The Nigeria Early Recovery Initiative (NERI), a component of the United States Agency for International Development Office Transition Initiative (USAID/OTI), is collaborating with the Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), Kafanchan, in its campaign against gender based violence.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NERI is providing financial and technical support to the centre in its advocay and sensitization campaign against gender based violence.
Speaking at a press conference in Kafanchan, Programme manager of NERI, Omokide Chikodi, said the agency realized the need to support survivors of gender based violence in the course of its work in Southern Kaduna.
“During the course of our intervention in Southern Kaduna in terms of the early warning and early response to crisis training, we identified the need to include this centre.
“We thought it wise to as much attend to survivors of sexual and gender based violence,” she said
Chikodi, who was represented by NERI’s programme officer, Adamu Garba, called on well meaning individuals and organisations to join the campaign to eradicate all forms of gender based violence.
According to her, NERI has been working to strengthen grassroots security and implement other developmental interventions in southern Kaduna since 2020.
In her remarks, the Centre Manager, Grace Abbin, said the success story of the centre would not have been possible without the support of USAID/OTI-NERI and other partners.
“This centre was set up by the Kaduna State Government, but government alone cannot do it.
“And that is why we must thank USAID for furnishing our centre and giving us additional beds and also building our capacity,” she said.
Abbin said the centre had recorded a total of 1,240 cases of sexual assault since its establishment in March 2019.
According to her, those affected are mostly women and children, noting that many of the cases are still in court, with seven convictions secured so far.
She called on survivors of all forms of gender-based violence to overlook the issue of stigma and report to the centre for help, as the after-effects of sexual assault were worse than stigma.
“We always advise survivors to forget about the issue of stigma and report to us for counseling as well as medical and legal help.
“So, why not speak out and get help, because if you don’t do so, you become exposed to all kinds of sexually-transmitted diseases.
“But if you report quickly, these things will be taken care of free of charge,’’ she added.
NAN reports that the centre is one of four in the state where victims of rape and other gender-based violence receive free counseling, medical and optional legal interventions. (NAN)
