a direct outreach of 2700 families. Parenting and grassroots child-care has been conducted in two new Communities in the year. Currently, ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation is actively working with 23 communities in Southeast working on different issues in different communities. In order to give a push to these projects, 'Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ has identified the need for:
a) Help the vulnerable improve and maintain a healthy and independent lifestyle and to maximize their quality of life.
b) Starting of 2 Resource Centers in southeast to address the needs of farmers
a) Resource Centers for youth to learn vocational skills.
b) Resource and Empowerment Centers for farmers to equip them with skills in farming.

Vision and Goal
The vision and goal of Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian foundation is to Fight for women and children to live free of violence. Our goal is to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.

Core values
Involving people, applying knowledge and making things happen. We take as our Motto “Peace, social justice, diversity, fun and democracy as key values” which guide us.

Organizational Structure
‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ is registered as a Trust with Mr. AKARAONYE Samuel, Engr. Greg Ntiwunka, Mr. Joseph Ehioma and Ms. James Rosita Nkeiruka as the Board of Trustees. The ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ Team is currently led by Chief Augustine Anyanwu and comprises of Mr. Dominic Anyanwu, Ms. Agnes Bassey, Mr. Ezekiel Uche, Ms. Anthonia Chuke etc.

Aims and Objectives
The aim and objectives of Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation is to facilitate a more predictable, accountable, and effective protection response to Gender-based violence (GBV) in complex emergencies, natural disasters, and other such situations.

Target Beneficiaries
The project was implemented in the rural communities in Southeast and Southwest, comprising of women and young girls numbering about one hundred and fifty. The direct beneficiaries are women and girls who are molested physically, sexually or psychologically harmed, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, occurring in public or in private life.” We organized series of seminars where we educate them and proffer ways, we can help victims of abuse. We have as our guiding principles: believe the person, listen with compassion and do not judge, offer practical support, such as accompanying the person to the police station, share the gender-based violence number so that they can call to get help.

The impact of the underlying problem on the target population.
Freedom from violence is a fundamental human right, and gender-based violence undermines a person's sense of self-worth and self-esteem. We have seen that, majority of women and girls have been affected, not only physical health but also mental health and have led many to self-harm, isolation, depression and suicidal attempts. In an attempt to proffer solution, the Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian foundation have been organizing campaigns, training, peer-to-peer education. We also created awareness for the inclusion of gender equality dimension in all aspects of education policies; Providing accessible information about what gender-based violence is, about its different forms, possible remedies and existing support measures. Though, we are handicapped to exhibit out goal to its logical conclusion. But we are optimistic that future has a lot to offer.

*Project Details

INCOME
S/N Date Description Amount
1 01/26/22 Donation received through GlobalGiving $42.30
In-kind Contribution $150.45

Grand Total $192.75

Working capital= $192.75

EXPENSES
S/N DATE DESCRIPTION AMOUNT
1 15/11/21 Awareness campaign leaflet $45.01
2 14/11/21 Program materials $123.28
3 05/01/22 Graphic Artist $50
4 12/02/22 Communication and telephone bills $57.11

Grand Total $275.4

Grand Total of Expenditures= $275.4

Balance= $-82.65

Difficulties and Challenges
One of the challenges also that hinders our progress and drawing us backward in realising our project goal is lack of capital and sponsorship. We call on all to support us in the fourth coming little by little fundraising campaign coming up in April 4th through 8th.

Sustainability of the Project
The ability of our organization as a whole to survive and to meet our mission goal, we embark on an entrepreneurial venture, as a way of raising money for community, financial and organizational sustainability. The foundation runs a food production, processing and packaging factory. We have been partnering with a company in processing our food items for sales. We are working hard to build our own factory for our organizational sustainability, and to help youth that have vocational skill to acquaint themselves with entrepreneurial skills to be resourceful and useful to themselves and society at large. The procurement of the necessary equipment for production, processing and packaging of organic raw materials(food) and construction of a multi-purpose hall that will accommodate our factory and other activities is our priority, we can achieve this through external sources like grants and long-term funding or through internal sources like income-generating activities or membership fees. And to actualize our mission and goal, we have these points as our guiding principles: Collaborative leadership, member-driven decisions, effective communication, change-ready and adaptive workforce continuous improvement, on-going evaluation and measurement, sound financial infrastructure.

Annexes
Annexed below is a sample of this section that has been drawn from the project report of ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ – a non-profit organization that works with young adolescents, youths and adult in rural Communities.

*Overview of the Program:
We at ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ very much value exposure, interaction and peer learning processes. Our recent interactions with more than 20 Communities have reinforced this belief. We are now looking out for support to create 2 youth resource and Empowerment centers in southeast, Nigeria where young, adult etc. can come together, co-create learning experiences and contribute positively to the community development. We plan to utilize these resource Empowerment centers as spaces for involving the youth and adult in “self-development” and ‘social action’ projects of various kind. 'Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ has the required experience and expertise to design and run social action campaigns. We feel campaigns are great opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills, highlight social issues, develop deeper understanding about issues and mobilize young people. Campaigns give energy and take care of youth and adult needs such as fun, interaction, novelty etc. We want to organize a campaign each year highlighting youth action.

What we have achieved so far?
‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ is now an accepted name in more than 35 Communities. Our volunteers are personally known to tens of thousands of families in southeast. As a part of self-development initiative, we have conducted workshops in more than 25 Communities in the last 3 years with a direct outreach of approximately 4000 people in the last 3 years. We have so far organized one major campaign in nearby villages where they went and identified families who were not buoyant enough to Carter for their family’s needs.
Since the beginning ‘Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation’ has been running out several programs in Communities promoting spirit of volunteerism and celebrating youth led social action. We have organized a major social action project titled ‘Change for life’ in 10 large Communities with an approximate outreach of around 23000 peoples. This project involved collecting and donating used and unused clothes blankets, shoes, food items to the needy.

What we propose?
Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian foundation wants to transform how people in the community think, act and talk about gender-based violence. We aimed to make more impact, circulate more information into the community and expand activities and events to support disadvantaged women and fight against GBV. This will depend on obtaining funding and other forms of support as any costs currently incurred to run events are out of pocket expenses. Additionally, they are actively engaging with more community centers, the local council and NGOs to support the SOHF and its expanding activities.

Awareness Campaign:
We will design and run campaigns involving adolescents’ young people and adult from rural and urban areas every year starting with the end of year 1. This will help to consolidate their learnings and create awareness about social issues.

Conclusion
Given the increased risk of child marriage and teenage pregnancy amid school closures, Sam Onyemaechi Humanitarian Foundation opines that, government, stakeholders, and partners in the formal and informal education sector should invest in promoting continued and safe learning for girls in low-resource contexts. This includes:• Promoting the equal distribution of unpaid care work and labour so that girls can focus on learning, and promoting parents’ role in supporting home learning;• Broadcasting lessons via appropriate radio channels across all states • Safe community-level empowerment and livelihood spaces for adolescent girls, using the model of the Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescents.• Incorporating anti-GBV and harmful practices messaging, including information on toll-free lines, into the virtual teaching/education interventions; and • Supporting an expansion of community surveillance structures set up to prevent GBV/harmful practices such as child marriage and trafficking, and to respond to violence against women by scaling up these structures across all states.