WEP TRAINS FARMING COMMUNITIES ON THE PRODUCTION OF ORGANIC PESTICIDE

Farmers from Dobi and Pagadna communities in Gwagwalada have undergone a training on the production of organic pesticide organized by Women Environmental Programme (WEP) as part of activities on the Global Environment Facility – Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) funded project “Controlling Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides Use through Organic Farming in Dobi and Padgana Communities in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, FCT”. The project is aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and combating climate change through the adoption of organic farming practices in the farming communities.

Farming in Dobi and Pagadna communities is characterized by heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Unfortunately, pesticides and chemical fertilizers contain Persistent Organic Pollutant (POPs) which are detrimental to humans and the environment. The confirmed use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides portend danger to the soil, biodiversity and health of members of the target communities as many studies have shown.

The goal of the training is to facilitate the adoption of organic farming practices in the communities. We hope to stop/reduce the use of hazardous chemicals for farming thereby reducing their release into the environment in the target communities in so doing, improving human and environmental health.

Organic materials used for the production of pesticide include: Neem leaves & seeds, onions, pepper and local black soap. The farming community was enthusiastic about ditching chemicals for a more environmental and health friendly method of farming that saves cost and adds more value to farm produce.

WEP’s EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECEIVES ANOTHER AWARD AT THE HIGH LEVEL SYMPOSIUM ON SDG 6

 

The Executive Director, Women Environmental Programme (WEP), Priscilla Achakpa, has received another award in addition to her catalogues of awards.

This award was presented to her during the High Level Symposium on SDG 6 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, which held from 9^th – 11^th August, 2016. Over a thousand people including government officials, water policy experts, businesses, and civil society representatives gathered to discuss how to implement SDG 6.

This award is in recognition of her laudable contributions at national, regional and global levels to ensuring that no one is left behind in access to water and sanitation.

Priscilla Achakpa is an Ashoka Fellow, and currently the National Coordinator, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, Nigeria; and the Regional Focal Point, West and Central Africa for GEF-CSOs Network.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT WEP: Application open for Communications Officer & Programme Officer

Women Environmental Programme (WEP) seeks to recruit a Communications Officer who is tech-savvy and a Programme Officer (preferably female) with science background to join the team.

Interested and qualified persons should send their application to recruitment@wepnigeria.net

Application closes on Friday, 20th August 2021.

Female applicants are encouraged to apply.

Job Location: Abuja, Nigeria.

INTERNATIONAL GIRLS IN ICT DAY 2021 – Connected Girls; Creating Brighter Futures

Availability and effective usage of Information and communication technologies is essential in transforming lives, building communities, strengthening economies and addressing many world challenges. Digital technology has taken heightened importance since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic; enabling the world to stay connected and keeping essential services and businesses going.

However, girls and women in developing countries have less access to modern technology and the internet compared to boys and men. Studies show a 17% gender gap in internet use globally. Unfortunately, this gender digital divide is reinforcing gender inequalities by denying women and girls opportunities to access education, find better-paid jobs, and start new businesses.

The International Girls in ICT Day aims to inspire a global movement to increase the representation of girls and women in technology. Today, we recommit to the goal of equal access for young women and girls to opportunities in science, technology, engineering and all ICT oriented disciplines.

Women Environmental Programme (WEP) joins the global effort to raise awareness on empowering and encouraging girls and young women to consider studies and careers in ICT. WEP recognizes that girls are the future and in line with her mandate to transform lives positively, she has established twenty (20) Solar-Powered Digital Computer Laboratories across schools in six (6) LGAs of Benue state to empower and develop students especially young girls so that they can improve the living conditions of the communities in which they live in.

TWO-DAY INTENSIVE CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING FOR WEP STAFF

Women Environmental Programme (WEP) staff participated in a two-day intensive capacity training on communication skills & digital communication and strategic partnership and networking on the 6^th – 7^th April 2021 at Brookville Hotel and Suites, Lokogoma, Abuja. The capacity building workshop was an opportunity for the development of WEP staff in communication skills to learn new strategic ways to engage with partners and beneficiaries. WEP is already successfully leveraging on her relationship with stakeholders and partners to create new programming initiatives  and build her reputation further within the development sector.

The training on communication skills & digital communication gave staff in-depth insight on how emerging communication skills can be effectively used to communicate WEP’s work using digital tools and processes with the aim of improving the organization’s visibility.

The strategic partnership and networking training focused on strategies that could be used to leverage on the existing relationships with partners & donors, and also fundamentals of proposal development process as key drivers to resource mobilization and sustainability of the organization. Some of the key lessons was that a proposal developer must demonstrate an adequate knowledge and understanding of the problem, context of problem the proposal seeks to address. Also, components of a proposal development were reiterated for emphasis; development of a log frame, Innovation, Value for Money and other cross cutting issues, budgeting and importantly networking and strategic partnership building for fund raising.

This capacity building workshop is part of the Resilient Organizations in Changing Civic Spaces (ROCCS) Assessment to gauge organizations preparedness for sudden changes in their operating environment. The ROCCS Assessment has been an opportunity for joint reflection and discussion amongst WEP staff and the resiliency Coaching Team. This exercise is aimed at the identification and implementation of short and mid-term strategies that can contribute to increase WEP’s resiliency.  It promises to strengthen capacity and enable WEP adapt swiftly and purposefully to sudden changes or shocks to the civic space and its operating environment to survive and also thrive in uncertain environments.

Sixteen (16) WEP staff representing the various departments i.e. programs, human resource, accounting departments, as well as auxiliary staff  participated actively in the capacity training. This capacity development activity has increased knowledge and creative mind-sets of WEP staff.

Nominations for The Earthshot Prize

We are delighted to announce our role as Nominator on the Earthshot Prize Council to facilitate the search and selection process for the first winners of the most prestigious global environment prize in history. The Earthshot Prize Council is a global list of influential individuals from a wide range of different sectors, all of whom are committed to championing positive action in the environmental space. 

The Earthshot Prize is centered around five Earthshots which aim to inspire innovation and support those who come up with the brightest ideas to save our planet. This new global prize for the environment will incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years – a critical decade for the Earth. 

Nominators have been invited to officially submit nominations of those individuals, communities, businesses and organisations whose solutions make the most progress towards achieving simple but ambitious goals which if achieved by 2030 will improve life for us all and for generations to come. The five Earthshots include:

1. Protect and restore nature.

2. Clean our air.

3. Revive our oceans.

4. Build a waste-free world.

5. Fix our climate. 

Through this platform, five winners will be awarded one million pounds prize each year between 2021 and 2030 while providing at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest environmental problems.  

The search is on. If you know any incredible work being done by the category listed above, kindly contact us or share such information with us via email

Info@wepnigeria.net

Wep2002@hotmail.com 

For more information about the nomination and selection process of the award, visit earthshotprize.org 

WEP ESTABLISHES SOLAR-POWERED DIGITAL CREATIVE LABS IN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Lack of skills coupled with the absence of opportunities for growth and development is a catalyst to violent extremism in communities. Young boys and girls without sustainable expertise and abilities are susceptible to be lured into perpetrating criminal and violent acts. As part of efforts to cushion the aggravation of young children in communities being radicalized and recruited into violent sects, Women Environmental Programme (WEP) has established Solar-powered Digital/Creative Computer Laboratories in secondary schools across Ado, Agatu, Buruku, Guma, Logo and kwande LGAs of Benue state.

                                 

This intervention is funded by Global Community for Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) on her PVE project “Connecting Women and Children in Violent Extremist prone areas through empowerment and Skills Acquisition Phase II”. The aim of these laboratories is to reduce the vulnerability of young boys and girls succumbing to violent extremist groups. It is expected that these facilities will harness the skill set of students in secondary schools and also offer computer skills, knowledge and training to them in a way that renders them useful to themselves and their communities while they are in and out of school. We believe enhanced skills will better the prospects of these young children and makes them less liable to recruitment and radicalization to violent extremism.

                           

                           

WEP SETS UP MENTORSHIP GROUPS FOR YOUTHS IN BENUE COMMUNITIES

Women Environmental Programme (WEP) is building the capacities of young men and women to become more resilient to radicalization to violent extremism by enhancing their sense of belonging and self-worth. WEP is effectively instilling a sense of purpose and providing guidance to these youths through monthly mentorship sessions in their communities.

            These meetings provide a platform for mentees to engage, learn, share knowledge and experiences from their everyday lives. They are imparted with skills and knowledge to build a purposeful life and cope with daily challenges. Participants are mentored to highly value diversity, unity and social justice in community development and nation building. We expect that these youths will be resistant to promote or perpetrate violence acts.

                                 

This mentorship programme is part of WEP’s intervention under the project “Connecting Women and Youth in Violent Extremist Prone Areas Through Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Phase II” being implemented in Ado, Agatu, Buruku, Guma, Logo and Kwande LGAs of Benue state with funding from Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).

                          

WEP ESTABLISHES PEACE CLUBS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The prevalent level of crime, violence and terrorism across the country today is a great concern. Insecurity has devastating impacts on community life particularly as peace is a prerequisite for development and social change. The porous state of existing security structures and the inadequacy of peace builders are continually fostering violence extremism in communities.

In line with her mandate to build safer and peaceful communities, Women Environmental Programme (WEP) is nurturing young boys and girls as peace ambassadors to advocate for peace within and outside their communities. These young children are being trained on peace building in Peace Clubs set up in their schools. They are imparted with knowledge on lasting solutions to resolving conflicts. The peace clubs are expected to equip school children with the requisite attitude and skill to fight crime, shun violence, promote peace and resist extremist ideologies.

                        

These peace clubs are running in various secondary schools across Ado, Agatu, Buruku, Guma, Logo and Kwande LGAs of Benue state. This initiative is an intervention under the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) funded PVE project “Connecting Women and Children in Violent Extremist prone areas through empowerment and Skills Acquisition Phase II”

              

WEP TRAINS COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR) MECHANISMS

Existing conflicts are prominent drivers of violence extremism. Extremist groups are known to leverage on grievances from existing conflicts within and outside communities to gain access and recruit members to violent sects to cause unrest.

In order to strengthen resilience to radicalization and recruitment to violent sects, Women Environmental Programme (WEP) has built the capacities of locals from various communities in Ado, Agatu, Buruku, Guma, Logo and Kwande LGAs of Benue state to resolve disputes without them escalating into violent confrontations that violent extremist groups can latch on to perpetrate violence and recruit young women and young men into their ranks. These Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanisms trainings highlighted the effectiveness of negotiation/mediation in resolving issues like land disputes, communal conflicts and border disputes without necessarily seeking litigation or starting conflicts.

            

Participants of these trainings comprised of local government administrators and traditional rulers. These trainings are a part of activities under WEP’s PVE intervention funded by Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) in Benue state.