WOMEN’S MONTH NEWSLETTER

Hi there!

International Women’s month may have come and gone, but the impacts for us at Neem was nothing short of incredible. Here is a run down of some key activities from the month:

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1. Women in leadership training

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A cohort of women from Benue, Kaduna, and Zamfara states, representing the Protecting our Communities Initiative, gathered in Abuja for a two-day intensive training. Participants, including government officials, representatives from Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Early Warning and Early Response Committees, and community representatives, engaged in sessions aimed at equipping them with skills to promote peace and harmony in their communities. [Link to learn more]

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2. Common Threads partnership

In our commitment to aiding survivors of conflict on their journey to healing and reintegration, Neem Foundation partnered with the Common Threads Project. This collaboration included a week-long strategic training session for Neem Foundation’s Psychology team. The training focused on equipping our team with innovative approaches to expressive therapy. [Link for details]

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3. Taking the fight against period poverty to schools

In Nigeria, over 37 million girls and women face challenges in affording menstrual hygiene products. To combat this crisis, Neem Foundation distributed free sanitary pads to 200 girls at the Government Secondary School Nyanya Abuja. This event not only provided essential products but also raised awareness about period poverty and educated girls on menstrual hygiene practices. [More details]

4. Women in Conflict Zones

One study found that substantial inclusion of women and civil society groups in a peace negotiation makes the resulting agreement 64 percent less likely to fail and, ac-cording to another study, 35 percent more likely to last at least fifteen years.?Neem Foundation recognizes the critical role women play in fostering peace in communities affected by conflict and this is why many of our past and ongoing projects have a strong female representation. Our recent podcast had three women doing great work in communities affected by conflicts. They had an interesting conversation around women in conflict zones where they shared their unique experiences working directly with survivors. Listen to the full episode

5. Learning on the Go

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Education stands as a cornerstone for empowering girls, and Neem Foundation's Learning on the Go program serves as a vital platform for young boys and girls to access quality education. In March, the program celebrated the transitioning?of 100 beneficiaries from basic literacy and numeracy classes, preparing them for integration into mainstream schools. Notably, 56 of these beneficiaries were girls, highlighting Neem Foundation's steadfast commitment to providing women and girls with opportunities for a purposeful and meaningful life.?Learn more about this

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6. International Media Engagements for our women

Our Executive Director, Dr Fatima Akilu was a guest on German public, state-owned international broadcaster,??Deutsche Welle. On the program she spoke extensively about the impact of community lead initiatives in addressing issues of insecurity in conflict affected communities. Watch the full interview here

Also, one of our program beneficiaries was on BBC Africa Podcast where she shared her journey so far. Watch the full episode here!