The Anti-Sexual Violence Lead Support Initiative (ASVIOL Support Initiative) launched an economic empowerment programme for residents of the Tudun Biri Community in the Igabi local government area of Kaduna State yesterday.
Tudun Biri came to the limelight following the unfortunate drone airstrike by the Nigerian military, which killed over 100 residents on 3rd December, 2023.
To support poverty eradication efforts in the community, the ASVIOL Support Initiative officially launched the “Seeds of Hope” project. This project aims to economically empower 50 vulnerable women, survivors of conflict and SGBV, through intensive training in sustainable, climate-smart agriculture.
The project also strives to foster economic independence and directly address the root causes of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Our correspondent reports that the project’s launch brought together community leaders, government representatives, and the project beneficiaries. It provided an opportunity to secure the stakeholders’ buy-in and marked the formal commencement of activities designed to transform the community.
Speaking during the formal launch, Muhammad Kudu, the Programs/Grants Manager of ASVIOL Support Initiative, said the Project seeks to empower vulnerable women in the Tudun Biri community through sustainable farming practices and engaging men as allies to combat sexual and gender-based violence.
He noted that the project is funded through the French Embassy’s Fund for Innovative Projects, which supports high-impact, local initiatives led by Nigerian Civil Society Organisations.
He listed the Project’s key objectives as training 50 women farmers in Tudun Biri on climate-smart agricultural techniques, enhancing household food security and economic independence, and thereby reducing the beneficiaries’ vulnerability to SGBV.
For her part, the Executive Director, ASVIOL Support Initiative, Hassana Maina said the project seeks to transform the narrative of Tudun Biri from one associated with the tragic drone strike of December 2023 to one defined by resilience, empowerment, and prosperity.
She appealed to the men in the community to be firm allies against SGBV and to support the women on this journey.
The ASVIOL Support Initiative is funded by the French Embassy in Nigeria through the French Embassy Fund, an instrument from the Embassy of France in Nigeria to support projects from Nigerian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
It aims at funding small-scale, medium-scale and innovative projects and local initiatives carried out by civil society organisations in Nigeria,
