The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Bauchi state government have begun training of 120 youth volunteers on real time monitoring of the Child Friendly Community Initiative (CFCI) project in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project is being implemented in collaboration with a Bauchi based NGO, Fahimta, Women and Youth Development Initiative (FAWOYDI).
Speaking at the commencement of the training in Bauchi, on Tuesday, Alhaji Aminu Hamayyo, Bauchi state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, stated that the project supports communities in realizing the rights of children at the local level.
He also explained that the project comprised government and other stakeholders, including civil society organizations, private sector, academia, the media and children who wished to make their communities more child friendly.
“It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this training for the volunteers and supervisors of real time data collection for the Child Friendly Community Initiative in Toro Local Government Area.
“I want to sincerely thank the organizers for this training and for choosing Bauchi as one of the pilot states for this unique intervention, which seeks to address different challenges in the community.
“As you are all aware, the Child Friendly Community Initiative is a UNICEF initiative that supports communities in realizing the rights of children at the local level,” he said.
Hammayo further explained that the project aimed to empower and strengthen the capacity of local governments and rural communities to adopt child-centred attitudes, behaviours, practices, while improving access to basic services that promote child well-being and development.
He added that the training couldn’t have come at a better time than now when the state was faced with the challenges of malnutrition, out of school children, high rate of infant and child mortality, among others.
The commissioner noted that the training was also organized with a view to ensuring the collection of house to house data on access to basic services, including basic education, healthcare, nutrition, water and sanitation as well as child protection.
Similarly, he added that the project would provide adequate information for inclusiveness and broader coverage so as to address current challenges faced by children and women in Toro LG, in order to improve the situation and ensure that children had a say in decision making processes affecting them.
“At this juncture, I want to appreciate UNICEF for the continuous support in different sectors.
” I also want to appreciate and congratulate the volunteers for their commitment to ensuring the improved well-being of our people,” said the commissioner.
Also speaking, Mr. Tushar Rane, UNICEF Chief of Bauchi Field Office, said that the child friendly volunteers’ programme was aimed at empowering communities to achieve the set objectives of child survival, through routine immunization and other health related issues.
He said that the programme was aligned with the Generation Next project, which is focused on the development of the child from infancy to adulthood by ensuring that every necessary health activity was duly followed and adhered to.
Rane also said that besides Bauchi, there were two other states –Cross River and Lagos State — involved in the initiative in Nigeria, adding that the experience from Bauchi state had been so enriching to the other two states.
“This is a very good initiative and something which is very dear to my heart.
“Through this initiative, there will be lots of innovations that will take place. There will be a digital lab, there will be a youth market place where we get to learn from each other, among others,” he said.
Also speaking, Hajiya Maryam Garba, the Director, FAWOYDI, said that the 120 Youth Volunteers were selected across the 20 communities in Toro LGA.
She added that six youths were selected in each community to be responsible for growth monitoring, promotion exercise, household mapping, amongst other activities, while thanking UNICEF for making the organization part of the project. (NAN)
