By Grace Ketefe | Executive Director
The year 2019 was indeed an exciting and ground breaking year for us at the Cece Yara Foundation, we are glad to announce that through our Safe Kids Awareness and Prevention Program we have trained over 25,000 children to keep themselves safe. We strengthened network with different societal actors’, government and non- governmental organisation both at the local and international level to promote the realization of children’s rights.
We could not achieve this great feat without our supporters and partners. We believe that partnerships are key to delivering on our goal to create a safe and happy childhood for every Nigerian Child - free from sexual abuse with easy access to care, information, protection and emergency intervention. In the coming period, we want to truly ‘walk the talk’ by empowering our adults and professionals to take steps to prevent and react responsibly to cases of child sexual abuse.
Thanks to all our partners, supporters, donors and volunteers, who made these feats possible. We are just starting and we hope to do more in the coming period.
1. Child Helpline
Till date the child helpline have recorded 12639 calls from 5488 caller’s person comprising of children and adults in 36 states of Nigeria, Canada, Italy and United State of America reporting concerns about child protection issues.
2. Cece Yara Adult Child Protection Awareness Prevention Program -
Our Adult Awareness Creation Program which started in 2019 has empowered 2145 Adults- community stakeholders (traditional, religious and community based organisations) and education professionals.
3. Safe Kids Awareness Program
Till date, 25241 children from 89 child centered institutions across 12 LGA’s in Lagos State have been empowered- equipped with safety skills - recognizing sexual abuse, how to get help, and being assertive about body boundaries.
4. Cece Yara at French Village International, Badagry
CYF is passionate about ensuring that every child in Lagos State is protected from sexual abuse irrespective of race, ethnicity, and religion. Distance was not considered a barrier at all as CYF went all the way to the Nigerian Border to Republic of Benin to empower children with the knowledge of the Underwear Rule, Body Safety and how to be assertive in stopping a perpetrator who may want to sexually abuse them.
5. Our multi-disciplinary Team at work - A unique Way of Caring for our Clients
Our Multi-Disciplinary Team interfaces with child protection stakeholders; and enable a coordinated multi-disciplinary approach by lawyers, forensic interviewers, social workers, child advocates, medical personnel, the police, State Child Welfare Departments and the Ministry of justice. The Team has since inception attended to a total of 670 cases of child abuse; Sexual, Physical, Neglect have been reported to the Foundation through its channels (Social media, Child Helpline, Walk-in, Office lines, outreaches etc.)
71 cases were referred to partner agencies. These are cases involving children not residing in Lagos and adults whose case is beyond our scope of operation.
6. Cece Yara Children Shelter
Till date, our child friendly shelter have provided temporary home for over 15 children who need to be urgently removed from an offending environment.
7. Sensitizing the World in One Minute
The Cece Yara Foundation through her awareness prevention program in collaboration with its partners produced a one-minute video to drive home the point that adults need to protect children and desist from violating them. CYF stated that abusers violate children because they do not see them as children that they are. CYF further emphasized that adults need to recognize the signs of abuse and know how to protect children from abuse.
8. International Day of the Girl Child 2019
On Friday, 11th October 2019, CYF joined her partners all over the world to mark the International Day of the Girl Child for the year 2019 tagged: Girl Force- Unscripted and Unstoppable.
CYF used the medium to raise the awareness of burden the female folks face in Nigeria. The statistics of the girls being affected by Sexual Violence, Child Marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation was also made available for all to see, be informed and take action.
Also, in Commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, Cece Team on the 12th of October facilitated sessions on Gender inequality and teen relationship at the prestigious Atlantic Hall School with over 367 girls in attendance.
9. Award and Recognitions!!!!!
Appreciation Award - On the 12th of October, 2019, Atlantic Hall Schools Educational Trust Council presented an award to the Cece Yara foundation as a show of appreciation for the foundation’s passion and effort in fighting against sexual abuse
Not-for -Profit of the Year Nominee - The Cece Yara Foundation was super thrilled to be amongst the final Nominees - Not- for-Profit of the Year category of the 2019 Sustainability and Enterprise and Responsibility (SERAS) awards in Nigeria.
10. Training Opportunity for Staff
In order to increase staff capacity to respond to Child sexual abuse cases, staff were provided with opportunity to attend various online and offline trainings. Our Staff participated in a 5-day training of Stakeholders on Child Online Protection: Consumer Awareness on Cybercrimes held in Abuja between 7th and 11th October, 2019.
11. Feedback from Our Clients
A feedback system is required for every organization to evaluate its impact and identify positive areas of its services, as well as areas that need improvement. This we do at the Cece Yara Foundation with the aim of ensuring a better service delivery.
A client has this to say “Cece Yara made me feel at home and mum stopped blaming me for the abuse. I like the home work Doctor gave to us…Please help other children like me”.
This is an unedited testimony given by our client. It has strengthened our commitment to helping children round the clock throughout the year.
12. Union Bank’s Edu 360
Edu 360 is a yearly event organized by Union Bank to engage key education stakeholders across government, civil society, private sector and education institutions. At this year’s event The Founder Trustee of the Cece Yara Foundation, Mrs. Bola Tinubu was amongst the stakeholders who were invited.
She educated the guests on sex education, talking to children about sex and adult’s responsibility in protecting children.
13. Exclusive Screening of the Cece Yara Stories-A documentary Film on Child Sexual Abuse
On the 27th of October, 2019, the Cece Yara Foundation screened her documentary film on child sexual abuse. The documentary film is a collection of real-life stories given by survivors who have healed to raise awareness of child sexual abuse and to encourage other survivors to seek professional help.
Present at the screening were government officials, dignitaries, child protection stakeholders and philanthropists. The guests were highly impressed and expressed their commitment to support Cece Yara in this war against child sexual abuse.
14. UNDP/ Wellbeing Foundation High Level Meeting
Our Founder, Mrs. Bola Tinubu was present at the high-level roundtable stakeholder’s engagement; involving Private sectors, Philanthropists, Multi-level stakeholders which was organized by United Nations Population Found in collaboration with Wellbeing Foundation Africa. This event tagged Road to Nairobi ICPD25 also welcomed UNFPA Director of Strategic Partnerships, Maria-Rosa Cutillo to Nigeria.
15 Cece Yara, Rise Up Advocacy Group Meets with DG Office of the Education Quality Assurance for Effective Implementation of Child Protection Policy in Lagos State
Under this reporting period, Rise Up Advocacy Group comprising of child protection stakeholders was established. This advocacy group includes representatives from Human Development Initiative (HDI), Sustainable Education and Enterprise Development (SEED), Teach for Nigeria and other child protection stakeholders.
The group aimed at addressing the alarming and growing trend of defilement, child abuse and maltreatment of children by engaging key decision makers and making them accountable.
On the 9th December 2019 the Cece Yara, Rise Up Advocacy Group engaged the Director General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, - Mrs. Biola Seriki-Ayeni, and other officials to strategize on effective implementation of child protection Policy in Lagos State Schools.
The Director General pledged Ministry ‘s full support to work with the group, she further enlarge the group to include government officials and endorsed the group as the “Technical Working Group”. The group will hold quarterly meeting with the office of Quality Assurance to strategize, review the program and activities for effective implementation of the Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
16. Empowering our Education Professionals to effectively Implement Child Protection Policy in Child Friendly Institutions
Cece Yara Foundation in collaboration with Rise Up and with support of Public Health Institution in December 2019 trained 100 education professionals (from 50 pilot schools) who would serve as Child Protection Officers to ensure the effective implementation of the Lagos State Safeguarding and child Protection policies. This training is crucial in addressing the alarming and growing trend of defilement, child abuse and maltreatment by creating and enforcing a management system that provides a safe environment for children in child-centered institution; particularly in schools. Sole Administrator of an Education District stated “this is a very wonderful initiative and I will want it extended to other Education District in Lagos State.”
Some of the participants that attended the training for educational professionals to effectively Implement Child Protection Policy in Child Friendly Institutions
17. Cece Yara Team Participated at the | “Walk to Commit and Act” organised by the Lagos State Government
On the 26th of November, 2019, The Cece Yara Foundation joined the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Heads of Judiciary and Legislature, Top Government Officials, Government Agencies, as well as other Gender Based Violence Prevention Stakeholders for a walk against Domestic and Sexual Violence tagged “Walk to Commit and Act”. This event was initiated by the Domestic and Sexual Violence response Team to raise awareness on domestic and sexual violence.
18. 30th Anniversary of the convention of the rights of the child
We were honored to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at an evening of Art and Poetry hosted by British Deputy High Commission, Harriet Thomson, in conjunction with UNICEF Nigeria. The highlight was a special poetry reading by Professor Wole Soyinka to commemorate the anniversary. Child Rights is serious and it’s for all to protect.
19. Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARCs) Network Conference
Cece Yara Foundation was live at the 5th Annual SARCs Network Conference held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja on the 4th-6th December 2019.
At the event, Mrs. Bisi Ajayi-Kayode-Assistant Director of the Foundation had a presentation on “tailoring of services to include children”. In her talks she emphasize the need to have an effective child protection policy in all the 36 states of the federation
20. Cece Yara Foundations Partnership with Sustainable Education and Enterprise Development (SEED)
In working to ensure every child has access to a safe and happy childhood free of sexual abuse; irrespective of social class or background, CYF and SEED signed a partnership agreement to jointly equip over 700 schools from low income communities and support them in implementing The Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. These schools are low cost schools providing education to children with low standard of living. The Cece Yara Foundation Team and SEED’s representative signing the MoU.
21. No Tolerance Walk with WARIF
On Saturday 7th December 2019, members of the Cece Yara Team joined Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) and over 800 people from various organisations and Institutions on a NO TOLERANCE march against rape and sexual violence in Nigeria. This awareness is a very important step towards sexual violence prevention.
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