Help to Stop Child Sexual Abuse in Nigeria

Cece Yara Foundation Report for September - December 2020

Despite the COVID 19 Pandemic and its resulting challenges, we began this period committed to uphold, protect, and enforce the rights of every child within this nation We worked with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the rights of every child are enforced, albeit, tailored to fit the new crisis context. We were dynamic with some of our activities, providing our Child Protection Training for adults online, equipping them to be responsible adults. We are extremely happy to inform you that we concluded 2020’s activities with the official launch of the Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre in Abuja. We want to use this opportunity say thank you to all child protection stakeholders and partners who have gone the extra miles to ensure that our children are protected from COVID 19 pandemic.    We cannot but say thank you to all our teeming supporters for making us relevant at this period.

 We appreciate all the support we received from our funders, donors, partners, volunteers, supporters, and clients.

We would not have achieved all this alone; we look forward to the amazing year 2021 with you all right by our sides.

The Cece Yara Foundation – Expanding its Child Advocacy Centre and the Northern States

The Foundation officially launched its Abuja Child Advocacy Centre on the 30th of November 2020, making it the second child Advocacy Centre to be established, the first of its Child Advocacy Centre having been established in Lagos about three years ago.

The Honourable Minister for Women Affairs-Dame Pauline K Tallen commissioned the Child Abuja Centre.  The event was graced by the First lady of Ekiti State- Ermelo Bisi Fayemi, First Lady of Kwara State- Dr Mrs Olufalake Abdurazaq, Executive Secretary of the Human Right Commission- Mr Anthony o. Ojukwu, UNICEF child protection specialist- Dr Godwin Odo, and DCP Legal Nigeria Police Force- Mr Abass Ochogwu.

Other activities to commemorate the launch included a visit to an orphanage home and a school where children were equipped with knowledge of their bodies, safe and unsafe touch, and how to report abuse. The second phase was the art exhibition.

Tracking the Menace of Gender-Based Violence in Our Society

In response to the rising cases of gender-based violence in Nigeria and across the world, Access Bank’s‘W’Initiative in partnership with the Nigerian Governors Wives against Gender-Based Violence(NGWA-GBV), recently organised a virtual webinar themed ‘Tackling the menace of gender-based violence in our society’ on the 17^th November 2020, The Founder Trustee of the Cece Yara Foundation Mrs Bola Tinubu and other speakers Her Excellency First lady of Ekiti State- Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Her Excellency Mrs Olufalake Abdurazaq First Lady of Kwara State, Dr Kemi Dasilva-Ibru, the Founder, Women at Risk Foundation(WARIF) spoke at a webinar organized by Access Bank's W Initiative and the Nigerian Governors Wives Against Gender-Based Violence are working together to stand against Gender-Based violence.

The speakers in their discussion focused on the fact that despite increased awareness and violence prevention programs, social norms and beliefs still pose a major challenge to ending gender-based violence in the society. In line with the vision of the ‘ create a society where sexual and gender-based violence is eradicated, the conversation focused on the meaning and types of gender-based violence, contributing factors as well as how to respond, cope and ultimately put an end to the scourge. Mrs Tinubu stressed the fact that the victim of Gender-based violence should speak out and seek help. She also emphasized that Cece Yara Foundation is committed to ensuring that no child is subjected to any form of sexual abuse.

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy Training for over 700 School Counsellors in Lagos State

The Cece Yara Foundation in partnership with Lagos State Ministry of Education held a virtual training for public schools’ Counsellors in the State on the 12^th of August 2020.  The training had in attendance over 700 Counsellors from various local governments. In attendance was also the honourable Commissioner of Education Mrs Folashade Adefisayo. The training was organized to empower Counsellors to handle cases of CSA professionally when schools eventually reopen.  Through this training, the Foundation was able to reach over 200 schools. 

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu swore in Mrs Bola Tinubu as the Chair, Governing Council of the Office of the Public Defender. 

We are happy to announce the appointment of our founder trustee Mrs Bola Tinubu, as the Chairman of the Governing Council of Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD) The Office provides free and qualitative legal services for citizens of Lagos state. This new appointment is a recognition of the impact of the Foundation and her founder trustee are making toward ensuring that citizens of Lagos state get justice irrespective of their socio-economic class. The main objective for the establishment of the OPD was to create an avenue; a forum that will be open to receive and legally deal with issues that affect the socio-economic rights of the indigent residents of Lagos State irrespective of tribal background.

EDU-360 Social Media Engagement

 In partnership with Union Bank on the project Edu 360, the Foundation was able to engage people amid the pandemic via the social media platforms on how to prevent sexual abuse. Short stories were developed to illustrate cases of violence that people could easily relate to. The Child Helpline 0800800801 was also published on our social media, informing adults and children to report cases on the line, this led to increasing in the number of calls and cases of abuse that were reported.

The Safe kid's Awareness Program

As a result of the Global Health Crisis, we were unable to run our programs physically as originally envisaged. We were, however, able to partner with state governments to leverage on radio and television to create increase awareness in Lagos and Abuja.

Through our Safe Kids, Awareness Prevention Program children were equipped with safety skills, knowledge on recognizing sexual abuse, how to get help, and how to be assertive about body boundaries.

An estimated 10 million Nigerians were indirectly reached. 4 million children and 6 million adults had access to the Radio and Television Programs on child protection facilitated by the Cece Yara team. There was no limitation to the number of people participating in the location.

Cece Yara Child-Friendly Shelter

Our shelters are still providing support for children that need to be moved from a hostile environment to a safe space that despite the COVID 19 Pandemic challenges.  The Shelter is still functioning providing the needed interventions for children that need to be urgently moved to a safe space providing them with therapy to help them heal and live a healthy life. During this period, children were referred to the Shelter from the family court and other government agencies. Till date, our child-friendly shelter has provided a temporary home for over 35 children who need to be urgently removed from the offending environment.

Child Helpline Till date the child helpline has recorded 25,000 calls from August 2016 till date which include calls by children and adults from all the 36 states of Nigeria and outside the country.

Cece Yara Adult Child Protection Awareness Prevention Program

Our Adult Awareness Creation Program, which started in 2019, has empowered additional 611 Stakeholders (i.e., traditional, religious, and community-based organization) during this period this reporting period.

Feedback from Our Client

A mother whose child was sexually abused had this to say “I like the way you stood by me all through, the first time I called the child helpline when the matter was documented at the police station and finally charged to court. I do not think I would have stood my ground without your support.  I can now support other women.”