Project Alert, an NGO, has commenced campaign across communities in Sokoto State to educate people on ways to handle sexual abuse cases and referrals of survivors.
Dr Muddassir Ahmad-Gado, the group Focal Person, disclosed this to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday, in Sokoto.
He said community groups are being trained on ways to offer services and referrals of survivors and other forms of violence against women.
Ahmad-Gado said the organisation is working in partnership with the Spotlight Initiative Project to build the capacity of community groups, CSOs and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs).
The Spotlight Initiative is a project sponsored by the European Union, UNICEF, the Federal Government, UNFPA and UNESCO.
He said the targeted persons were equipped with knowledge on the operation of the newly established sexual referral center.
”We reached out and build capacity of local CSOs, CBOs in Sokoto South, Bodinga, Dange Shuni, Goronyo, Binji and Isa local government areas of the state.
”The effort will be continued and is aimed at equipping groups to effectively assist victims of sexual and gender based violence in their communities,” Ahmad-Gado said.
He enjoined the beneficiaries to adhere to techniques and share knowledge and experiences in order to achieve maximum success.
Ahmad-Gado said the NGO is headed by Dr Josephine Effah-Chukwuma as Executive Director adding that five organisations were engaged in the implementation of the spotlight project in collaboration with government agencies.
He appealed for support from community leaders, community-based organisations and the media toward the success of the programme.
NAN recalls that the Commandant, Sokoto State Hisbah Commission, Dr Adamu Kasarawa, said the commission has recorded 606 rape cases across the state in 2019 alone.
Sokoto State Government in collaboration with some international donor agencies has established a sexual assaults’ referral centre to provide immediate and long term remedies for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
The centre which is located within the Sokoto Specialist Hospital, and is part of the Spotlight Initiative Project, aimed at eliminating violence against women, including sexual abuse.
