By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A non -Governmental Organization (NGO), known as “International alert” has trained 40 stakeholders mostly female, on community first responders on conflict and Psychological First Aid (PFA), in Kaduna state.
The two days training of responders to cases of Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV), survivors, held between Monday and Tuesday focus mainly on supporting Women and Girls in the aftermath of abuses.
Speaking in an interview, the Centre Manager for Salama Sexual and Assaults Referral Centre, Gwavnna Awwam General hospital Kakuri Kaduna, Nanna Kendam said the training was organized by the Int’l alert with support from Ukaid.
According to her, the aim was to teach community members and stakeholders in community on how to offer psychological first aid and network with stakeholders in the Gender Based Violence (GBV), sector like security, health workers, traditional rulers among others.
She further explained that the training was to enable responders know how to make referrals when necessary so that survivors get necessary help and support they needed.
“Know the actions to take, how to support survivors when they come in contact with them. We get report very regularly in our 4 centres in Kaduna state. We get cases of SGBV very regularly.
“We get like 20 -30 cases of this nature monthly across our centres in Kaduna town from survivors, majority of them are female, young adolescence girls or young children.
“We’ve many survivors also. Priority always given to survivors. What we practice is called survivors centred approach. Meaning that we are concern about their wellbeing and support they get when they’re abused.
“Medical attention and psychosocial support are given them till the point they report to stations and get the justice. SGBV has always been happening. Is just that people are becoming more aware of it.
“Kaduna has taken the case very seriously that’s why we even have four centres. Encourage people to report the case when they occur because most people keep quiet because of stigma around SGBV.
“We need to support survivors to come out. When we keep quiet we empower the perpetrators to keep on doing it. Support them to report and get Justice. It’s under reported. There’s need for sensitization around it so that people become more aware to get more people to support the menace”, she emphasized.
Also speaking, Inusa fatima of Gender Equity and Social Inclusion of Darfur International alert, said the two days training is for community self responders.
She explained that responders are the people the survivors contact after abused, adding that there’s every reason to equip the responders with skill to administer psychosocial support.
“In most cases when survivors visit safety especially security personnel, doctors, nurses, people in difference institutions, they don’t get the required information they need or support needed like counseling, referral to legal services, either to regain properties lost or documents as a result of violence or abuse.
“Additionally because of improper documentation and lack of respect for data protection protocol, that’s ensuring you do not share survivors information without their consent.
“Basically that’s why we are having this training, so that first respondent actually treat survivors with dignity. Their right must be respected at all levels.
“Number of survivors are increasing but we are happy that more persons are reporting it. SGBV violence happens in privates: between family, between father and child, mother and child, husband and wive.
It also happens in public like in work place and all of that. What we are doing is to actually create platforms for survivors to have place where they can report.
“Therefore we try to involved all stakeholders example, Security, traditional and religious leaders and health workers. The 40 participants from two selected LGAs that have been impacted by the conflicts that’s Jemaa and Chikun LGs.
Ibrahim Bethe, a Health workers and participant said the training will help her to know her limitations on how give care and psychosocial first aid treatment survivors.
“Where to start and stop, the type of aid to give survivors. Most time I come across them because I work in ruler area”, she said.
A participating Police Inspector, Insp. Constant Ovioa, attached to divisional police station Sabin Tasha Kaduna also said, as a personnel, “We come across this survivors always. And you might be going out of your ways to do certain things wrongly unknown to you.
“With this training, I know how to attend to survivors more better, and to pass the knowledge to other colleagues in office, how to treat survivors. Police station is a public place, by the time survivors worked in, before you know, the story has escalated”, she said.
