11,500 Households reached with cash palliatives to improve their livelihoods – Tallen

Oru Leonard

The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, OFR, KSG has disclosed that  11,500 households have been reached with cash palliatives to improve their livelihoods by the  Federal Ministry of Women Affairs/UN Women Risk Communications and Community Engagement Project under the UN Support for the National COVID-19 Multi-Sectorial Pandemic Response in Nigeria.

The Minister made this known to newsmen during a media engagement on the closure of the first-phase of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs/UN Women Risk Communications and Community Engagement Project under the UN Support for the National COVID-19 Multi-Sectorial Pandemic Response in Nigeria, held at the Conference Room, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs Headquarters, Abuja, Monday, 30th August, 2021.

Recounting the activities carried out to achieve the desired successful implementation of the project to include high level advocacy visits to some of the States led by the Minister of Women Affairs in company of the UN Women Country’s Representative, UNAIDs Country Representative, the Director-General of National Agency for the Control of AIDs (NACA) and other officials to create awareness and enlist States’ support for the project.

The Honourable Minister further listed training of implementing partners including State and Community groups on infection, prevention and control, risk communication and social mobilization concept, production and deployment of guidelines, standard operating procedures, training modules for risk communication, social mobilization and community engagement/monitoring for multi-sectoral response for COVID-19 amongst vulnerable populations in collaboration with NACA as additional activities undertaken to ensure the success recorded by the RCCE Project.

Mapping and identification of key partners and population in the States for the prevention and control, risk communication and social mobilization interventions on COVID-19; Production and distribution of Information, Communication and Education materials on COVID-19, HIV and GBV in collaboration with NACA; Supportive supervision and monitoring of the interventions to ensure effective project implementation; Opening of Bank Account for beneficiaries in UBA to facilitate payments to beneficiaries in a transparent manner and promote the use of bank amongst rural women” were the additional activities undertaken.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women Affairs Engr. Adebiyi O. Olufunso, represented by Director of Finance, Prince Adebanjo Adetokunbo thanked all the partners for their collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.

Delivering his Goodwill message, Director – General, National Action on the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA), Dr. Gambo Aliu stated that through the project, more women and girls and the vulnerable were able to have account numbers because they were able to receive the N30, 000 to each woman and girls to reduce the effect of COVID and HIV on them through the RCCE Project.  “With the money, they were able to buy drugs and food and to be self-sustained.”

The Country Representative, UN in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Miss Comfort Lamptey explained that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs/UN Women Risk Communications and Community Engagement Project under the UN Support for the National COVID-19 Multi-Sectorial Pandemic Response in Nigeria focused on behavioral-change, participatory interventions,  messages on effective hygiene practices and the provision of cash in form of palliative to cushion the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable women and girls while the UNAID Country Rep to Nigeria, Erasmus Morah opined  that the project was timely, particularly during COVID 19 Pandemic which caused hardship to people, noting that the project helped and that the HIV Foundation and UNAIDs was proud to contribute to the project.

Mr. Jack Epelle, the Founder of Albino Foundation pleaded that the project be sustained based on the successes and impact recorded.

Mrs. Grace Richardson, Leader of Jabi Women stated that during the COVID-19, many women lost their businesses but with the intervention, women were able to start up small businesses.

The closure of the first phase, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs/UN Women Risk Communications and Community Engagement Project under the UN Support for the National COVID-19 Multi-Sectorial Pandemic Response in Nigeria had in attendance Muslim Women Association of Nigeria, Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria, the Girls Gide amongst other women groups and some beneficiaries   showcased their wares with the little money given to them.

(MWA Media)