Stopcut Project

The UN Trust Fund-funded Stop Cut Project aims to end violence against women by strengthening systems, building partnerships, and mobilising communities to end Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in Nigeria. The Project aims to reduce FGM/C practises by 2022 in three Southwest Nigerian states – Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo – by implementing and enforcing FGM/C policies and laws, building capacity, advocating, and engaging the community. The Project was launched in Osun State in February 2020 at a conference to commemorate International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. Her Imperial Majesty, Queen Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi, was the keynote/mother of the day.

The StopCut Project hosted 2 conferences in 2021 that brought together high-level representatives from Ministries, NGOs, Media Houses, Research institutions, Academia, and other key stakeholders to discuss current progress in ending FGM, available opportunities, and required strategies to end FGM by 2030.

Clean Water Poject

Every day, millions of people walk hours to collect dirty water, wasting time and resources. Others live in places with plenty of water, but it’s often unsafe and carries diseases that can sicken entire families. We can end the water crisis with community support.

Clean Water Initiative project aims to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene practises in PHCs and schools to improve women and children’s health. The 2021 Project impacted Delta, Imo, and Ondo.

Youth Amplified Project

The Youth Amplify project aims to increase sexual and reproductive health (SRH) awareness and use among tertiary students in Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Lagos, Nigeria. The Project used digital media, especially social media, to raise awareness about sexual and reproductive health and rights among young people and inform them about available sexual and reproductive health services in each state. Amplify Change UK funded it and included sexual health, sexual rights, reproductive health, and reproductive rights.

For 2021 World AIDS Day, the Project conducted 3 days of community HIV testing and counselling, reaching 2000 people in Lagos, Osun, Ondo, Oyo, and Ekiti States.

Impact Health Project

 Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate of 814 deaths per 100,000 live births is among the world’s highest. Nigeria has high maternal and newborn mortality rates. Therefore, it’s important for health care providers, especially at the grassroots level, to use digital gadgets to improve service delivery and reduce maternal and infant mortality.

Our Impact Health Project is a digital health intervention designed to improve the performance and service delivery of primary health care providers in Nigeria. IPRD Group, New York, and Argusoft support the project.

Mental Health

Mental health disorders burden families, workplaces, communities, and the economy. WHO says 450 million people have mental or behavioural disorders. Our Mental Health and Productivity programme helps young people by raising awareness of mental health issues and services. The Project aimed to improve access to mental health services and information in schools, workplaces, and communities in Lagos, Ondo, Kaduna, Abuja, Taraba, and Ebonyi states.

Safe Space

The Safe Space programme empowers and values young people. It’s a HACEY Girl Advisory Board project. The Board is a committee of young Nigerian girls who work with the organisation to develop girl-centered solutions to rising issues in our communities and advocate for girl-child programmes to improve girls’ access to education and health information. The programme teaches 13-19-year-old girls about leadership, careers, sexual and reproductive health, and other girl-centered issues.

Nigeria has one of the highest annual maternal death estimates. Lack of health information, poor health-seeking behaviour, and under-equipped health centres caused the deaths, especially in rural and underserved areas. Our Maternal Health project aims to build Community Birth Attendants’ (CBAs) capacity to produce hygiene materials to reduce costs and increase knowledge and practise of preventive guidelines while providing maternal health services. Ishk Tolaram sponsors the Ogun project.

Obstetric fistula

About 13,000 cases of obstetric fistula occur in Nigeria. Obstetric fistula is linked to obstructed labour, a leading cause of maternal mortality. Obstetric fistula causes incontinence, shame, social isolation, and health issues. Obstetric fistula mostly affects females. The birth canal is holed. This project educated women on obstetric fistula and its prevention in Oyo, Delta, and Ebonyi.

Sexual violence in conflict

This project aims to end sexual violence in conflicts by educating women in IDP camps and communities. The programme was implemented in Lagos, Edo, and Abuja to discuss sexual violence, inform the audience about the VAAP Act, and assure them of justice if needed.

Women’s Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC) Project

Health and social care were challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. HACEY Health Initiative subcontracted WHARC’s project. The Project was implemented in three (3) communities (Akowonjo, Okunola, and Orisumb) in Alimosho Local government and three (3) communities (Badore, Ajah, and Shongotedo) in EtiOsa Local government in Lagos State to respond to COVID-19 and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Gender-based Violence (GBV) within the communities.

End Malaria project

Malaria threatens 40% of the world’s population. A decade ago, 247 million malaria cases caused nearly a million deaths, and most of the deaths were among children under five who, along with pregnant women, are particularly vulnerable to this disease. End Malaria raised awareness about Malaria. The project aimed to reach 100 million people in Nigeria’s endemic states.

Drug Abuse

According to the National Drug Use Survey, 14.3 million Nigerians use drugs, and 3 million have a drug use disorder. The Drug abuse project educates teens about drug abuse. Access Bank supports the project in Lagos, Ebonyi, and Edo.

16-day activism

One in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence, usually by a friend. Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is underreported due to a culture of silence, stigma, and lack of resources and support. GBV trauma can cause isolation, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts in survivors.

Economic setbacks affect women’s ability to care for their families. ROWAA supports rural women and widows economically. HACEY provides technical support to ROWAA Foundation every quarter to implement the ROWAA widows’ outreach.

Women and girls’ health and productivity depend on eliminating gender inequities that limit their potential. Women and girls are a disadvantaged population globally because they face greater health and safety risks, fewer economic opportunities, less access to basic and higher education, and less political representation. HACEY organised activities to engage and educate the girl child based on the 2021 theme “Digital generation.”

A 1-DAY physical event was held for volunteers who helped the organisation grow. The celebration featured educational and fun activities such as HACEY education, volunteer identification, awarding outstanding volunteers, and games.

HACEY turned 14 on October 17, and we celebrate every year. To mark the occasion, a video of staff members talking about the organisation was uploaded across all channels.

HACEY Health Initiative thanks our partners for helping us restore hope and dignity to oppressed and poor people. Our donors’ commitment enables us to help communities quickly, whether they are individuals, foundations, corporations, volunteers, governments, NGOs, or multilateral agencies. 4. Partnerships for Impact Access Bank Plc, Lafarge, IPRD solutions, US Government in Nigeria, ACT Foundation, Australia Government in Nigeria, Stars Foundation, UK, GBC Health, New York, UNFPA, Path USA, Empower UK, Amplify UK, Nigerian government, and other private sector partners.

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A  non-governmental organisation, HACEY health, has donated treated mosquito nets, blood sugar and blood measuring machines to internally displaced persons camp (IDP) in Kafanchan, Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The donations were made during a medical outreach by the organisation to mark the World Health Day. The IDPs were also offered free medical services during the outreach.

Speaking with journalists in Kaduna after the event, HACEY health State Coordinator, Jennifer Agbaji, said the world health day, which was celebrated around the globe, provided an opportunity for HACEY health to reach underserved communities.

“We decided to reach out to the IDPs in Kafanchan, Jama’a Local Government Area to create awareness on health issues and offer free medical services. We also donated Blood Sugar testing machine and Blood measuring machine to the IDP as well as treated mosquito nets to pregnant and nursing mothers at the camp. We tested and treated blood pressure and malaria,” she said.

According to her, there are 337 households and 1,952 people at the camp, mainly women and children, most of whom were widowed and orphaned as a result of the attacks in the area, adding that the IDPs were enlightened on the causes and prevention of malaria, hypertension, diabetes which, according to her, are silent killers.

“We spoke to them about some health issues like malaria, diabetes, HIV, hypertension and personal hygiene. We told them that malaria causes malnutrition in children under five years. We educated them about symptoms of malaria and how to prevent malaria. We educated them about hypertension, which is a silent killer and the need to be checking their blood pressures from time to time. We also told them how hypertension can damage the heart and other blood vessels which can lead to stroke, heart attack and dead”, Agbani said.

Source: THISDAY NEWSPAPER

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As part of activities marking the 2022 World Health Day, Hacey Health Initiative has conducted free medical tests for over 300 women in Ijedege Local Community Development Area (LCDA) in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State on malaria, HIV, and Diabetics. 

Speaking at the event, the Programme Officer, Hacey Health Initiative, Bamidele Oyewumi, stressed the need for individuals, society and community to take ownership of their communities be conscious of how they treat the environment, “because it will affect how we treat the planet in general.”

He stated the medical outreach has provided opportunity to educate the women on communicable and non-communicable diseases that affect women and young people in the community, adding that this will ensure that everyone in the community lives healthy lives and reduce disease transmission.” 

He also hinted that communicable and non-communicable diseases have high prevalence in rural communities, noting that as an organisation want to ensure that they would be able to improve the life and productivity of women and girls, in rural community. According to him, “In organising the event, we have the support of Access Bank Plc and we are doing it simultaneously in Kaduna State. With the increase of education, we now see more people that take ownership of their environment. So we want to sensitise people to take ownership of their environment to ensure that what we do add positively to the planet. At Hacey Health Initiative, we believe that knowledge is power, we know that when people are informed that they will make right decisions for them, themselves, we have trained various people and community leaders on clean water and sanitation. It is important that what we use daily to survive which water is one of them is well taken care of. Today, we have sensitized the beneficiaries of this project, to make sure that cleanliness and hygiene is one of their priorities, especially because it is their environment and will limit the disease and the infection that their children are vulnerable to.”

Source: THISDAY NEWSPAPER

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Hacey representative, Bamidele Oyewunmi, who lamented the prevalence of FGM practice, which he said caused irreversible damage to the victims and as well violation of their rights, called on governments to take necessary steps including review of the implementation and enforcement of the policies and laws on FGM.

Oyewunmi, who spoke in Ado Ekiti at a one-day capacity building workshop on FGM laws and policies said, “The state government can ensure that all policies and laws already existing are strengthened including the application of fines as stated in the legal documents. This will educate people on the consequences that the practice of the act of FGM/C will attract”.

Hacey, however, called on stakeholders including community members, media organisations, NGOs, and religious cum community leaders/influencers on continuous and periodic engagement with members for education on FGM, how to eliminate the practice, and the need to encourage victims to speak up.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.513.0_en.html#goog_1012624022

A speaker, Mrs Olukemi Akinleye of Ekiti State Ministry of Health, who said that the workshop was targeted at building capacity for media personnel as major stakeholders in curbing the menace, said, “We want to encourage people to speak out whenever they see people perpetrating this act. When this is reported, the government will take necessary action against it.

“We still notice that people are still doing it for cultural beliefs and traditions. We want to use this medium to encourage people that FGM is an act that brings a lot of consequences to the girl child and women. It has to stop,” she said.

Legal expert and Head of Ekiti State Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Rita Ilevbare, who spelled out punitive measures for breach of the state anti-FGM law, said, “We want people to know that there is a law and how it works. The essence of the law is not to fold hands and allow this gender-based violence to take place but programmed towards prevention.

“More importantly, the citizens need to know that there is a law that has punitive effect, especially FGM. The penalty is nothing less than two years imprisonment and nothing less than N200,000 fine,” Ilevbare.

Source: PUNCH

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Circumcision of girls became illegal and punishable under Section 335, the Criminal Code of Osun State which stated that any person who is guilty of the felony is liable to imprisonment for seven years.

In furtherance of the campaign to end FGM, the Hacey Health Initiative (HHI) organised a three-day of “Capacity Building Workshop For Stakeholders On Female Genital Mutilation, Policies, And Laws” in Osogbo, Osun State’s capital.

Speaking over the weekend at the workshop, Director of Legal Drafting, Ministry of Justice, Osun State, Mr. Kayode Titiloye, said that female genital mutilation or cutting is grievous bodily harm to the private part of the victim that is against the consent of the victim.

Titiloye further said that the Osun State law for the Prohibition of female genital mutilation made it a crime to submit self for female genital mutilation in the state. 

He called for the amendment of the law of Osun State to compel the health workers, public officials, traditional rulers, and religious leaders that discovered the mutilation of a child or a woman to report it officially.

“The Osun law for the prohibition of female genital mutilation makes it a crime to submit yourself for female genital mutilation or cutting and anybody who perpetuates such on a minor commits also an offense under the law.

“The justice sector is ready. But the enforcement is the challenge we have with the law because of a cultural orientation of not reporting our neighbors or community orientation of not indicting our neighbors especially when the perpetrator of FGM are either grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, uncles, aunties, somebody, the family or the community,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Representative of the Hacey Health Initiative, Mr. Ayo Alabi, disclosed that the workshop was organised to build the capacity to eradicate the practice of female genital mutilation. 

Alabi stressed that the organisers are trying to build a collaborative effort with government officials, NGOs, Civil Societies Organisations, and media practitioners to ensure that stakeholders reduce the prevalence of FGM.

He commended the residents of the state for their support to eradicate the practice, which has been drastically reduced across the state.

“We have trained over a thousand persons from the political offices, the local government chairmen, the counselors or the political office holders in the rural areas, and the community leaders and the market women.

 One of the participants from the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Affairs, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Oyetola, described the workshop as an enlightenment programme on the negative effects of FGM on women.

Source: thisdaynewspaper

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In a statement on Thursday, Head, Strategic Marketing and Communications, AIICO, Mr Segun Olalandu, explained that the partnership was carried out through an awareness campaign in local communities spread across Lagos, Oyo and Rivers States.  

He expained that the theme of the campaign was: “Harness Innovation to Reduce the Malaria Disease Burden and Save Lives.”  

Olalandu said the objective of the campaign was to improve women’s knowledge, attitude and practice, particularly among pregnant women, nursing mothers and mothers in vulnerable communities.  

“500 women, their families and community leaders in the most endemic communities were directly engaged and were beneficiaries of the donation of long-lasting insecticidal nets.  

“The campaign was executed leveraging primary healthcare institutions in the communities,” he said.  

According yo him, in Lagos State, the public health centres at Oke-Eletu-Ikorodu Local Government Area, Bola Tinubu–Alimosho Local Government Area and Eredo–Epe Local Government Area were strategically targeted.  

“The programme, which ran concurrently, also took place in two Local Government Areas each in Oyo and Rivers states.  

“Door-to-door sensitisation campaigns were conducted within the neighbourhood of the health centres with a reach of about 4,000 people,” he said.  

Mrs Abimbola Shobanjo, Head, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at AIICO stated that the insurance company believed that a healthy country is key to achieving the sustainable development goal.  

Source: City business news

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 The Youth Amplify SRHR project is a one-year long project aimed at increasing the level of awareness and uptake of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services among young people in tertiary institutions across the southwest, Nigeria. The project will leverage on the use of digital media to reach young people with quality information on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) by engaging with students across the selected states as SRHR Champions. The champions will ensure demand generation for increased SRHR information and access to services. Click here to apply.

Research has shown that dialogue and positive guidance have been instrumental in creating an enabling environment for young people to access the knowledge of their sexual and reproductive health and rights while also creating an environment for them to access the services.

Why is SRHR Important?

 The Sustainable Development Goal 3 reflects the ambition to improve SRH services for people everywhere, including young people. This is important because young people have diverse sexual and reproductive health needs that need to be catered for and access to information about SRH services will empower young people to make informed decisions about their sexual health and well-being while ensuring they are able to maximize their life productively.

When young people are empowered to make the right sexual and reproductive health decisions, they, in turn, boost the demographic dividend of their country thus reducing the level of poverty and increasing their quality of life.

Access to sexual and reproductive service is not dependent on an active sexual life. It involves information on and access to modern contraception, information on menstruation, HIV & STI’s, testing and treatments among others. Research has also shown that knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and access to quality services have the power to improve the lives of people because it boosts their confidence and empowers them to make healthy decisions about their sexuality.

What we are doing to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services?

 Despite the importance of accessing SRHR services, young people face a number of obstacles accessing sexual and reproductive health services including the fear of being stigmatized for being sexually active, unavailability of quality services, lack of information about available SRH services among others.

HACEY Health Initiative with funding support from Amplify Change, UK, aims to work with young people in tertiary institutions across South-West states in Nigeria to increase awareness and uptake of Sexual and Reproductive Health services and products. The project will be implemented in Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti States.

Tertiary education students in the participating states with a passion for SRHR are invited to apply to become SRHR Champions. 100 students will be selected from each state to participate in the program. They will be trained to advocate for increased access to SRH services by leveraging on digital media to create contents and disseminate on social media.

Empowering Young People.

   Qualified applicants into the Youth Amplify project will be trained in photography, videography and other digital media tools for storytelling.
They will also be empowered to advocate with government stakeholders in their respective states to increase access to SRHR services.
 It is expected that the engagement of SRHR champions will foster an increased uptake of SRHR services in each participating state and help to improve the health of young people. Applications to the Youth Amplify SRHR project is ongoing and will end on September 30th, 2020. Click here to apply.

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