GBV: IA organises programme on first aid for survivors
The International Alert (IA), funded by the United Kingdom government has organised a two-day training programme to equip community first responders with the skills needed to provide psychological first aid to survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The programme was held at the Unity Wonderland Kafanchan, Kaduna state over the weekend.
The funding through the Integrated Security Fund is a project aimed to promote stability, access to justice, accountability, and SGBV prevention and response in nine communities across Kaduna and Zamfara states.
The training brought together security agents, social workers, health workers, lawyers, and safe space facilitators to improve referrals and support for SGBV survivors.
One of the resource persons, Fatima Inusa, stated the importance of respecting survivors’ dignity and promoting resilience and recovery.
She added that reducing cases on gender-based violence and solving related problems can only be achieved when traditional rulers and all groups come together and work out modalities that would bring innovations against the challenges.
Fatima stated that some respondents are not well equipped with enough skills to handle cases of survivors against which backdrop she admonished them to ensure they pay attention to all they would learn and step them down well.
Another resource person at the program, Esther Olu advised that the first action a respondent should consider when dealing with a victim of rape case is to put himself in the victim’s shoes and imagine how the victim is feeling. This, she said, will put one in the right set of mind to provide assistance.
The Commissioner in the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development, Hajia Rabi Salisu, commended International Alert for its initiative, describing it as a way the people in the grassroots will help in assisting the ministry to provide services to the people in all nooks and crannies of the communities.
Represented by Peter Ruwan Prosperity, the commissioner urged participants to use the knowledge learnt, and do the needful towards ensuring peaceful coexistence among the people in the communities.
Duniya Caroline of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NCDC) commended International Alert for organising the program which according to her will go a long way in reducing the menace of gender-based violence in Nigerian communities.
