Introduction

Women and youth care empowerment initiative as part of her mandate visited Avutu Obowo Women during the February meeting held at the Obiri Obowo on the 2nd of February 2020. About forty-seven women were present at the meeting. WAYCE was introduced to the group.  The women were sensitized to the negative effect of drugs and substance abuse. 

Executive Summary

Women and mothers are believed to be closer to their children.  Women and Youth Care Empowerment Initiative (WAYC) understand this fact and therefore leverages that relationship. WAYC extended its awareness creation to Avutu Women residents in Abuja on the 2nd of February 2020. The meeting which was held at the Obiri Obowu I Abuja had in attendance about forty-seven women. 

The main purposes of the sensitization program by team WAYCE were: 

  1. To sensitize the women on why they should not engage in any form of drugs and substance abuse either by buying or selling drugs and substances.
  2. Educating and sensitizing the women on why they should be close and friendly to their children, wards, and husbands in other to discover the early changes of misbehavior associated with substance abuse and other social ills.
  3. Awareness of the negative effects of hard drugs on the health and future well-being of the youths.

Activities Conducted

  1. A meeting of the Executive officers of WAYC was held, where the decision to carry out the sensitization program was taken.
  2. There was a follow-up by the ED WAYC with the president of the Avutu Women Organization to ensure that the program was actualized.  There were follow-up calls
  3. A printer was engaged to make fliers, posters, and t-shirts ahead of the program.

Key Findings

Changing trends and events have created a huge gap in child upbringing. Most parents are engaged in white-collar jobs while the children have little or no home training.  Children at a very tender age are left to train themselves.  There is a huge lack of childcare and upbringing. 

  1. Some women over-pamper their children to the tone that they cannot question them when they start involved in wrong associations and unruly behavior.
  2. Women are too occupied this day with economic activities thereby leaving the future of their children in hands of strangers in form of nannies.

Summary

The sensitization outreach implementation was a success as the women were so happy getting such a level of knowledge impartation from team WAYCE and requested more future outreaches to their union as expressed by their president general and they promised to put everything they have learned from team WAYC into practice in their homes and in the life of their children and wards, especially their youths.

WAYC created awareness among the women present at the meeting of the consequences of drug and substance abuse.  Women and youth engage in drug abuse for several reasons not understanding the negative effect on their health.  The women were encouraged to monitor what their children do especially children in higher institutions to ensure that the children and youth did not get involved in substance abuse resulting in school dropouts.

The President of the Abuja Women Association thanked the WAYCE team that conducted the sensitization program, and to create awareness and improve the consciousness of women on what some of the youths do these days, extended its sensitization program to Avutu women residents in Abuja.  Avutu women totaling about forty-seven in their meeting held on 2nd February 2020 were informed by WAYCE of the reason some youths drop out of School.  Many of them get themselves involved with those who we believe are the closest friends to their children and husband. They are also known as the managers of their respective homes. Their awareness was based on the negative effects of either the women and their youths or husband engaging in hard drugs, illicit drugs, or abuse of normal drugs.

The admin manager of WAYC wrote to the president general of the Avutu women association requesting their permission for the visit.

The union accepted and gave approval to WAYC by communicating their acceptance to WAYC via a written letter. The sensitization visit took place on 2nd January 2020.

The project was carried out by the executive director, admin manager, project manager, and director of health services.