FORWARD Nigeria Project – 2000 Update

by Rahmat Mohammad, Project Co-ordinator FORWARD Nigeria.

FORWARD Nigeria has now been set up and all initial teething problems have been surmounted. The vesico vaginal fistula (VVF) rehabilitation centre is now six months old and the first set of our women are due to complete their time here. A four weeks baseline survey has just been completed in both Dambatta and Makoda Local Government Areas. The survey was conducted to identify locations for adult women’s literacy classes, as well as a nutrition rehabilitation centre for children under the age of 5.

The survey was conducted with the involvement of community health, education and development workers, village headmasters and extension workers from Kano Agriculture and Rural Development (KNARDA) in Dambatta. A workshop was conducted with participants prior to the survey, and another one will be carried out to discuss the findings. Watch this space for future developments.

FORWARD Nigeria started last year and is funded by the National Lotteries Charity Board, DFID and the Baring Foundation. The project is aimed at raising the level of women’s health, education, economic and nutritional status to enable them to participate in the sustainable development process in Dambatta.