HER-YOUNG Edutainment Connect (HYEC)

Youth make up one-third of Nigeria's population and they do not have good access to sexual health information and services. When this is combined with harmful cultural practices (such as female genital mutilation) and patriarchal values, girls and young women face issues of sexual abuse and discrimination. Some of the consequences include; unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, sexually transmitted diseases, child marriage, and child trafficking.

Also, lack of quality information, capacity building, counseling, and mentoring often resort in poor development for the girl child, which in turn hampers development in many Gboko communities, leaving them with less access to opportunities and less power over their own destiny. Restrictions on access to education and opportunities for women’s health and well-being perpetuate a generational cycle of poverty. It is imperative that we invest in the girl child by conceiving and implementing strategic programs that promote their growth, health, and well-being.

Using HER-YOUNG Edutainment Connect (HYEC) as SRH learning centre which will focus on life skills and adolescent sexual and  reproductive health and rights, facilitators will guide 10-20 year old  girls through a 3 year program empowering them as social change agents through increasing their self-esteem, knowledge, skills, and self  efficiency. Graduating girls will in turn carry out community social  interventions on issues identified above, creating awareness and  advocating for social and policy change.

(HYEC) SRH learning centre, will engage and empower the girl child. Due to the fact that the primary health facilities in the project locations are most times not youth-friendly, this may create a barrier to access sexual and reproductive health care services and may lead to increased unfavorable outcomes such as pregnancy at a young age. We solicit the participation and cooperation of girls, health workers, and other important community organizations (including community leaders).

Viding access to resources (human and information) on mental, sexual, and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls is one of our project’s main goals. It also aims to empower girls to make their own decisions and take advantage of opportunities by providing life-skills training, mentorship, and information on financial literacy and vocational training.

Through this project we target girls from Nigeria and host communities in and around Gboko. The target age group is 10 - 20 years and this will consist of both school going as well as out of school girls. Through our solution, we envision exposing these girls  access to sexual and reproductive health care services. The project also includes a component of mentoring where girls will receive guidance on how to access SRH information through leveraging on live streaming technology. 

It is for this reason that we propose HER-YOUNG edutainment learning center targeted specifically at girls because we recognise that women are disproportionately underrepresented in SRH information or services. We anticipate that through this project we will increase the number of women and girls who are exposed to SRHRs knowledge, skills and also access to SRHRs services and information to empower them for improved decision making.

The project headed by DR. IORUN SUAKOR EMMANUEL MBBS, (a Medical Doctor) who has over six (6) years’ experience in health practices. We will also engage the services of experienced clinic workers to support create and SRHR contents possibly sustain it thereafter. DR. IORUN SUAKOR EMMANUEL MBBS has researched and designed implementation strategies in urban slum and rural communities on projects ranging from adolescent girl health, water and sanitation, and social protection policies. 

AFISE AONDOWASE SUEGA– Monitoring and Evaluation Officer: He has 25 years’ experience in lecturing and monitoring and evaluation. He worked at Akperan Orshi Polytechnic, Yandev and has M.Sc.Ed Health Education from Benue State University, Makurdi.

Ms Pever Winifred is a certified community health worker with the government of Nigeria, who has seven (7) years’ experience and served organization as an extension worker in health matters.

Ms. Rebecca Erdoo Saar - The secretary, she has 5 years’ experience in administration and she has served in many Hospitals as Health Administrator.  She also holds B.Sc Public Administration at Benue State University, Makurdi.

Tersen Tyendezua, (Software developer). Holds a dual degree in Computer Information Systems from American University of Nigeria, Yola-Adamawa State. Has over 7 years of experience as a Computer & Applications developer & instructor with different Secondary Schools.

Ms. SALEMKAAN MSURSHIMA- Sports Director. She attended Benue State University, Makurdi, earned a B.Sc Physical and Health Education with over 10 years of experience as a Health educators as a teacher at Federal Girls College, Gboko. Her role in the project will be as well-being mentor

And other volunteers  who work with the organization within various capacities.

The solution is currently serving about 300 young people in 3 schools in Gboko south, 2 schools in Gboko east and 1 school in Gboko-north all of Benue state, Nigeria with access to health education, products and services.

Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) is the right of every woman. Sexual Reproductive Health is also the most stigmatized topic for vulnerable communities in Nigeria. Over 3.4 million women in Nigeria have a desire to avoid pregnancy - of which 94% are married women. In Nigerian's local communities, 71% of girls report not knowing about menstruation before their first period. Furthermore, 70% of women and girls in Nigeria say their families cannot afford sanitary pads (FSG). Moreover, 23 million girls drop out of school annually due to lack of proper menstrual hygiene.

Through the HER YOUNG Edutainment Connect (HYEC) learning center Intervention, Gender Equality Club Nigeria intends to provide a holistic one-stop solution to problems related to education, adoption and accessibility regarding sexual reproductive health, by addressing the barriers for it in a systematic manner. Edutainment learning will be delivered via two channels: (1) Physical Training Sessions in the center and high schools where trained school staff would lead class sessions around the students’ health and gender attitudes. 

(2) Online through a streaming live  digital health content, “Live streaming contents” where any health workers or health students will lead a curriculum, video live streaming and provide personalized support via female doctors. This will ensure Knowledge, Adoption and Accessibility about Sexual Reproductive Health for girls at an early age to make informed decisions. The goal of the intervention is as follows:

 1. Teach: To bring about a change in knowledge, attitude and practices in terms of SRH by providing access to education ○ Target girls in the areas of intervention break away from the culture of silence. ○ Increase their knowledge base to understand their own body and reproduction system ○ Support girls and boys to address myths, taboos, restrictive perceptions and social norms. 

2. Adopt: Encouraging the adoption of hygiene and quality SRH products and not compromising the affordability of the products and services.

 3. Access: Ensuring that women are able to control their critical health decisions through their smartphones by exposing them to the services provided by Edutainment learning center.

The innovation in the solution is as follows: - There have hardly been any Edutainment learning center which focus on three core aspects of the SRH - Knowledge, Adoption and Accessibility 

- There have not been any Edutainment center in the space of Sexual Reproductive Health which have been delivered in the hybrid mode - physical trainings and virtual setups 

- The sustainability of the program lies in the fact that the on-boarded girls will be engaged till the end of their lifetime through live streaming- The training sessions are not only for SRH - but also to ensure mental health hence the sessions include the topics such as Importance of Mental Health, Importance of Nutrition, Importance of Exercise and Role of Mental Health Counsellor at local communities.

The solution goal and objectives are as follows:

GOAL: Young girls are safe, free, participating and making decisions in various structures (family set up, work places and communities) which involve their SRHRs

IMPACT GOAL (3 YEARS): Over 1 million Young girls are safe, free, participating and making decisions in various structures (family set up, work places and communities) which involve their SRHRs

OBJECTIVE 1: 5000 young girls have acquired essential knowledge and skills to achieve their SRHRs objectives by 31st December 2026

COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT 

 OBJECTIVE 2: Conducive and safe home and online streaming learning environments (in project areas or beyond) for young girls to make right choices and practice their SRHRs by 31st December 2026

SUPPORT SYSTEMS (Learners & Project Support Systems), rewarding relationships 

 OBJECTIVE 3: 5000 young people have improved relationships to their (e.g. school or learning) communities and broader world for better SRHRs outcomes by 31st December 2026.

The project shall contribute to existing efforts through three pathways which are Technology Performance, Community Environment and Support Systems.

The pathway of “ Technology performance” shall empower young girls knowledgeable to improve their abilities to perform (act) and use them to achieve their learning, development and life goals through advocacy, right choices, right actions and right decisions. Young girls shall be taught and practice responsible behaviours which are appropriate for achieving required SRHRs outcomes.

The pathway of “Community Environment” seeks to improve communities’ environments and safeguarding culture to enhance SRHRs of young girls and their participation. This will lead to a well functioning and safe communities where young people are safe and freely participate in SRHRs issues and other related issues affecting their wellbeing and health.

This pathway of “Support systems” seeks to improve the connectedness of young girls and adults to their support systems (schools, community, safeguarding, and mentorship) in the area of SRHRs. Young girls shall learn how to connect and relate with their support systems for healthier and rewarding relationships for their wellbeing and health.

The following are the ten (10) Solution Team Members and five (5) volunteers:

Zaor Esther – Project Director

Mrs. Saar Rebecca Erdoo – Head Administration

Sase Ngohile– Account Officer:

Agaku Seerdoon Stephanie – Technical Officer:

AFISE AONDOWASE SUEGA– Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

SASE COMFORT MSURSHIMA– Community Engagement Officer

ATIM TERSEER JOSEPHAT MIAENG, ACICRM- Assistant M&E

AKPEN JULIET SHIMENENGE– Information & Communication Officer

SALEMKAAN MSURSHIMA- Sports Director

AYO ANDREW ASAAGA – Fundraising Coordinator

Volunteer Team

Moses Precious Nyangbe- Gender & Sports

Abdulkadir Medina- STEM Promoter

Ms. Angela Abur- Child Rights Advocate

Ms. Betty N.- Child/Women Rights Advocate

Ms. Iwuese H. -Leadership & mentoring promoter

The organisation has been working on the solution since 2020 in  response to the multiple issues that girls and women from rural areas face, such as: lack of high-quality education, sexual exploitation, and gender-based violence, low income, teenage pregnancy and stigmatization that prevents them from developing and ending the cycle of poverty in. This showed gaps in communities and the need to develop a  solution to mitigate the SRHRs challenges in schools and communities around Nigeria.

The Gender Equality Club Nigeria (GECN) shall ensure that all the key stakeholders and project staff commit to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) values before commencement of the project. The GECN structurally and operation wise promotes diversity and inclusion. Therefore, none of the rights holders shall be excluded because of their status, beliefs, practices, culture, sexual orientation, political or religious affiliations. 

This project shall reach every human being living in the targeted areas and also those affected by the project challenges. It is not within the project scope or organisation’s mission to promote gender equality and women liberation within the state of Nigeria through women´s rights advocacy and economic resilience.

The following shall be Diversity, Equity and Inclusion conditions and activities for the project:

(i) Sensitization of all key project stakeholders about the DEI values in order to promote sense of belonging and easy access to services according to one of the project needs (ACCESS).

(ii) Commitment to the values of DEI by all project stakeholders identified in the Stakeholders’ Analysis. Project staff shall sign to DEI principles and to confidentiality.

(iii) The Baseline research/ survey shall identify the most marginalized and vulnerable groups in the project provinces for inclusion in all aspects of the project.

(iv) DEI principles to be followed in project design, planning, implementation and monitoring as project scope is not to exclude anyone but to promote gender equality and women liberation.

Methodology

1. Advocacy: CHILD/WOMEN RIGHTS ADVOCACY advocates for rights and inclusive, friendly services of support systems for rights holders (disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised young people)

2. Forms Young Girl’s Gender Equality Clubs as change agents. The cubs are Digital Literacy, STEM education, SDG Education SRHRs and Entrepreneurship in schools and communities

3. We have been building capacities of rights holders (children, young people) through mentorship and training.

4. We shall use Edutainment center for storytelling, information sharing and engagements

SERVICES

1.     MENTORSHIP

2.     TRAINING

3.     ADVOCACY

WHY OUR SERVICES ARE NEEDED

The young girls at rural communities need SRHRs knowledge, skills and also access to SRHRs services and information to empower them for improved decision making.

Jacob Ayoki Driving School Litd ICT Unit through JADSL ICT Unit Community Center will contribute towards the success of the project in a technical capacity. JADSL ICT Unit Community Center is well known for its numerous contributions in the area of ICT, digital literacy in line with the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN  as well as Nigeria’s Vision 2030. The organisation shall work with existing government structures which  the project will strengthen to be more effective and efficient towards
realisation of the project goal and objectives. These shall continue in
their obligations. 

The project shall strengthen operational and existing community structures for continued sensitization and support. Since key stakeholders (e.g. young girl, communities) shall be engaged and involved throughout the project cycle this shall increase the viability and sustainability of the project after the grant period. In this light, they will be a valuable partner in providing the funds needed to carry out the project continuity after this funding period.