June 23, 2021
On the 10th and 11th June 2021, a team of staff from WAVES ( Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society) GFC and CASE Salone experimented a community led approach to addressing issues related to community wellbeing at Nengbema Community, Nyawa Lenga Chiefdom Bo Distrct that was learnt during the TOSTAN training in Senegal this year.
The two days session focused on engaging the community differently thereby leveraging the platform for the community people to take ownership and responsibilities for their own development thereby opening up discussions bordering on their wellbeing and finding collective solutions to the issues.
The engagement which brought together 25 community members including men, women, boys and girls created a forum for discussions around key topics such as: Community Dream and Action plans to achieve them, Gender Justice and Human Rights etc.
Key Takeaways from the Experimentation Sessions at Nengbema
1. The people/ participants acknowledged that collectivity is pivotal to achieving community development.
2. Community members noted the relevance of teaching their children about sex and sexuality to avoid S/GBV and teenage pregnancy.
3. Albeit what could be described as accustomed practice of transportation refunds that was discussed at the end of the entire session; most of the participants said that the knowledge gained from the training was more than the monies they were given.
4. The men underscored that it is also their responsibility for the upbringing of the children especially the girl child and not only the women’s duty.
5. It was enlightening for the men to realize that women need to be economically empowered to be able to contribute to the development of the home and Community.
Community members were beginning to demonstrate ownership of the approach as was indicated in their commitments to implement lessons learnt from the two days training in their respective homes and the community at large.
So much can serve as Takeaways from the TOSTAN Experimentation sessions and not limited to the above.
WAVES team together with the participants anticipates a turnaround in the lives of the people in the aforementioned community going forward.
Special thanks to Ame @GFC and Rassie@CASE for thier tremendous support to the above activity
Meaning of WAVES- Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society
CASE- Centre for Accountability and Sustainable Empowerment
GFC- Global Fund for Children