REST Project: Relationship skills, Environment made safe, Services ensured and Transformed attitudes

It is estimated that one in three women experience gender-based violence in their lifetime (UN Women, 2023), making it a major global health issue. Violence against women is a gross violation of their human rights and cuts across geographical regions, ethnicity, age, economic and social class. An estimated 6% of women globally have reported non-partner sexual violence, but the true prevalence is believed to be higher because of unwillingness to report cases (WHO 2018). Adolescent girls (age 15 to 19) who have experienced forced sex are estimated to be about 15 million (UNICEF 2017).

The effect of SGBV on the physical and mental health of survivors can result in debilitating conditions including depression, anxiety disorders, physical injury, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection (UN Women, 2023). Violence against women can have significant direct and indirect economic impacts on the survivors, their families, the community and the State (UN Women, 2023). It also exacts a heavy economic toll, draining resources through healthcare costs, lost productivity, legal proceedings, and shattered futures.

According to the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS, 2018), about 31% of women aged 15 to 49 years in Nigeria have experienced physical violence, and about 9% have experienced sexual violence. About 36% of women who had ever been married also reported experiencing spousal violence. Among women who had ever experienced physical or sexual violence, most (55%) of them did not seek any form of help to stall the violence, and a majority of those who sought help approached their family members. About 28% of women living in Nigeria reportedly have an attitude that normalizes physical violence by husbands. Factors that perpetuate SGBV in Nigerian society include the patriarchal ideology entrenched in our culture, poverty, early marriage and poor education for the girl child.

Abuse of adolescent girls is an infringement of their fundamental human rights including the right to protection from violence, life and access to optimal health. It is a major public health issue with implications for their physical, sexual, reproductive, and mental health. In Nigeria, six out of every ten are subjected to some form of violence before their 18th birthday, with girls being more unequally affected (UNICEF, 2024).

Since its launch in November 2020 only about 38,000 SGBV cases have been reported on the National GBV dashboard, which is a gross underrepresentation of the true prevalence of SGBV in Nigeria. Factors responsible for this underreporting include fear of retaliation, stigmatization, culture of silence, lack of awareness, consequential social isolation, as well as judgmental attitudes of healthcare workers and law enforcement agents. The existing support services for SGBV in Nigeria are grossly inadequate, they are mainly limited to physical (in-person) services including clinical management of rape, counselling, legal aid and shelter services. The available virtual SGBV solutions are limited to websites, mobile apps and telephone hotlines that offer one-off emergency solutions without comprehensive prevention and support services.

Elimination of SGBV is critical to achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment globally (SDG 5). Our solution - Relationship skills, Environment made safe, Services ensured and Transformed attitudes (RESTforHer or REST Project) - is a virtual safe space for women and girls that utilizes a multipronged approach of a website, mobile application, Social Media Platforms, and a toll-free line to prevent SGBV and provide support for survivors.  

The website and mobile app provide access to credible information on SGBV prevention, relationship and self-defence skills, a directory of local service providers (treatment, shelter, legal, psychosocial, and economic support), as well as guidance on how to access assistance in SGBV distress situations. The Social Media Platforms also provide engaging information in the form of texts, infographics and videos on SGBV prevention, relationships and self-defence skills. Toll-free lines provide round-the-clock psychological first aid and referral services for survivors. To enable concurrent multiple calls, it operates on 3 dedicated phone lines routed through the 3 major network providers in Nigeria.

The web application with the URL https://restforher.com was developed as an online platform. It was built on various technologies and tools such as WordPress, PHP, HTML5, CSS and MySQL database. The web application was secured with secure socket layer certificates and does not require personal information to access the contents. This ensures privacy and builds trust for all users. Contents (articles, stories, infographics, self-defence courses) are uploaded regularly on the website and mobile application. The mobile application was built for Android-enabled mobile devices and the link to access the mobile application on Google Play Store is https://play.google.com/store/...    

An AI chatbot was built on the website and mobile App using Node.js and MongoDB. Its primary purpose is to provide users with automated human-like information on SGBV in real-time, including resources on prevention, reporting abuse, accessing support services, and understanding legal rights and protection. Culturally acceptable educational resources are presented as text, videos, and audio in regular and pidgin English, as well as the 3 major Nigerian languages (Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba), on the website, mobile app and social media platforms.  

A memorable toll-free number +234 80040404040 was obtained to enable survivors to access needed help and resources from the first responders. This helps bridge the gender digital divide and ensures that women, girls and survivors (especially those without smartphones/data) can also access services on the project.     

How the REST Website and Mobile Application Works

The REST project is designed to serve a crucial demography of women and girls aged 10 to 49, representing over 66.5 million females in Nigeria (World Bank 2022). This demography has a higher exposure to SGBV, especially intimate partner violence, than other demographics. Women in Nigeria live in a patriarchal and highly traditional society, where there is a culture of silence and women embrace harmful social norms such as cultural taboos, justification of wife-beating, and women's obligation to satisfy their partners. Survivors also often experience violence, judgement, stigmatization, and social isolation. The existing gender disparity in Nigeria limits their access to healthcare services, education, and economic opportunities. Early marriage (especially in the Nothern part of Nigeria) and high fertility rate (multiple childbirths) also limit their ability to attain the highest level of education, career prospects and economic independence. Many of them are low-income earners engaged in the informal sector of the economy to generate income to sustain themselves and their families. Studies have shown that children and adolescents in Nigeria do not have access to age-appropriate SGBV prevention messages and services because of parental and societal concerns that it may promote sexual promiscuity.

 Nigeria has about 198 million active mobile lines, 40 million smartphone users and 99 million internet users (NDHS, 2018). About 86% of women in Nigeria have mobile phones and 34% of them have mobile internet access (GSMA, 2023). A systematic review revealed that women preferred a virtual safe space to the conventional physical facility for accessing SGBV services because it was considered convenient, non-judgmental, non-stigmatizing and anonymous.

 Most of the existing SGBV support services in Nigeria are limited to physical (in-person) services. The website and mobile applications available to address SGBV issues are mainly one-off emergency solutions that do not offer comprehensive prevention services. Some of the barriers faced by women in accessing these available physical SGBV services include financial (cost of transportation and care), distance, and convenience. 

 Our solution aims to provide comprehensive SGBV services through a virtual safe space, smartphone application, toll-free lines, free SMS and social media engagement. We seek to empower women and girls, foster self-assurance and awareness, enable them to prevent SGBV and seek support when needed. Our interactive website and mobile app provide resources on SGBV prevention including Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) messages; educational modules and videos on self-defense; a directory of SGBV support service providers; and an interactive AI-powered Chatbot.

Our trained First Responders through the round-the-clock toll-free lines provide access to psychological first aid as well as linkage and referral services. Social Media platforms serve as a catalyst, amplifying voices, educating, and uniting against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. With compelling posts, engaging content, videos, and hashtags, we disseminate powerful messages promoting prevention and support for women and girls against SGBV. Empowering communities to stand against SGBV and advocate for change.

The REST project team is led by a seasoned public health physician, a renowned women and girl child rights advocate, and an SGBV expert. The team boasts over a decade of collective experience planning and implementing SGBV intervention projects in Nigeria.

The team consists of proximate leaders with direct connections to girls, women and SGBV survivors. They possess the expertise, experience, relationships, data, and knowledge essential for developing solutions to SGBV issues with measurable and sustainable impacts. Importantly, team members are adept at recognizing and leveraging resources that may be overlooked or misunderstood when viewed through the lenses of non-proximate leaders.

The team also consist of two female SGBV survivors; public health professionals with expertise in SGBV interventions; Data scientists and M&E experts for Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) activities and data management; SGBV-focused SBCC Specialists responsible for content creation, curation and communication; social media experts responsible for social media engagements; and an IT specialist, website developer and programmer, responsible for the development and maintenance of the website and mobile application.

The two SGBV survivors on the team also work as Founder and Compliance Manager of an indigenous NGO dedicated to raising awareness on the elimination of violence against women and girls in Lagos State. The personal journeys of the team members underscore their commitment to advocating for survivors and driving meaningful change in the fight against SGBV. They are driven by a deep understanding of the challenges faced by women, girls and survivors and are committed to leveraging technology for positive social change.

During the design phase and throughout the pilot phase, The REST team engaged with several SGBV experts and proximal leaders as well as other stakeholders including The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, the Child Protection Network (CPN), Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), the Mirabel Center, Women Against Violence and Expediency Initiative (WAVEHI), and the Family Medicine Department, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. These engagements also entailed several brainstorming sessions and co-creation meetings with SGBV experts, women, girls and SGBV survivors (target audience).

In the development, adaptation and review of content for the website, Mobile App, and social media, the team worked with SGBV experts, conducted a desk review of the SGBV ecosystem in Nigeria and focus group discussions (FGDs) with girls, women and proximal leaders.

Engagement of the target audience in the co-creation process and FGDs helped the team validate their experiences, providing a platform for their voices to be heard and their needs to be addressed, it also empowered them to play an active role in shaping the solutions to real-life issues that affect their lives. These activities helped the team achieve an inclusive design process that ensured the project addressed the diverse needs and perspectives of its target population. This fostered a sense of ownership, agency, and trust, ultimately leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes in the prevention of SGBV and the provision of support services for survivors.

With a seed grant from the Grand Canada Challenges (GCC), EHAI developed and piloted the REST project over 15 months from 01/01/2022 to 31/03/2023. The project objectives were to provide access to SGBV prevention services for women, girls and survivors through an online platform (Website and Mobile App) and mobile phone services. It also aimed to provide psychological first aid and referral for survivors of SGBV, improve the knowledge and understanding of SGBV for women and girls who complete an SGBV education module on the website and mobile app, and build the capacity of 9 females as SGBV first responders. The primary target audience was girls (10-18 years old) and women.

This intervention was built upon the evidence-based WHO RESPECT framework, which outlines seven strategies for preventing violence against women. RESPECT stands for - Relationship skills strengthened, Empowerment of women, Services ensured, Poverty reduced, Environments made safe, Child and adolescent abuse prevented, and Transformed attitudes, beliefs, and norms. The Toll-free services are operational 24 hours and 7 days a week on 3 phone lines routed through the 3 major network providers in Nigeria on three dedicated phones to enable multiple calls concurrently from different individuals.

Various strategies, including mass and social media, were employed to create awareness regarding the project and increase the uptake of the self-defence course. Sponsored adverts were posted on Facebook and Instagram to drive traffic to the website and increase publicity for the project. To broaden our reach to the target audience, Secondary and Tertiary School Campaigns were conducted for female students. 3 Tertiary institutions, and over 20 secondary schools in Lagos and Ogun States were visited with about 15,000 girls reached during the campaigns.

Mass media audiences were reached through radio jingles on two terrestrial radio stations, Women FM (WFM) and Inspiration FM, in Lagos and Ogun States.  Three nano influencers (with about 10,000 followers on social media) were also engaged to drive traction on the project. Fliers and posters were produced and distributed at shopping malls, worship centres and other gatherings to further create awareness about the project.

As of March 2024, our solution has reached 10,467 (9,133 females and 1,334 Males) through the website, and the Mobile App; over 306 users have accessed services via the toll-free line; and a total of 3698 individuals (3119 females and 579 males) has completed the self-defence education module on the website and the mobile app. We have over 1,000 followers across our social media handles (Instagram, X and Facebook) and our most popular reels have over 80,000 views.

The REST project represents a promising step towards increasing awareness and access to SGBV prevention services as well as supporting survivors with needed services. By leveraging online platforms, mobile applications, and toll-free helplines, the project successfully reached a broad audience and provided essential resources to individuals affected by SGBV. Moving forward, continued investment in such initiatives is essential to effectively combat SGBV and promote the well-being of women and girls in Nigeria and beyond.

Based on the routine feedback from users on the REST project and other stakeholders, we identified some limitations with the existing Chatbot on the Website and mobile App. These challenges include accessibility issues around complexities of app installation and utilization, inability to access messages offline, privacy concerns/data security, and cost of internet access. These hinder the effectiveness of the solution in reaching and supporting women and girls, especially the poor. 

 We seek technical support through MIT Solve to improve and optimize the reach and impact of our solution by introducing an innovative Large Language Modelling (LLM) powered Chat solution via a secure and customized AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot. We also seek to integrate geospatial mapping into the platform, to strategically enhance the reporting mechanisms of SGBV cases across the country. These proposed innovations are aimed at enhancing the accessibility of our solution to a wider community of users and facilitating data-driven decision-making, ultimately contributing to a safer environment for women and girls in Nigeria.

With over 33 million WhatsApp users in Nigeria, it has emerged as a widely used platform for communication, information dissemination, and community engagement (Fisher et al, 2023) Garba and Hasan, 2022).  Building upon this trend, our solution seeks to leverage the interactive, low-data, and user-friendly nature of the WhatsApp platform as a powerful tool for providing easy and secure access to SGBV services. The WhatsApp chatbot will have the capacity to provide personalized direct messaging services, links to join a WhatsApp community with channels for accessing various services. These services will include SGBV resources and professional support services for women, and girls including survivors. We aim to overcome barriers to access and reach marginalized, disempowered, and minority communities of women, girls and survivors who may face challenges in accessing our existing Chatbot and other traditional channels providing SGBV services. 

 Our innovative approach aims to leverage the WhatsApp platform to facilitate direct interaction with an AI-supported Chatbot service equipped with Large Language Modeling (LLM) capabilities. This advanced technology enables the WhatsApp Chatbot to provide real-time tailored responses, resources, and guidance to users seeking information, assistance, or support related to SGBV. Additionally, our team includes trained SGBV first responders and experts who will be available to provide personalized assistance and referrals as needed. Through this innovative approach, we strive to empower users with knowledge, skills, and resources to navigate SGBV-related issues, assert their rights, and seek assistance in times of need.

We also plan to integrate geospatial mapping with the AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot by creating a GPS-enabled channel for SGBV reporting, where users can anonymously report incidents.  The Chatbot will be designed to guide users through a structured reporting process, collecting essential details like location (using GPS coordinates), time, nature of the incident, and parties involved (without compromising anonymity). 

Most of the existing SGBV support services in Nigeria are limited to physical (in-person) services such as clinical management of physical or sexual assault/abuse, reproductive health, counselling and shelter services. The available virtual platforms are mainly Mobile Apps, Websites and hotlines providing human rights messages, one-off emergency calls, linkages and case reporting services. However, these platforms only offer limited interactive services for users, and they fail to provide comprehensive and engaging prevention services. Moreover, these solutions are provided solely in the English language, thereby excluding millions of women and girls who may have limited proficiency in English.

The REST platform provides a multi-faceted approach to addressing SGBV issues in Nigeria. Our comprehensive and engaging online services are accessible through a dedicated website and mobile application, with an integrated chatbot. Recognizing the digital divide and gender gap in smartphone usage in Nigeria, we further ensured inclusivity by providing round-the-clock toll-free lines for emergency and ongoing support to SGBV survivors, catering to those who may not have access to smartphones or internet connectivity.

 Moreover, we prioritized linguistic accessibility by translating our content into "pidgin" English, as well as the three major local languages of Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. This ensured that our services were culturally relevant and easily understandable to a wide range of users across Nigeria, particularly in rural and underserved areas where English proficiency may be limited.

 With the planned introduction of an AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot, we are introducing a significant advancement to our SGBV support solution. This will facilitate easy and secure access to vital information, education, and professional support services for women, girls, and survivors. This innovative addition aims to bridge accessibility gaps by reaching more women and girls, particularly those whose internet access is limited to basic messaging platforms like WhatsApp.

 Integrating geospatial mapping into the WhatsApp Chatbot will stimulate conversations among stakeholders around the issue of reporting and geospatial mapping of SGBV cases in Nigeria. It will also reveal patterns, hotspots, and trends of SGBV cases over time. By providing stakeholders with better insights into the magnitude of the SGBV problem, our solution will empower them to improve their SGBV programming and aid efficient allocation of resources and policy formulation.

Overall, integrating an AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot and geospatial mapping into our solution is strategically engineered to facilitate access to lifesaving SGBV services for a larger community of women, girls, and survivors. This innovative approach will not only enhance the effectiveness of our interventions, it will also reinforce our commitment to combating SGBV and promoting gender equality in Nigeria.

We designed and tested the REST project, a virtual safe space for women and girls to access comprehensive SGBV prevention and support services in Nigeria, through a website, mobile app, social media platforms and toll-free lines. To optimize the reach and impact of our solution, we seek to integrate a widely acceptable and low-cost AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot where women and girls can easily access credible information on SGBV prevention and support services. GPS will also be integrated into the WhatsApp chatbot to simplify SGBV reporting and mapping.

Our solution ensures more women and girls can easily access credible SGBV information and services, including self-defence courses, via the AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot, website, mobile app and social media handles. A GPS-enabled confidential SGBV reporting platform will increase the number of SGBV survivors reporting cases and accessing psychological first aid as well as referral services. In addition, information on SGBV locations and hotspots will be available for relevant stakeholders.

This solution will transform attitudes, and norms that perpetuate violence against women and support SGBV survivors to develop resilience and take control of their recovery process. Integrating geospatial mapping into the platform will provide insight to stakeholders for informed SGBV programming and resource allocation. These will reduce the incidence and prevalence of SGBV among women and girls in Nigeria.

Our proof-of-concept, built upon the evidence-based WHO RESPECT framework, has reached over 80,000 viewers through our Instagram reels, over 9,000 women and girls have accessed SGBV resources on our website, over 3,100 women and girls have completed the self-defence course and 300 SGBV survivors have accessed services through our toll-free lines. We have validated that a virtual safe space has the potential to reach millions of women and girls to combat SGBV and promote their well-being in Nigeria.

Impact Goal: Reduction in the incidence and prevalence of SGBV against women and girls in Nigeria.

Project Specific Goals

1. Empowerment through Information and Education: Our solution will provide women and girls with comprehensive information, education, and counselling services for increased self-confidence, awareness of their rights, strengthened relationships and self-defence skills. Equipping them with knowledge and tools to navigate various situations will empower them to make informed decisions and assert their rights, ultimately fostering greater autonomy.

2. Support for SGBV Survivors: Central to our solution is the support provided to SGBV survivors to develop resilience and take control of their recovery process. Through our trained first responders, the project will reduce the risk of re-victimization and break the cycle of violence by providing support services, including counselling, and access to resources for physical and psychological healing.  Survivors are empowered to reclaim agency over their lives and move forward in their journey towards healing and recovery.

3. Transforming Attitudes and Norms: Beyond individual empowerment and support, our project also seeks to catalyze broader societal change by transforming attitudes, beliefs, and norms that perpetuate violence against women, through access to targeted and culturally sensitive education and information. We will address harmful stereotypes, patriarchal ideologies, and social structures that normalize or justify violence against women and girls. By promoting gender equality, respect, and empathy, we will set the tone for a safer and more equitable society for all.

4. Enhanced SGBV Reporting Mechanisms: We aim to enhance the reporting mechanisms for SGBV cases across the country by integrating geospatial mapping (via GPS) into the AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot. This will facilitate timely intervention and support for survivors. It will also provide stakeholders with accurate data and insights to inform evidence-based decision-making, resource allocation, and policy development in the fight against SGBV.

Indicators:

• The number of women and girls accessing SGBV information from the Website, Mobile Application, and Social Media platforms (AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot, Instagram, Facebook etc.)
• Number of women and girls who completed Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) courses (Self-defense, Sexual Health & Rights etc.) on the Website, Mobile App, and Social Media platforms
• Number of Women and Girls who completed an SRHR course and reported improved knowledge and awareness.
• Number of women and girls accessing SGBV services through the Toll-Free Lines
• Number of women and girls receiving information services from the Toll-Free line
• Number of SGBV survivors receiving psychological first aid through the Toll-Free Lines and AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot
• The number of survivors referred and linked to SGBV support services.
• The proportion of SGBV cases reported with GPS locations.

Measurement:

These indicators will be measured through:

• The backend of the website, mobile application, and AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot
• Google Analytics for data collection on the website and mobile app
• Call logs from the Toll-free lines
• Website pop-up survey
• WhatsApp poll
• Sentiment Analysis
• Cluster analysis of textual and GPS data

The existing REST Web application has its key resource on modern technology. Built with WordPress 6.4.2, it leverages PHP 8.3, a popular open-source scripting language for web development. This allows the web app to function similarly to a mobile app, providing a user-friendly experience.

The solution engages users, prioritizing responsive interactions, but is still delivered through the internet over a network. It works with various JavaScript frameworks like React, Marionette.js, Backbone.js MediaElement.js. The web application is secured via Secure Sockets Layer and Wordfence security. It runs on an Apache Hypertext Preprocessor (HTTP) web server. The database connection the solution uses in storing data is MySQL using localhost via UNIX socket, a multiuser, multitasking operating system (OS) designed for flexibility and adaptability. The application also has an automated chatbot named “Talk to Lulu” that runs using Node and Mongo DB.

The mobile application for the solution is a native application currently accessible on the Google Play Store. The Android app was built with Kotlin, a powerful technology for modern mobile development. The app seamlessly interacts with a MongoDB database, ensuring efficient data management.

To broaden our reach and improve the quality of our services, we propose developing additional features to power our solution which would include:

Confidential AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot with an in-built interactive geospatial map feature using Landbot’s AI. This chatbot will have the capacity to provide information on SGBV, generate responses to queries and requests, and provide survivors with information on available support services.

The interactive Geospatial Map channel on the AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot will guide users through a structured reporting process, collecting essential details like location (using GPS coordinates), time, nature of the incident, and perpetrators (without compromising anonymity).

The REST team comprise 14 staff members.  Seven of the staff are on percentage effort, including the Team Lead, the Public Health and SGBV Expert, the two SGBV Survivors, the Social and Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) Expert, the IT officer and the Data Analyst. The seven female First Responders are engaged and paid for Full Time Effort (FTE) on the project.

EHAI conceived the solution and set up an initial REST team in the 3rd quarter of 2021. This initial REST team comprised the team lead, the CEO, a public health and SGBV expert, two SGBV survivors, an SBCC expert and an IT officer. This team developed and submitted the Proof-of-Concept proposal to Grand Challenges Canada (GCC). The team was expanded to its current state upon receiving the GCC grant in January 2022

Our core values in EHAI are Excellence, Professionalism, Innovation, Integrity, Diversity and Inclusion, Agility, and Learning. These ensure we build an organization that harnesses different experiences and backgrounds in a shared environment for equal opportunity that fosters growth. The management team of the organization, consisting of individuals from different ethnic groups, has a 43% female representation. We continue to show commitment to our vision, mission and core values through the following:

1. Organization Policies

We strive to create a workplace free from harassment, discrimination, violence, or threats. We have systems in place for reporting and providing redress for grievances. The organization has a whistleblower policy that provides a channel for every staff to voice their concerns while protecting the employees. Staff are regularly updated on the policies through various communication channels including meetings (in-person and virtual), seminars, emails, internal memos, and a WhatsApp group. Organization policies are also accessible to all staff on our human resource management software. In addition, the organization holds a quarterly strategic meeting during which all staff (programs and operations) gather to share updates, and challenges on the job and contribute to the organizational growth.

2. Staff Recruitment and Growth

EHAI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment based on age, gender, religion, race, ethnic or cultural background, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, or socioeconomic status. Transparency and professionalism are adopted during the entire process of recruitment, selection, and hiring. Efforts are made to ensure that vacant positions are replaced to reflect our commitment to DEI. Our performance management system is designed to be objective and interactive to ensure fair appraisal by supervisors. In addition, outstanding employees are identified and rewarded during the quarterly strategic staff meeting to ensure staff feel valued and are motivated on the job.

3. Program Design and Implementation

Through activities including advocacy, co-creation, and focus group discussion (FGD) we engage relevant stakeholders in designing our interventions to ensure inclusion. Our grant writing process entails consultations with team members from various units. Most of our interventions are targeted at the marginalized population of Nigerians including those living in hard-to-reach areas, women, children, and sexual minorities. We have also implemented multiple grants targeted at key populations (MSM, Female Sex Workers, and People Who Inject Drugs). To ensure our health interventions are patient-centred, patients are included in the quality improvement teams and evaluations such as patient satisfaction surveys are routinely conducted. Gender issues are also addressed in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of our programs, projects, and research to optimize impact.

The REST project is an initiative of EHAI, and the project abides by and upholds all EHAI’s policies including DEI. On the project, 96% of the staff are females, some of whom are survivors of SGBV. This ensures the team is well-equipped and committed to the project's success.

Value Proposition

Our solution provides a widely acceptable and low-cost virtual safe space that will empower millions of women, girls and survivors in Nigeria with knowledge and skills through access to credible information on SGBV prevention and support services. It also provides information to stakeholders for informed SGBV programming and resource allocation. 

Key Customers

Women and girls between the ages of 10 – 49 years living in Nigeria; Relevant SGBV Stakeholders.

 Key Resources

• Technology: www.restforher.org, REST project Mobile App, Toll-Free Line, Social Media Platforms, AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot, GPS and GIS.
• Human resources: Project Team.
• Donor support: Technical and funding support from MIT Solve and other funders

Key Activities

• Continuous engagement of relevant stakeholders
• Demand creation through collaboration with stakeholders
• Development of an AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot, leveraging Large Language Model (LLM) technology
• Training and testing of AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot
• Integration of GPS-enabled channels on the AI-powered WhatsApp platform
• Integration of the AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot into the existing website and mobile application
• Curation and sharing of content and blogs on SGBV prevention
• Obtain and analyze feedback via surveys and pop-up quizzes on all our online platforms.
• Provide psychosocial first aid and referral services to SGBV survivors via the toll-free lines.

Partners and key Stakeholders

Government Agencies (Federal and State): Ministries of Women Affairs, Justice, and Health, National Human Rights Commission, State Domestic Violence Response Team (from all 36 States and the FCT), Office of the Public Defender and Law Enforcement Agents.

International Organizations: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other relevant international NGOs.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) / Civil Society: These are advocacy groups, research institutions, Child Protection Network (CPN), Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), the Mirabel Center, Women Against Violence and Expediency Initiative (WAVEHI) etc.

Healthcare Providers (Private and Public): Hospitals, clinics and community health workers

Educational Institutions: Universities, colleges and secondary schools

Media: Media organizations, journalists and social media influencers Individuals and Communities: Community leaders and gatekeepers, survivors and their families, community members and concerned citizens. 

Revenue Streams

Grants, crowdfunding campaigns, donations, corporate sponsorship, sponsored content, advertising, affiliate marketing, e-commerce and consultancy services

 Key Expenses

Human Resources: Full Time Effort (FTE) for 7 First Responders and Percentage Effort for other Team Members

Technology:

• Development, testing and training of AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot using LLM
• Integration of GPS functionality for SGBV case mapping
• Maintenance and licensing fees for the website and mobile application

Awareness creation:

• Campaign to schools
• Radio and TV campaigns
• Engagement of social media influencers
• Social media advertising (paid promotion).

Capacity Building: Training programs, seminars and workshops for team members

Operational Expenses

Cost apportionment for office rent, communication, office supplies, utilities and transportation

In 2022, EHAI received a seed grant of CAD100,000.00 from the Grand Canada Challenges (GCC) to develop and pilot the REST project, aimed at providing a virtual safe space where women and girls in Nigeria can access comprehensive SGBV prevention services. This fund facilitated the engagement of relevant stakeholders (including SGBV experts, women, girls and survivors) in a co-creation process and as an ongoing activity on the project. It also facilitated the procurement of equipment and supplies (laptops and mobile phones), the development of a website, mobile application, an AI AI-powered chatbot for both platforms and the creation of social media platforms.

It also supported the curation and sharing of engaging and credible information on SGBV prevention (textual articles, infographics, videos, and animations) and self-defence modules for the website, mobile application and social media platforms. Seven female first responders were engaged and trained to provide psychosocial first aid and referral services to survivors on 3 toll-free telephone lines 24 hours a day. The grant also supported the remuneration (based on percentage effort) of some of the REST project team members. The pilot project was implemented for 15 months, from January 2022 to March 2023.

In 2022, the project received a technical support grant from the Pfizer Foundation Global Health Fellows (GHF) program to optimize social media engagement and impact on the REST project. This technical support resulted in an over 50% improvement in the quality and impact of our social media content. The REST project is currently partially self-sustaining, as it is still providing the full complement of services except for the first responders that have been reduced from 7 to 1. The grants from GCC and Pfizer Foundation GHF project set the tone for our financial sustainability strategy for the project.

In the short to medium term (over the next 3-5 years) we plan to utilize the modest success of the project to secure additional grants and engage in crowdfunding campaigns to generate revenue to optimize service provision and reach of the solution. Thus, we will continue to leverage our grant writing skills and engage in crowdfunding campaigns to maintain project momentum.

Over the next five years, we plan to have achieved milestones of about one million annual visitors to our website and over 500,000 followers on our social media platforms. Thus, in the long term, we will capitalize on our projected high website traffic and social media followership for sustainable revenue generation. Our key revenue income streams shall include advertising, e-commerce, affiliate marketing, sponsored content partnerships and membership platforms. We also plan to leverage the expertise of the REST project team to offer consulting services, providing guidance on SGBV-related issues, and attracting clients seeking specialized support. Finally, the Team will generate revenue through registration fees for hosting paid events, workshops, podcasts and webinars.

These strategic funding initiatives and innovative revenue-generating strategies underscore our commitment to ensuring the success and impact of the REST project in addressing SGBV issues in Nigeria.