GBV: NGO supports 200 women, girls in Kwara

By Toba Ajayi

The Olive Community Development Initiative (OCDI), a Non Governmental Organization (NGO), says it has offered support services on sexual and gender-based violence to no fewer than  200 women and girls in Kwara State.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OCDI, Mrs OluwaToni Adeleke, disclosed this on Tuesday at a meeting, tagged: “Agenda for OCDI Women, Voice & Leadership Project Evaluation and Success Story Telling”, held at OCDI Hall, Ilorin.

Adeleke said that the organisation was able to achieve its empowerment objective with the support of ActionAid Nigeria, through Global Affairs Canada.

She said the objective of OCDI was to protect women, girls and other vulnerable from all forms of violence and create support systems for rehabilitation.

According to her, the thematic areas for OCDI include Sexual and  Reproductive Health, Women Economic Justice, Education and Women, Peace and Security.

“Today, we are in the 4th year of Women Voices & Leadership Project. The program is Scheduled to run for 5 years.

“OCDI presently implements interventions on sexual and gender based violence in Kwara under the Women Voice and Leadership skills (WVL) project through the funding of ActionAid Nigeria, supported by Global Affairs Canada.

“So far, we were able to attend to over 200 women in the state. We are working to meet the demands and save women from all forms of violence.

“We implement our Olive Household Economic and Livelihood programme where we provides soft loans to small businesses owned by women and girls,” she said.

The CEO said the organisation was working in collaboration with the Kwara Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Women Rights Commission and other non governmental organisations.

She said OCDI had inaugurated and trained 16 desk officers for women peace and security in Kwara.

Adeleke also said OCDI led the launching of the Kwara State Action Plan (SAP) document for women.

She, therefore, called on parents to continue to support their daughters to pursue their education.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Juliana Akanbi, described OCDI gesture as saviour to the beneficiaries.

Akanbi said she got food and cash empowerment from OCDI every month for her livelihood.

Another beneficiary, Mrs Bose Ayanrinde, said OCDI has been helping her daughter with free medical services to save her life from ailment she was suffering from.

“After God, we have Olive here. They saved my daughter from untimely death. They paid all the medical bills and started sponsoring her education, ” she said.

Dorcas Abioye, the Head Girl of Community Senior Secondary School, Apata Ajile, commended the NGO for sensitising students on weekly basis.

She said most of the students were now living better lives as a result of attending OCDI training and orientation programmes.

(NAN)