By Adeyinka Adeniran
Center For Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health (CCPRH), has trained 30 adolescents girls on female genital mutilation (FGM) awareness creation and abandonment using digital technology.
The three days training held from 13th – 15th June, at Mutan CBT center, Moniya,Ibadan was supported by the United Nations Population Fund in collaboration with the Oyo state government.
The 30 adolescents girls were selected from private, public and out of school (community) in the local government area.
One of the facilitators, Mr John Oluwafemi, a digital trainer, and an information scientist, said the girls were being trained to understand their roles in ending FGM, turning them to champions who can use digital platform to preach against its practice in our society.
He said “There roles would be so immerse because this is their world and they have that voice, many of them are not new to social media, so we trained them to be able to amplify that voice and reach out to many people.”
Olufemi listed some of the digital app the adolescent girls were introduced to “We introduced them to social media packages, Microsoft office packages, under which we have power point, excel. We also introduced them to outlook, something they can use to manage their emails. Understanding operating system (OS), we showed them markwell, server and many more”.
“We taught them how to do simple graphic design using canvas, how to do simple designs to push their messages on social media. Also they were trained on how to safeguard themselves while using all these platform.”
Another resource person, a gender -based violence advocate, from APIN Public Health Initiative, Ayanlola Oluwanife said some of adolescent girls have been hearing about FGM but do not really understand what’s all about, adding that for them knowing about it would be of great help in spreading the gospel of it to their parents, neighbors, and people around.
Speaking on behalf of CCPRH, the monitoring and evaluation officer, Mr Yelotan Emmanuel, stated that the motive behind the program is to create awareness towards abandonment of FGM in oyo state and Nigeria at Large.
“Reason we organized this program is to train adolescent girls for the creation of awareness and sensitizing their peer group, communities and everybody on the society. Not only that, the adolescent girls were trained on digital skills to help in reaching out to people with on different social media platform”.
On the method of selecting the school girls, Mr Emmanuel noted that the selection was done through the ministry of education, saying “The selection was not done from our own office , it was done by the ministry of education, Oyo state government. We wrote a letter to the commissioner of education, science and technology, I think the letter was stepped down to the permanent secretary of the ministry and to the director of schools”
The monitoring and evaluation officer appreciated the Director of CCPRH, Prof. Oladosun Ojengbende for allowing and giving the staff platform to carry out this kind of activities, adding “he is always at the forefront for anything that concerns girls and women.”
Jayeola Roda, one of the out of school adolescents / participant who was informed by the health coordinator in her local government area said” i have learnt about FGM and the laws surrounding it, I have also been trained on how to improve my technology skills , making wise use of the internet, although i have some idea about FGM but not this much”.
The 30 adolescent girls received certificate of participation in which 3 best performing participants were presented with brand new laptops
