Gwanyama Noel

There is a significant improvement in impactful knowledge and skills related to the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. This is thanks to the training of frontliners in PSEA, who in turn cascaded to various organizations. After schooling on key gender concepts, a network of partners was created as a sequel to my project. This has led to more and more people acquiring a comprehensive understanding of the stakes of PSEA. This filters down to the fact that individuals in our communities have come to a better understanding and awareness of GBV issues. They now know when they are being abused and to whom they can turn for redress or appropriate action.

I was selected as one of the GBV ambassadors, which was a rare privilege that enabled me to help fight one of the biggest societal terrors of all time – gender-based violence. As it stands, we have risen to the position of first responders of GBV victims in our community, thanks to the EU/NFF project: “Stop Violence Now against Women and Girls”. Our team of GBV ambassadors helped to build a new narrative through youths to fight gender-based violence. We are a well-trained project team that readily availed itself to share and discuss the challenges encountered and seek solutions to them. Besides, the GBV team of ambassadors have now created a network known as WRAN to which I have been nominated president. All this is owed to the springboard initiated by the EU/NFF project. It is helping me to empower others by talking and proposing ways out on GBV issues online, offline, and by contact visits.

So boosted was my confidence through the training we underwent that I now can cascade it, coordinating and involving the other actors in the training of some teachers and healthcare professionals. Centrally, we introduce and train them on how to prevent all forms of GBV and how to respond when GBV does manifest itself. In the follow-up field encounter by those to whom I last cascaded the training, over 400 students at St. Frederick College have been taught how to prevent or respond to GBV. In addition, I trained twenty young girls along with their deaf and dumb husbands. The feedback has been very encouraging. While some have gone the extra mile of sensitizing their students and educating other community members, we have also been able to take in many young girls for counselling on GBV prevention.