Wakuna Lucie Logba-Galega

This mini-project decided to have men as focal persons in the fight against GBV, raising their awareness of the role they could play as men to bring about respect and love for women and girls instead of violence and indifference. Thus, every third Friday of every third month we organize talks on GBV under the auspices of Catholic Church Choirs. Men’s awareness has been impactfully created, and in practical ways, the men are being assisted to help stop gender-based violence against women and girls. Meanwhile, the choirs drew the attention of both men and women to ways of preventing GBV or reporting their occurrence.

The training I received from Nkumu Fed Fed played a great part in my facilitation of the events. It enabled me to understand a lot of things that women and girls suffer, including social media violence. GBV turns out to be not only physical, mental, and emotional but also cyber. It allowed me to get field experience which I was never familiar with before then. Indeed, the training did make me feel like a true ambassador, trusted, and entrusted with the task of empowering others and making them aware of the ills of GBV. Such a feeling of fulfilment pervades one now in the process that I would love to have a repeat of it all.  

Unforgettable in the series of training was that given by Madame Eunice Tata, President General of Nkumu Fed Fed, Mrs Boyo Maurine, GBV expert, and the EU-NFF project team as a whole. Their training skills and know-how were so efficient and effective that I felt as if I caught it by infection. It enabled me to be able to empower others who also went ahead to help in the teaching process and awareness campaigns. These empowered individuals have continued to impactfully help in creating GBV awareness. Whenever we meet on the third Friday of each third month, we become mutual encouragement and a thrill to each other. I find it difficult to express enough gratitude to Nkumu Fed Fed for so empowering me.

As to feedback from those who have participated in the sessions, many keep expressing joy at having learnt so much and that they are now aware of modes of GBV which they were already considering as the norm of their society. They are part of the efforts towards the prevention, reporting or directing survivors of GBV to the right referral quarters for appropriate action. Considering reminders as a key component in this awareness campaign, I ensure that the days and times scheduled for them are never missed. I happily note that men, who are traditionally considered GBV perpetrators, have now become frontliners, working to end GBV in my community. All this is thanks to the training I got from Nkumu Fed Fed which I cascaded to them and others.