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Empowering Women is Empowering the Community

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It is 2021 and women still face significant challenges that hold them back from attaining their potential. Compared to men, women have less access to education and financial institutions, have fewer economic opportunities, face more challenges starting a business, are fewer in leadership positions, and feature less prominently in politics. Economic empowerment of women has been shown to foster gender equality, help women realise their rights, and improve economies. Essentially, when women and girls are empowered, the community is better for it. This is why women’s economic empowerment is an integral part of Propcom Mai-karfi’s strategy.

Propcom Mai-karfi’s poultry production and marketing intervention is focused on helping women acquire skills to transform their local chicken practices into viable businesses, thus, economically empowering them to become resilient to climate change and other shocks.

When Caroline Heniel, a Teacher in Demsa Community in Adamawa State, participated in Propcom Mai-karfi’s local chicken improved production (LoCIP) training, she never thought that over a year later her and a handful of like-minded women who met at the training would be empowered to the point of supporting their community. Sindam Machet cooperative, meaning ‘We are one’, was formed by Caroline and the other women with the primary aim of helping one another and their community. Caroline leads the cooperative and is helped by 20 other women officials; today, they are 250 member-strong and growing.

The decision to form a group started with ten women [at the training] who felt they could make an impact in their community. It gradually became a welcome idea for all the women.

Members of the Sinham Machet cooperative. Caroline Heniel is the sitting, first from the right. Photo credit: Alfred Coker for Propcom Mai-karfi

A patient receiving treatment is shown with other women in the dilapidated community centre before repairs. Photo credit: Propcom Mai-karfi.

The community health centre in Demsa LGA of Adamawa State has been in a deplorable state for as long Caroline can remember. The year was 2019 and it did not seem like anyone was going to do anything about it. This was where the community received medical services. It was, therefore, a shame that it had become a place where most people would avoid if they had a choice. Unfortunately, they did not and so continued to manage it with its leaky roof and lack of furnishings and other amenities.

For over two years, Propcom Mai-karfi has been training women on LoCIP. For Caroline and the other women, putting to practise knowledge from the training yielded and continues to yield results; their flock sizes increased, and their chickens were weightier than ever before. Since repairing the community centre was a goal shared by many, if not all, members of the cooperative, it was unsurprising that once they began generating income from their chickens, they decided to renovate it. Thus, ensuring that the community also benefitted from their success.

The motivation to start came as an aftermath of the training when we started seeing results from applying knowledge acquired. We discovered that from one chicken, we multiplied our flock size within a short period of time. We were able to sell and use the proceeds to support our families. We were also able to support other members of the group who did not have capital to start.

To fund the renovation project, the cooperative pooled resources within the group. Each member was tasked with selling one of their chickens and contributing between NGN500 and NGN1,000 from their proceeds to the project. Upon raising some funds, the project kicked off in August of 2019. However, due to the Pandemic and the ensuing lockdown in 2020, the project had to be put on hold. But, once the lockdown was lifted, work continued in earnest. According to Caroline, the Cooperative has so far disbursed over NGN100,000 to repair the clinic and make it conducive for both the users and service providers.

One of the walls of the community centre before repairs. Photo credit: Propcom Mai-karfi

Although the women raised most of the funds, they were able to harness support from members of the community, including the community leader who contributed NGN5,000, and the ward heads who collectively gave NGN13,000 to the project. Many young men in the community also volunteered to provide labour for the project. Nevertheless, embarking on the project was not without challenges. Albeit all members agreed that the project was worthwhile and overdue, convincing all members to contribute was arduous as some members out rightly refused to chip in. Work continued nonetheless with the funds that had been raised.   

We received support from the community leader and ward heads who made monetary contributions for the renovation. Also, the men in the community, especially the youth, helped to clear the bush and do some minor labour.

The Demsa Community Health Centre after repairs by the Cooperative. Photo credit: Alfred Coker for Propcom Mai-karfi

Even though there still remains work to be done, today, the community health centre is in a much better state and members of the community are pleased and happy to use it. The Cooperative is still raising funds to finish the repairs and to purchase basic furnishings and other necessary items for the centre. They hope to raise enough chickens to sell and raise the funds and are confident that they will soon have enough to commence the next phase of the repairs.

The community is very appreciative, and wherever they meet us they say, ‘thank you for what you have done at the clinic’. We feel very happy about it and encouraged to do more. This is our first project as a group. We are still making plans. We have identified the need for bedsheets and chairs for visitors, and we also want to buy benches, bedsheets, and any other need for the clinic. We are not yet a registered group but want to start the process this year.

The future looks promising for the Cooperative. They are working towards becoming a legally registered cooperative, which will make potential donors take them seriously. They are also looking forward to engaging in more community projects.

Since commencement of the LoCIP trainings, Propcom Mai-karfi has trained over 65,000 rural women across Northern Nigeria and counting. These women have collectively generated over NGN400 million in revenue.

The LoCIP training has really empowered us. The training helped us to know that chicken production is a good source of income, we are able to buy goats, cloths, food from the market. It has really helped us. Thank you Propcom Mai-karfi, we are very thankful for the support. – Charity Anthony Assistant Leader

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Renewed Hope as a Result of PPR Vaccination

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Majority of the inhabitants of rural communities in Northern Nigeria, largely depend on agriculture as their main source of income. This is also true for women who depend on the rearing of small ruminants and poultry as their primary source of income. Small ruminants and poultry farmers are faced with two major diseases – Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and New Castle Disease (NCD). An outbreak of PPR and NCD on a farm can lead to a severe loss of income to the affected farmer. For instance, a healthy goat that is sold for about ₦10,000 can be sold for about ₦1,500 if infected with PPR disease. Selling infected animals also pose a serious public health problem that can affect the quality of life of the entire human population.

Animal health issues like these have far-reaching implications on the profitability and income of community livestock farmers. Working with government, private sector partners, including the Nigerian Veterinary Council (VCN), the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Ambuvet, and Tropical Poultry Limited, Propcom has set up a rural distribution system to make animal health products and services accessible to rural communities.

Huraira Abubakar is a rural livestock farmer (small ruminants) from Igabi LGA in Kaduna state. She is a mother of four children with two co-wives, in a polygamous household setting of 22 family members with no educational background. For the last 10 years, Huraira depends on the proceeds from her livestock farm of small ruminants for her and her family’s upkeep. Unfortunately, in 2017, there was an outbreak of PPR disease in northern Nigeria which caused a devastating loss to small ruminant farmers including Huraira. Huraira who had 27 goats before the disease outbreak was left with only 7 surviving goats.

Well, when the PPR outbreak sets in, it affects livestock of every household in the community. Like last year, there was a household that lost almost all of its livestock, only one survived the PPR epidemic….They had, more than twenty goats and only one was left. 

Huraira was unhappy about her loss. She thought about quitting the business but had nothing else to do. For 3 years, she sat and watched how her goats died one after the other as a result of PPR disease. With no help or information on how to prevent PPR, most livestock farmers in Huraira’s community began administering medications to the infected livestock with no positive outcome.

The first year my goats were infected with the PPR disease, I lost 20 goats. I had a total of 27 goats that year. Along the line, I began to lose my livestock due to PPR illness. If the mothers of the goats give birth to like 20 or 30 young’s (kids), only 4, 5, or 6 will survive. This was how they died gradually… It reached a point where I felt like quitting (rearing of livestock), because of my bitter experience. But when I looked back at the benefits of rearing livestock as my primary source of income, I just couldn’t stop. 

In 2020, Huraira Abubakar and her community members got in contact with Ambuvets (PM’s partner on livestock intervention in Kaduna state) through the help of a PM staff. 

Huraira and her husband with their vaccinated goats.

Ambuvet is an organisation that provides animal health care services to livestock farmers, with an emphasis on PPR and NCD vaccination within Kaduna state. Upon entry into the state in 2018, a few LGAs were selected to serve as pilot communities for the NDV-i2 and PPR vaccination campaigns in selected locations. The positive outcome of the pilot phase of the vaccination campaigns led to the buy-in of major stakeholders like the Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture and the Veterinary Council of Nigeria. An expansion to all 23 LGAs was imminent due to the support of the state government and more vaccinators/ Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) were brought on board to cover the expansion.

Other strategies were implemented to provide or make available standard agro-vet products within the state, sensitise farmers about the PPR and NDV-i2 vaccine as well as to make known the names/contacts of the trained CAHWs for easy access by livestock farmers within the state.

Huraira Abubakar who had almost lost all hope in her livestock business now has renewed optimism due to the efforts of Ambuvets. Ambuvets inoculated ruminants and poultry with PPR and NCD vaccine which prevented these diseases from occurring and spreading, enabling farmers to have healthy animals, thereby making their businesses more profitable. Due to the vaccination of Huraira’s seven surviving goats, she has been able to sell healthy goats at a good profit, which enabled her to buy more livestock for rearing.

During the PPR outbreak, Huraira made an average monthly profit of ₦5,000 as she had only 7 surviving goats and couldn’t sell her breeding stock. But after vaccinating her goats against PPR, Huraira made an average monthly profit of ₦40,000. Huraira now has 32 goats and four sheep, and she is now able to save more money to cater for her needs and that of her family. With the growing number of livestock, Huraira’s husband now supports her with caring for the goats and taking the goats to be sold, to the market.

Ambuvet also provided Igabi LGA with trained and certified CAHWs who had access to quality/standard agro-vet products for effective livestock service delivery.

Huraira with her growing goat population after vaccination against PPR.

Ever since my goats were vaccinated with the PPR vaccine by Ambuvet , I have not spent any money on livestock treatment, like I used to in the past… I just aspire to be able to run my life smoothly without much difficulties regarding finance, and anyone who sees me should be able to tell that I am not suffering.

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Improving Rural Access to Veterinary Services and Products

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I want to open a poultry farm and hatch chicks to sell to people to rear. So that they too can have something they can do to survive. These are my hopes and aspirations. – Saidu Naziru, CAHW from Jigawa State

Inadequate or no access to quality veterinary drugs and services for smallholder farmers is a critical impediment to improving the health of livestock in rural communities. Propcom responds to this problem through her Animal Health interventions. Working with government, research and private sector entities including the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Ambuvets, and Tropical Poultry Limited, Propcom established the rural delivery system to make animal health products and services accessible to rural communities. Propcom also trained entrepreneurial individuals at the grassroots level as Community Animal Health Workers (CAHW) to deliver these products and services, including vaccines, and make a small business out of it and generate income for themselves.

Farming and livestock production are the main income generators for the people of Gwaram LGA in Jigawa State, North East Nigeria. However, livestock vaccination or seeking proper animal healthcare is not common practice. So, when disease strikes, farmers defer to using ill-approved medication that have little effect or slaughter and sell their livestock below the going price to prevent total loss from death.

Saidu Naziru, a diploma holder in animal health and technology and father of two, is one of a small group of animal healthcare practitioners servicing livestock farmers in Gwaram. He, along with about 50 others, was trained and certified as a CAHW through Propcom’s partnership with VCN and the Jigawa State government in 2019. Participating in the training changed Saidu’s life and the way he practices his trade as it brought to light gaps in their knowledge in animal health care management.

We were just about 50 animal health care providers in Gwaram community, and we often make mistakes in the areas related to the treatment of livestock. Before, we could not differentiate among medications that will terminate the problem [animal disease] completely or those that will simply reduce it.

During the training, Saidu and the others were also taught to protect themselves from getting infected while providing service. It was obvious that being trained as a CAHW was a turning point in Saidu’s life because he went from earning a meagre income buying, fattening and selling livestock to owning a business selling agro-veterinary products and providing veterinary services. His income improved and Saidu said he is now better able to provide for his family.

In the past, I make N200 (£0.42) to N300 ((£0.62) on bad days, and as much as N500 (£1) to N1,000 (£2) on good days. I am now a big dealer of agrovet products in Gwaram and when I treat just two to three cattle, I make a lot of profit that is sufficient to cater for myself and my family.

Apart from personal gains to Saidu and his family, the community also benefits as Saidu is imparting knowledge to four apprentices he has taken under his wings. He also makes a point of educating his customers about misconceptions and unfriendly practices whenever he encounters them. Saidu’s status has gone up in the society; he has become a well-known and respected member of his community such that other practitioners reach out to him for solutions.

There are two [apprentices] in my shop and there are some others I teach and send around to do minor treatment so they can earn a living from there as well. I have become so competent that even other livestock health service providers in my community do refer difficult cases to me to assist them.

Saidu was quick to attribute his success to the support received from Propcom and her partners. He said that the training, initial free products and motorcycle received, along with some money he’d saved were instrumental in helping him start his business. However, the journey has not been easy. Saidu said he faced many challenges, especially the high cost of veterinary product prices he initially purchased from Jigawa State. But he overcame this difficulty by purchasing from Kano where products are comparatively cheaper. 

What gave me the courage and strength to undertake this task is the assistance we received since the training. They gave me one [ free] carton of agrovet medication. It was very effective and people patronised us and work was going fine. They gave us brand new motorcycles on the condition that we pay N7,500 (£15.7) monthly. I used to have challenges. But since we were certified after the CAHW training, the certificate issued to me serves as an identity card. It has made accessing and buying these agrovet products from Kano very easy; whenever it is with me, there is no hindrance.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected Saidu’s income, particularly during the lockdown period. He was unable to visit his customers to
provide service as usual and many of his clients, who are Fulani herdsmen, were unable go to the market to sell their animals and make
money to buy medicine. Saidu said that as business starts up again with the easing of the lockdown, he has taken precautions to
safeguard himself, his family and his workers by adhering to government prevention instructions.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, Saidu is hopeful for the future. He hopes to venture into poultry farming and sell chicks to poultry
farmers. However, he appeals to Propcom and her partners to assist with improving availability of essential medicines that are frequently used for livestock health management.

 

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Influencing Financial Policies that Benefit Rural Farmers and Small Businesses

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Rural farmers’ access to loans is generally very poor in Nigeria, with only about 3% of farmers granted credit from financial institutions. This means that over 80% of Nigeria’s farming population who live on less than $2 a day are financially excluded. Although, financial institutions have many financial products targeted at rural farmers and small businesses, unfortunately, these products are not necessarily tailored to the recipients’ circumstance or need. In addition to this, the requirement of high equity contribution by banks and limited capacity to understand the loan application and repayment processes contribute to the financial exclusion of farmers and small business owners. Consequently, the cycle of poverty will continue if these and other barriers to financial inclusion are not addressed.

In the past, numerous development projects have focused on educating small businesses to adopt improved practices and expand their operations, but adoption requires capital which most do not have. Understanding these issues, Propcom Mai-karfi partnered with Standard Microfinance Bank (SMFB) in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria, to develop and pilot tailored loan products that align with the agricultural production and business cycles of target beneficiaries. The aim was to prove that reducing the equity requirement for rural farmers and small businesses, bundled with farmer education and financial literacy, would lead to improved repayment rates. The reduced equity contribution to access loans can help more farmers get loans and improve the Bank’s customer base.

The pilot, therefore, involved supporting SMFB to test the impact of the reduced equity model on loan access with 5000 farmers and small businesses in hard-to-reach communities in Adamawa State. Furthermore, the financial products developed for the pilot were bundled with Digital Agricultural Extension Service (DAES) to close the existing extension information service gap; ensuring farmers received relevant and important agriculture information, such as good agricultural practices, market linkage information, weather forecasts, and financial literacy tips, among others.

By the end of the pilot, 5,793 farmers and small businesses had accessed loan from SMFB at reduced equity. Preliminary survey results revealed that SMFB’s customer base increased by 62% from about 3000 customers; half (31%) of the new clients were women. Convinced, the Bank changed its loan access policy by reducing equity requirement for loans for farmers and small businesses to 25% from 35%. This is significant step in the right direction and will improve rural farmers’ and small businesses’ access to credit. Thus, improving their productivity and income.

Although it’s still early days, there are clear indications that incorporating DAES to the financial products enhances farmers’ capacity to utilise their loans effectively, with reported improved yield. More farmers can access the capital they need when the equity requirements for accessing loans are within their reach. The pilot has shown that microfinance institutions (MFIs) can increase their customer base through reduced equity. However, more learning is required to determine the key components of the Bank’s risks and how to better manage it while promoting financial inclusion.

For more information on our Access to Finance work, please contact us via email, info@propcommaikarfi.org, or mobile, +234(0)805 479 6992.

 

 

 

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From Beggar to Employer

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Burning solid fuels, such as wood and charcoal, have negative health, environmental and climate change effects. This is due to the large amounts of black carbon and carbon-based greenhouse gases released, which contribute to global warming and contributes to the global burden of disease. Annually, about 4 million people die prematurely worldwide from illnesses linked to pollution from burning solid fuels in inefficient stoves used for cooking and heating in households. Solid fuels, especially wood and charcoal, is the most popular household cooking fuel in Nigeria.

According to Clean Cooking Alliance, about 64,200 people die annually from pollution produced from burning these fuels in inefficient stoves Propcom Mai-karfi contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by implementing interventions that promote clean energy and reduce deforestation. One of such interventions is the Improved Cookstoves intervention. PM partners with, and supports, small-scale businesses that fabricate and market fuel efficient cookstoves to target households with the stoves and provide income generating opportunities to people in rural communities. Guided by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)’s strategic vision of ‘Leaving No One Behind’, PM takes deliberate measures to ensure the inclusion of people with disability (PwD) by training our partners to be disability aware and inclusive, and providing support to ensure PwD can fully participate.

Abdulkadir stands with the aid of a crutch in his store with phones charging in the background. Location: Gombe State

“[I] pray, write on slate, go to shop, pray, review orders for the day, back to home.” This is what Abdulkadir Falalu’s daily routine looks like now. He has a shop where he sells cookstoves and other items; a far cry from when he depended on government’s monthly stipend, and later begging for alms when the government stopped paying the stipend. Abdulkadir is
unmarried and lives with his parents in Dukku area of Gombe State. He became physically disabled in 1999 after a vehicular accident that required one of his legs to be amputated. 

After the [Gombe State] government intervention of N5000 (£10.5) stopped, I resorted to begging at filling stations and checkpoints and writing on slate for Islamiya students (Almajiri) for a fee.

As someone with disability, Abdulkadir’s life typified the experience of many poor people with disability in Nigeria who don’t
have a dignified means of making a living, with some resorting to begging. However, Abdulkadir’s life would take a turn for the better when in 2019, while begging, his paths crossed with Alhaji Hamza, an NGO worker. Alhaji Hamza would later nominate him to Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment (WISE), one of Propcom’s partners on the cookstove intervention, to be trained as an energy champion and support widespread rural distribution of the efficient cookstove.

I was informed by Alhaji Hamza in Gombe that he has submitted my name and contact to WISE. I was in Gombe for a 4-days
training organised by WISE and Propcom Mai-karfi.

After the training, WISE gave Abdulkadir and others who had been trained 15 cookstoves each, with no down payment, to help them kickstart their business. This support was critical as otherwise Abdulkadir would not have had the funds to outrightly purchase the  cookstoves and start his small business.

…[they] gave us 15 cookstoves to start the business with; one of the stoves was given to us free for our personal use.

About 9 months after being trained and starting his small business, Abdulkadir said that on average he sold 8 stoves per month and made about N16,000 (about £33.6) in commission. As demand grew for the cookstoves, Abdulkadir trained and employed two of his siblings to support him as his disability makes it difficult for him to move around. 

As demand became high, I employed two of my siblings to help me with delivery and marketing. I have difficulty walking without my third leg and my siblings, whom I pay N3000 ((£6.31) monthly, have been helpful to me.

With income made from the business, Abdulkadir expanded into other ventures. He now sells mobile phone recharge cards and charges phones for people in the community at a fee; a much-needed service seeing as electricity is not always available. From begging for alms to making an income of N16,000 a month, Abdulkadir’s life has greatly improved and he agrees.

However, like many small businesses, Abdulkadir’s business was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic; especially during the lockdown. He recalls that he was unable to restock his store due to cessation of supplies during the lockdown and resorted to depending on phone charging and sale of recharge cards to earn money and support his family.

Covid-19 affected the business seriously. It affected supply. I have to fall back to phone charging and recharge cards with the profits made from sales of cookstoves.

Now that he has a dignified and consistent means of livelihood, Abdulkadir has great plans for his business. He hopes to open outlets in neighbouring villages and, importantly, employ other people with disabilities. In his own words, “take more PwD off the streets by giving them work to do”.

The cookstove business is a blessing to me and my family. It came at the time I needed it most. It has taken me off the street begging and given me a job. I am able to take care of myself and family and have also become an employer of labour. I am planning to do awareness in neighbouring villages on cookstoves and open sales outlets in such locations. I also want to expand the phone charging business to include sale of phones and chargers.

Abdulkadir is photographed with some cookstoves. Location: Gombe

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Effect of Crisis and Women’s Empowerment on Violence against Women

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Gender inequalities lead to gender inequities in access to health care, income levels, education and promotion in employment, political participation and representation. It increases the risk of violence against women and hinders the ability of victims to seek help. Gender-based violence (GBV) is a human rights violation and a consequence of power and gender inequalities with devasting long-term effects on the health, livelihood and wellbeing of victims. It is any violent act perpetuated against a person because of their gender. Both women and men can be victims of GBV, however, women are the usual targets. When targeted at women it is termed Violence against Women (VAW). VAW is a global pandemic and 1 in 3 women would have experienced it in their lifetime according to the United Nations (UN).

Most cases of GBV are perpetrated by individuals in position of power or who have control over others and are known to the survivors. In cases of VAW, the perpetrators are more likely to be their intimate partners; husbands or boyfriends. VAW can be physical, sexual or mental, and includes intimate partner violence, rape, human trafficking, female genital mutilation, child marriage, among others. Unfortunately, many cases of VAW remain unreported due to interaction of causative factors that include fear of stigma, isolation and social exclusion, discriminatory laws, norms and practices, limited access to justice institutions and representation, lack of physical security, lack of education, and poverty, among others. Globally, less than 40% of women who have experienced violence reported or sought help. The situation is worse in Nigeria where only about 32% of women, age 15-49, who have experienced violence have reported or sought help. 

VAW has far reaching impact beyond survivors. It causes inequality by instilling fear in women. This fear of violence can cripple women’s ability to attain their social and economic potentials, speak up for their rights, make decisions that affect their lives and meaningfully contribute to home and society. It, therefore, takes away women’s agency and disempowers them. Conversely, VAW can itself be the product of inequality, especially in regions with discriminatory laws and social norms that exclude women and girls. These discriminatory laws and exclusionary norms infringe on women and girls’ rights to education, work and freedom.  

Crises significantly diminish society’s ability to protect women and girls from violence. Thus, during crisis, whether humanitarian, pandemic or natural disaster, violence against women and girls increases. It’s no different with the COVID-19 pandemic as research conducted across many countries, including Nigeria, reveal that the Pandemic has created conditions that foster VAW. This has been termed the ‘shadow pandemic’ brewing alongside the COVID pandemic. Lockdown and other confinement measures to curb the Pandemic isolate women with their abusers and make it difficult for women to access help and report cases. In Nigeria, for instance, where 31% and 9% of women and girls aged 15 to 49 have reportedly experienced physical and sexual violence respectively, cases of domestic violence increased from 314 in March to 781 cases in April; a 149% increase. In three states that were placed under total lockdown (FCT, Lagos and Ogun), the number of cases increased by 297% between March (60 cases) and April (238 cases) compared to only 53% in states that were under less strict lockdowns; Benue, Cross River and Ebonyi. The North East region, where Propcom Mai-karfi intervenes had the fourth highest reported cases of GBV in the period with a 130% increase between March and April.

Consequences of VAW.

The consequences of violence against women and girls can be long lasting and life-threatening; ranging from physical and reproductive to psycho-social and economic, and in many cases permanent disability and death. Women lose income and incur additional expenses due to frequent absenteeism from work and accessing clinical services. Unfortunately, the impact of VAW transcends the victims and survivors to affect their families and close circles and the larger society. For instance, children from homes where the mother is abused are at risk of being abused, may become aggressive, antisocial and depressed, and may have developmental and mental health problems. The productivity and profitability of businesses is reduced from high turnover, absenteeism, poor performance, increased health expenditure and other costs.

Women’s Empowerment and VAW.

One of the ways to prevent VAW is by empowering women economically. Community interventions that empower women, improve their economic position and change gender stereotypes and norms have been used in developing countries to reduce gender inequality. These programmes mostly work with women alone or involve men as well. However, some work mainly with males and focus on addressing issues around masculinity, gender norms and violence. This shift in programme targets reflects an increasing awareness of the significance of engaging men and boys in programmes aimed at stopping VAW.

Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) has been shown to reduce the risk of VAW by improving women’s financial autonomy, self-esteem and bargaining power. A woman empowered to earn an income can financially contribute to the household increasing her bargaining power and reducing her vulnerability to violence. Being economically empowered, the woman also has the means to prevent and escape abuse and support herself.

Unfortunately, WEE can, on the other hand, increase the risk of violence in some contexts by de-stabilising traditional gender roles in the short term. When men are not engaged in WEE, it can lead to misunderstanding and backlash between women and their partners. This is particularly true in environments that are culturally sensitive and conservative with strict gender norms and higher tolerance of VAW. In these contexts, WEE may be seen as disrupting the power and control men have over women due to increased earnings and allocation of time to more productive ventures by women, thus, resulting in violence by spouses and others in the community.

Propcom Mai-karfi’s Approach to Women Empowerment

Propcom Mai-karfi (PM) is not designed to directly address issues of VAW. However, with ‘Do no Harm’ and ‘inclusion’ as core components of the programme, concerted efforts are made to empower women and improve their positions in their communities. Consequently, the programme mainstreams WEE across all interventions. This begins by understanding the target demographic and the context within which they exist. It also includes careful selection of partners with experience in programme locations via a vigorous due diligence process. This process ensures partner commitment to policies safeguarding against harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, trafficking and others, with measures put in place to ensure their institutionalisation.

The advantages of WEE prompted and strengthened PM’s desire to mainstream WEE across all interventions. PM strongly believes that by so doing women beneficiaries on the programme have become more resilient (through increased participation within select value chains) and are able to access needed services; especially around crop and livestock production and management.

Due to the backlash, misconceptions or feelings of resentment that can arise from WEE, PM takes proactive and informed measures to lessen the causal factors. Customary formalities are observed with key gatekeepers. Male spouses, male relatives and male caretakers are engaged and informed on the purpose and intended benefits of our WEE work as well as the manner of engagement of the women at initiation and implementation stages. In practice, this includes holding consultative forums with partners and outlining context and women specific issues to encourage informed development of intervention models.

PM also encourages collective work through women group structures. These groups are leveraged using culturally acceptable positions of women based on age, marital status and other factors. For instance, unmarried and older married women, widows and elderly women have been found to have greater market access and autonomy and can facilitate market interactions for the group compared to younger and newly married women. This gives opportunity to develop business models that utilise the different strengths and abilities in a manner that ensures all women benefit irrespective of circumstance within acceptable social norms.

Combating Violence against Women.

Addressing the root causes and factors that increase the chances of VAW is the best way to prevent it from happening. Practical actions or measures to prevent VAW include some of the following:

  • Individuals should educate themselves about GBV and transfer their learning to others including how it occurs, prevention and where to get help. 
  • Early education of boys and girls in schools about gender issues, social norms and other related topics and promoting gender equality and respectful behaviours towards one another.
  • Design community interventions to target men and boys and address harmful gender norms and promote gender equality. Involve spouses or guardians of women who are part of empowerment interventions to educate and get them to understand the benefit of the interventions not only for the women but for the household and wider community.
  • Use survivor-centred approach to programme design where the rights, needs and wishes of survivors are prioritised above all else by those involved in the intervention.
  • Businesses should encourage gender equality and have zero tolerance for abuse and violence. They should educate their staff on GBV, change norms that foster violence while promoting those that engender equality, and provide safe spaces for reporting, seeking help, and handling GBV cases.
  • Governments should enact and enforce policies and laws that protect the rights of survivors and ensures they receive the care and support needed, and perpetrators are prosecuted.
  • Governments should make it easy for victims to report and get justice by providing multiple and confidential avenues for reporting cases. They should ensure members of the criminal justice system, including the Police, are trained to judiciously and sensitively handle GBV cases sensitively.
  • Governments and humanitarian partners should device ways to make it easy for survivors to access help; especially marginalised and vulnerable groups such as those in post-conflict regions.
  • Governments and relevant development organisations should address harmful norms at the wider community level through continuous community sensitisation and engagement.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Yearly on November 25th, the international community marks International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and uses it as an opportunity to draw attention to the plight of survivors and those vulnerable to abuse. This year’s commemoration is critical as the COVID pandemic has further enabled VAW due to isolation to prevent its spread and the strain imposed on already limited health, essential and other services. Consequently, this year’s theme “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!” is a clarion call to improve funding to prevent VAW, ensure that measures to address COVID prioritise services for survivors of violence, highlight prevention of and enhanced data collection on VAW. For more information on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, go here. 

For information and help on GBV in Nigeria:

  1. Your local State Ministries of Women Affairs
  2. Project Alert on Violence against Women
  3. Action Health Incorporated
  4. Women Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA)
  5. Women Aid Collective (WACOL)
  6. The International Federation of Women Lawyers
  7. Mirabel Centre

The following resources have been consulted in writing this article; refer to them to learn more about GBV and VAW:

  1. Promoting Gender Equality to Prevent Violence against Women. Briefing Paper; World Health Organisation, 2009.
  2. Assessing Reported Cases of Sexual and Gender-based Violence, Causes and Preventive Strategies, in European Asylum Reception Facilities. Journal Article; Oliveira et al., 2018; Journal: Globalization and Health.
  3. Violence against Women. Blog; World Health Organisation; November 2017.
  4. Handbook for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons. Action Sheet 4: Gender-based Violence.
  5. The shadow pandemic: COVID-19 and Essential Services for Women and Girls Survivors of Violence. Infographic; 2020.
  6. Violence against women a cause and consequence of inequality, Selim Jahan, November 2018.
  7. Gender-based Violence in Emergencies. Blog; September 2020; UNICEF.
  8. Violence against women and girls: the shadow pandemic. Statement by humzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women. Blog; April 2020; UN Women.
  9. COVID-19 and Ending Violence against Women and Girls. Report. UN Women.
  10. Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. October 2019; Nigeria Population Commission.
  11. Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria during the Covid-19 Crisis: The Shadow Pandemic. Brief; May 2020. UN Women.
  12. Violence against Women and Women Economic Empowerment; Presentation; Anna-Karin Jatfors; UN Women 2017
  13. Causes and Consequences of Violence against Women. Chapter 3 in Book ‘Understanding Violence against Women’, 1999; National Research Council.
  14. A Framework to Underpin Action to Prevent Violence against Women. 2015. UN Women.
  15. Gender-Based Violence an Analysis of the Implications for the Nigeria For Women Project; Publication; the World Bank, 2019

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Restoring My Dignity Through Waste Management: Ali’s Story

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The widespread use of plastic, especially the single-use type, results in an increase in plastic wastes, polluting both land and ocean. Since plastic doesn’t degrade, when improperly disposed of, they end up accumulating in waterways and soil, contributing to greenhouse gases and posing great risk to animal and human health, as well as the environment.

In 2010 alone, Nigeria released about 0.34 million tonnes of plastic waste into the ocean, ranking ninth globally for polluting the ocean. Since plastic production cannot be stopped, it’s harmful effect can be minimised through improved waste management systems and practices, education, recycling, enacting better policies, and reducing production of unnecessary single-use plastics, among others.

Propcom Mai-karfi, in partnership with eTrashtoCash, a social enterprise that uses technology to combat environmental problems, piloted a plastic waste management intervention in Bauchi state in 2019. Through this intervention, it created awareness about the problem of plastic waste, encouraged proper waste disposal and encouraged entrepreneurship by training people in rural communities as waste collection agents.

Ali Isma’il Gambo is a waste collection agent in Katagum local governement area, Bauchi State, North East Nigeria, where he lives with his wife and six children. The promise of a better income and the positive impact that plastic recycling will have on the environment motivated Ali to leave his trade as a cobbler and go into the plastic waste collection business.

Ali became deaf after a bout of Meningitis when he was seven years old, which his family was too poor to properly treat. At 34, he continues to struggle to navigate the hardships of being a deaf person in a country where over 23% of the population are living with hearing impairments. Due to their limited financial resources, Ali, and his equally deaf wife, must rely on their eldest son, Ahmadu, who has acted as their care giver since he was eight years old.

Ali’s venture into plastic waste collection was not deliberate. He was sitting near the eTrash2Cash office when he noticed people filing forms and upon making enquiries, he was told that they were applying for a waste management training. Ali did not think he would be eligible because of his disability, but due to Propcom’s focus on inclusion of vulnerable groups, he was supported to apply for the training and given all the support he needed to successfully participate and to start the business.

“The training taught me how to use them [plastic waste] to do so many useful things. They taught me how to source and collect the waste in a dignified manner. After the training, they continued to enlighten me on how best to source for waste for free in hospitals, filling stations and the market. They gave me priority as a deaf person.”

Ali is seen here collecting and sorting plastic waste from a landfill. Location: Bauchi State, Nigeria

The business has not been without challenges. Ali says he faces discrimination both for his disability and for being a waste collector. He says he doesn’t let the discrimination depress him and tries to get people to become aware of the harmful effects of plastic waste.

“People look down on me because I am in the trash business. People think I am a mad person for taking trash from people. I try not to be intimated by people’s discrimination for my disability, I try to show them that it is not my fault for being deaf. As for the trash business, I try to show people how important it is to make sure the environment is not littered with trash, and how resourceful it can be. My family and friends have supported me a lot in communicating and negotiation with people, and helping people understand the importance of my waste collection business.”

Ali also faces risk to his health as a waste collection agent. He says he protects himself by wearing protective clothing and collecting waste only from the source and refraining from rummaging through garbage bins and other waste collection points that hold mixed wastes.

“When I collect [plastic] waste, I use hand gloves and face masks to reduce risks of infection. I do not go to mixed garbage bins or dumps to collect waste. I follow recommendation from the training to only collect trash from the source.”

To make enough income from the business, Ali uses a mix of strategies. He tells people that he will collect and dispose of their plastic waste at no cost; obtains plastic waste from multiple sources and is continually identifying new sources of waste. In places such as hospitals, where he does not have direct access to plastic waste, he employs the assistance of janitors to sort the waste on his behalf for a small fee.

Today, Ali is in a better position financially to look after his family. He says he makes between N8,000 to N14,000 (£17 to £27) in a month just from waste collection. The ability to provide for his family and not be pushed into begging like many people with disability has given Ali peace of mind, and according to him, improved his status in the community.

“Now with this new business, I earn enough to cover basic food spending with ease, without incurring any debt like I used to. My mind is at peace now that my children can eat
at home without starving or going to our neighbours to beg for food. I am respected in the neighborhood because I do not rely on begging like most people with disability.”

Ali is hopeful for the future and looks forward to expanding his business by incorporating
knowledge gained through managing plastic waste and shoe making.

“My hope is to learn and up-skill myself on sustainable waste management practice and
build on the training I received. I am looking at ways to integrate my skills in shoe making with sustainable waste management practice by incorporating all reusable, upcyclable plastic materials into the making of shoes.

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From Being A Liability to Thriving with Disability: Hafsat’s Story

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There are about 25 million people with disabilities (PwDs) in Nigeria. This number makes up 29% of the 84 million PwDs in Africa; over half of whom are women. When compared to other regions, the North East is home to most PwDs in Nigeria due to the ongoing conflict and insurgency. PwDs in Nigeria, like in many countries, experience varying levels of human rights abuses and are excluded from society with inadequate access to education, health care and other services. Essentially, disability and poverty are related in that poverty increases people’s vulnerability to disability while disability fosters poverty due to lack of employment, poor access to education, poor wages, and higher cost of living due to disability, among others.

Hafsat Iman’s foray into hibiscus aggregation was by happenstance. While seeking ways to make more income, she purchased a small quantity of hibiscus, which she later sold at a profit. It’s now been about 7 years since that first sale and the business has become her primary source of income. The journey, however, has not been without pitfalls for this middle-aged widow with four children, especially being a deaf person. However, support from family, her community and training received have made the journey bearable and brought her to where she is now; a deaf woman succeeding at hibiscus aggregation despite all odds stacked against her as a person living with disability.

“My hibiscus business was borne out of my desire to have more income to cater for the needs of the family. Sewing and knitting are normally casual work and I need all the money I can put my hands on. The major challenge I face as a deaf person aggregating hibiscus is communicating with farmers and potential buyers of my products”

Hafsat lives with one of her daughters, Salma, in the Hadejia area of Jigawa State in Northern Nigeria. She purchased her first quantity of hibiscus with money made from her tailoring and knitting business which, at the time, was her primary source of income. She bought the hibiscus when it was in season and cheap and sold after season when price rose making appreciable profit from her first sale.

“It all began when I bought a small quantity [of hibiscus] and later sold it at a higher price. That experience made me realise that aggregation business is worth investing in.”

Encouraged by profits made, Hafsat decided to continue the business and so invested more time, effort and resources into it. With the support of her daughters, other family members and people in the community, Hafsat grew her business and built a loyal customer base.

“My family plays a big part in my business; my two daughters, Aisha and Salma, serve as my translators. My brothers and sisters support me in promoting the business as well as loading and offloading the products. My daughter Salma is involved in all the activities that I do at home, she supports me in cleaning the hibiscus or supervising the women I engage to do the work. The community supports me by patronising my business and serve as translators in the absence of my family. My neighbours are especially helpful in promoting my business.”

However, after some time the business began to dwindle. Hafsat said she was losing large quantities of hibiscus during post-harvest storage, customers were rejecting her hibiscus citing poor quality, her customer base was declining, which meant she had to travel far to find buyers, and the price she was getting for her product was no longer encouraging. So, weighing her options, she strongly contemplated cutting her losses and closing the business.

It was while she was contemplating leaving the business that she heard of and participated in a training on post-harvest handling and processing (quality standard cleaning) of hibiscus provided by one of Propcom’s partners, KB Global, a large scale aggregator supplying the export market through TOON Consolidated Company Limited. The training could not have come at a better time as Hafsat said she learnt the importance of properly cleaning hibiscus prior to selling. She said they were taught how to market their products and linked to KB Global offtakers who bought their cleaned hibiscus in bulk.

She added that KB Global would only buy their hibiscus provided they were cleaned to expected quality standards. Having this direct linkage to KB Global offtakers meant that Hafsat had a ready buyer for her hibiscus and it eliminated the cost previously incurred for transportation to seek new buyers.

“KB Global trained us on how to clean hibiscus and buys from us at a good price. Before, I didn’t clean the hibiscus before selling. [So], the price was not good enough and I didn’t make good profit. The market was difficult to predict as the offtakers enjoyed monopoly. They determined hibiscus prices at will. However, with KB Global the price is more attractive and profitable despite the additional cost of cleaning.”

Hafsat no longer thinks about closing her business. In fact, with the training and support received from KB Global, she expanded her business and now employs seven people, four women and three men. With profit made from the business, Hafsat is better able to care for her family’s needs and offer support to others in her family and the community.

“I aggregate over 2,000 kg of hibiscus every month and generate around N60,000 (approximately £126) during the peak period. I use the money to take good care of myself and my children. I pay for their education, health and food. I also support other members of the family.”

Hafsat’s status in the community has greatly improved. She says she’s no longer a liability but is now accorded respect to the extent of being consulted on all matters that affect her family and even the community. She hopes to acquire a warehouse and further expand her business, making more income and employing more people in her community in the process.

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What Does It Mean To Be Deaf?

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Today, 21 September 2020, begins the week-long commemoration of ‘International Week of the Deaf’ (IWD), with the theme ‘Reaffirming Deaf People’s Human Rights’. The World Foundation of the Deaf (WFD) started the IWD in Rome in 1958 to create awareness about human rights issues and other disadvantages experienced by deaf people in their daily lives. Within this week also falls the UN’s ‘International Day of Sign Languages’ celebrated annually on 23 September; it is specifically dedicated to underscoring the importance of sign language to upholding the human rights of deaf people.

The WFD estimates that there are about 72 million deaf people in the world and a significant percentage are resident in developing countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO), on the other hand, estimates that there are 466 million people with disabling hearing loss worldwide; the burden of which is highest in the Asia Pacific area, southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. WHO’s estimation includes deaf people and those who are hard of hearing; that is, people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe and who can communicate using words and assistive devices like hearing aids. According to Asonye et al., over 23% of Nigeria’s population is reportedly hearing impaired.

Globally, deaf people, like all people with disabilities (PwDs), experience disadvantages specifically due to their disability. Some of these challenges include:

  • Poorer access to health and greater risk to violence;
  • Lower access to education and lower educational attainment;
  • Lower likelihood of being employed and earning less when employed;
  • Likely to be poorer than people without disabilities of similar income due to extra costs incurred towards caring for their disabilities and;
  • Exclusion from decision making and social activities.

Hearing loss is a public health concern with significant economic and social costs. Untreated hearing loss can potentially result in an annual cost of $750 billion worldwide and lead to loneliness, frustration and isolation, particularly for the elderly, due to exclusion from social and other communication. According to the WHO, the foremost impact of hearing impairment is on the ability of a deaf person to communicate, which can affect their meaningful participation in society and reduce the chances of their voices being heard. In children, hearing loss leads to a delay in spoken language development and significantly affects their academic performance.

“The major challenge I face as a deaf person aggregating hibiscus is communicating with farmers and potential buyers of my products.” – Hafsat Iman, a hibiscus aggregator and beneficiary of Propcom’s agriculture aggregation intervention

The situation in Nigeria mirrors that of the global deaf community but is worsened due to peculiarities of Nigeria being a less developed nation. These peculiarities comprise ignorance of the needs of deaf people, lack of adequate support from government to enable full participation of deaf people in governance and access to health and social amenities, widespread stigmatisation, which further exacerbates the existing communication gap between deaf people and others, and the lack of interventions to aid early schooling of deaf children, which results in delayed completion of education. Others include inconsistency in sign language taught and used in Nigeria, the lack of legislative recognition of deaf communities and the Nigerian Sign Language, and poverty, which restricts deaf people from acquiring the care and support they need to meaningfully participate in the society.

“I became deaf at the age of 7 years old when I suffered from severe meningitis (cutar sankarau) and my family did not have the means to take care of it. I do not have a dedicated caregiver… my first son, Ahmadu, does most of my caregiving.” – Ali Isma`il Gambo, a waste collection agent and beneficiary of Propcom’s plastic waste management intervention

Half of all cases of hearing loss are avertible through public health measures that may include:

  • Immunisation against diseases such as mumps and meningitis known to cause hearing loss if poorly treated;
  • Effective care during pregnancy and after birth;
  • Desisting from the use of medications that are toxic to the ear;
  • Prompt and effective treatment of ear infections;
  • Close monitoring of and early assessment of babies’ hearing capabilities and;
  • Avoidance of loud noises.

However, where hearing impairment or loss has occurred, those affected can be supported with hearing devices and can learn to communicate by developing lip-reading skills, sign language and writing. Unfortunately, for countries with insufficient policies and standards targeted at the needs of PwDs and weak and ill-funded health systems, the means to avert and/ or manage the cause of hearing loss, and in fact any disability, will always be out of reach for the poor.

Propcom Mai-karfi, working through partnerships with Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and collaborations with development partners, designs and implements interventions that are inclusive of PwD, foster awareness about disability and conditions of PwDs, and strengthens our partners’ organisational ability to include PwDs. Our inclusion work, therefore, extends beyond counting PwDs as beneficiaries to having them as co-implementers or collaborators at the community level. PwDs are supported with training and empowered to improve their living conditions as small business owners, community sensitisers, and conduits to spread knowledge and skills in their communities. We, therefore, join the global community to celebrate PwDs and to appeal to governments, the development community and individuals to continue the good work of supporting and empowering, and upholding the rights of deaf people and PwDs in general.

Reference List:

  1. World Federation of the Deaf. http://wfdeaf.org/
  2. International Day of Sign Languages. International Day of Sign Languages’
  3. Deafness and Hearing Loss. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss
  4. Millions of People in the World Have Hearing Loss that can be Treated or Prevented. WHO, 2018. https://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/news/Millionslivewithhearingloss.pdf?ua=1
  5. Global Burden of Disabling Hearing Impairment: A Call to Action. https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/92/5/13-128728/en/
  6. Deaf in Nigeria: A Preliminary Survey of Isolated Deaf Communities. Asonye et al., 2018.
  7. World Report on Disability. World Health Organisation 2011. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/70670/WHO_NMH_VIP_11.01_eng.pdf;jsessionid=42DF331B6265539DE64145A5CDC3FD2C?sequence=1
  8. Pattern of hearing loss in a tertiary hospital in the North Western Nigeria. Shuaibu et al., 2018. http://www.smjonline.org/article.asp?issn=1118-8561;year=2018;volume=21;issue=4;spage=208;epage=212;aulast=Shuaibu
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Women Chicken Producers Improve Production with Education and Access to Vaccination.

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Disease is a major constraint that threatens productivity of rural chicken farmers in Nigeria, of which Newcastle Disease is said to be the most devastating. A 2015 study conducted by Propcom Mai-karfi to assess local chicken production revealed that most chicken producers do not invest in vaccines for their chicken and the few who do use vaccines that are unapproved for chicken diseases. The same study further revealed that many chicken farmers have little or no knowledge of good feeding practice and disease control.

Chicken production can, however, be a lucrative source of additional income for rural households. However, for this to happen constraints to productivity, such as disease, must be managed, and rural producers supported to improve their productivity and access to market. In view of the benefits of chicken production to rural communities, Propcom Mai-karfi has designed several interventions to tackle identified constraints. These interventions provide rural women involved in local chicken production with training, access to vaccines and offtakers in order to improve their production and access to market. This, Propcom does in collaboration with private sector partners.

Habiba Hassan is a mother of six children from Gwamfia in Jahun Local Government in Jigawa State. Habiba wears many hats as a local chicken farmer, groundnut farmer and food vendor in her attempt to generate additional income to support her household. Even though Habiba had been rearing local chickens in her backyard for some time, she, like many women local chicken producers, was faced with issues such as poor flock size due to their chickens contracting diseases and dying. The problem was that, Habiba and the other women were not aware of vaccines and their use in preventing poultry diseases and had, thus, never vaccinated their chickens.

Things changed for Habiba when in 2019 Propcom Mai-karfi organised a training on Local Chicken Improved Production (LoCIP) in her community, and she was one of the participants. Despite having experience rearing local chicken, she said she learnt a lot, especially about vaccines that help prevent diseases and death in chickens. She said she was very pleased when after the training they were linked to vaccinators who offer vaccination services in their community. This linkage proved very useful as she was able to get one of the vaccinators to vaccinate all her chickens after the training.

There isn’t enough awareness [about vaccination] to enable women to vaccinate their chickens; so, they don’t. When they see how well my chickens are doing, they ask for my secret and I teach them what I learnt from the training. Once they know, they are more inclined to vaccinate because they know its importance.

In addition to being linked to vaccinators, Habiba and other participants at the training were put in contact with aggregators who purchased their chickens in bulk. This made access to market quicker for the women as previously they had to take their chickens to the open market to sell, which often involved multiple visits to the market before they were able to sell off their chickens. With this linkage their chicken sale was swifter, income was not delayed, and the women saved on transportation and other costs incurred to get to market.

Habiba said that partaking in the training has made a lot of difference in the way she takes care of her chickens. When we spoke with Habiba, she had two hens sitting on 10 eggs each. She said that by practising knowledge gained from the training she was confident that her chickens will grow big and healthy and get her good prices when they are ready to be sold. She is now an advocate of the LoCIP training and has transferred the knowledge gained to others in her community.

Since I started practising what I learnt from the training, my chickens are healthier, and I make more money than women who don’t vaccinate their chickens. The money I make, I put back into my chicken business and use the rest to buy foodstuff and pay bills for my household.

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