Centre for information Technology and Development (CITAD) is a capacity building civil society organization whose activities covers research, advocacy, training and publicity in all areas of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs). It is geared towards promoting digital inclusion and positioning young people and women to leverage on information technology for a just society in Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Empowerment of women through capacity building is a way of enhancing women’s participation in Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). Capacity building among communities and empowerment of local women should be aimed at giving voice to their concerns.

It is also necessary that women participate in CBOs’ development activities so that they can develop their voices and develop the human, organisational and management capacity to solve problems as they arise in order to sustain the improvement.

 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

• To strengthen existing women community based organisations
• To attain sustainable development in the community
• To empower women for leadership role in the community

 

METHODOLOGY

Participatory approach and Capacity Building.

Fifteen communities were engaged across four Area Councils (AMAC, BWARI, KUJE and KWALI). The fifteen communities are those Action Aid have been working with.

It was a participatory approach as women in these communities highlighted the challenges they were facing and we discussed the way forward. The following are the discussions raised according to each community.

Guto Community (Bwari Area Council): This community has women CBO with the name Akwajamua, meaning Togetherness. They have 173 women registered. They meet every end of the month. In the meeting they do monthly contribution and give out loan for those in need with 10% interest. Minutes and attendance are taken during the meeting.

Their CBO have been in existence for more than 30 years, but never had a saving scheme but now they do. They also give advice to one another.

Request made: They need loan for empowerment, skills acquisition centre; and they have people who can’t afford to pay their tution fee in school, they need sponsors.

Kuchibuyi Community (Bwari Area Council): In this community, they have women CBOs for young and married women. The married women CBO is named Agbajeshi (Togetherness) with 150 women registered. They meet monthly and advice each other, give out loan from the contribution they do.

For the young women association, its named Achajawa. In the meeting, they contribute to assist each other, and they also discuss on how to assist their parents also. They were advised to contribute funds for those who are unable to pay for their tuition fee in schools.

Request made:  They need loan for empowerment, good road network and the young girls want sponsors for their education

Pasepa Community (Bwari Area Council): In Pasepa, they have two CBOs namely Ayelaja with 30 women and Agbajeshi with 35 women registered. They contribute and give loan with interest and they also advise one another during their meetings.

Request made: They need loan and a secondary school as the children in this community trek about 10km to school and when it rains, they can’t go to school because of the state of the road. They are also requesting for good road network.

Kilankwa Community (Kwali Area Council); The name of the women CBO is Ayedo (love one another) with 200 women registered as members. The women contribute money to pay for shop rental where they sell their farm produce; they also assist each other with loan to grow their businesses.

Request made: The women need soft loan and grinding machine for flour.

Pai Community (Kwali Area Council): they once had a CBO but mixed (men and women) unfortunately there was no accountability from the men’s side  which led to collapse of the CBO. The women were advised to establish a CBO specifically for women.

Request made: They demanded for good road network and soft loan.

Leleyi Gwari Community (Kwali Area Council) : They have a CBO with the name Ayedo and 30 women registered as members. They meet every week to discuss  the way forward. They take attendance, minutes and also contribute some money for the sustainability of the group. They give soft loan to each other.

Request made: Soft loan and good road network.

Gaube Community (Kuje Area Council): In Gaube, they have two women groups, for the indigenes and non-indigenes of the community. In these groups, they contribute monthly and they use the money for business by giving out loan with interest.

Challenges: They community women are not united

Request made: They need soft loan, fertilizer for farming and they want Action Aid to intervene on the issue of teachers, the teachers don’t teach well and as a result of that, 90% of the students failed their WAEC examination.

Kayache Community (Kuje Area Council): They don’t have women association, they were advised to establish one and register it with the appropriate agencies.

Tukphechi community (Kuje Area Council): The women have an association but recently they don’t meet frequently as in the past and they are planning to part ways.

We intervened to find out what were the problems, as they stated that there were issues based on trust. We advised them to resolve it and we highlighted the benefits of having an association which is important for the development of a community.They also talked about the equipment Action Aid donated to them but later took them back.

Gofidna Community (AMAC): in Gofidna, the name of their CBO is Zagbanagaza. The association is registered with only indigenes as members. They do weekly contribution and assist each other with soft loans. They also have a farm land bought in the name of the association where they farm only for women.

Request made: They are requesting for tractors for their farmland and soft loan.

Dakwa Community (AMAC):  The name of their association is Ayelaji (Helping and loving one another). 40 women are registered as members. They contribute and give out loan to those who need it with interests.

Request made: They need secondary school, loan and water. The borehole they have, the solar was stolen which has led to shortage of water in the community.

Gwalada Community (AMAC): The name of their association is Ayelaja (love each other). They have their meeting monthly and contribute to assist those in need. They have a register and take minutes and attendance.

Challenges: Their men gave them the permission to farm only water leaf.  Other farm produce is not permitted for a woman to farm.Some of the women said that their husband don’t allow them to sell outside the community.

Request made: They need water, school and health clinic.

Jiwa Community (AMAC): The name of their association is Kugiyar Matan Jiwa ( Jiwa women association). They have over 200 women registered. They meet every Friday to discuss and advise one another.

They also do weekly contribution to sustain themselves and the association.

For the young girls, the name of their association is Alafuwa Girls Youth Foundation with 45 young women; they meet to discuss how their dream can be achieved and contribute stipends to assist one another.

Request made: The young women want to be sponsored to further their education.

The women are demanding for bus to be use for commercial to sustain the association and soft loan.

Tungan Ashere (AMAC?): The name of the women association is Shekwodiza (God is greater than everyone). They contribute money and give those in need of loan. They are 65 women in the association as members.

Request made: skills acquisition centre, health clinic and secondary school.

Tungan Nasara (AMAC?): The name of their association is Ayelaji (love each other). They come together contribute and assist each other. The association is mainly for indigenes. So, we advised the non-indigenes to also establish theirs.

Request made: they need loan and drugs in their health clinic

CITAD TEAM ADVISED TO WOMEN IN ALL THE COMMUNITIES.

They were advised to take up leadership roles in the communities as it is important for the voices of women to be heard in our society as they are left behind.

For those who are not into business, they were told the importance of a woman having something doing to be able to take care of herself and children.

The importance of girl child education was also discussed.

The women leaders were tasked to ensure transparency in all the activities in the meeting.

The members were also advised to respect each other’s decision and avoid anything that will disrupt the activities of the CBOs

Holding leaders accountable for provision of social amenities was also discussed.

 

OUTCOME

The women pledged to contribute to the development of their communities.

The women pledged to start taking  up leadership roles in the community.

The women pledged to have strong relationship among them.

Those that don’t have an association, they pledged to establish one.

 

RECOMMENDATION

We recommend they should be given soft loans with interests as majority of the groups requested. Angwan gwalada should be provided with blocks of classrooms as there is no school in that community.