By Philip Yatai

The Enhancing Communities Action for Peace and Better Health Initiative (e-CAPH), has trained 30 adolescents and young people to champion the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH).

The Executive Director of the NGO, Mr Yusha’u Abubakar, made this known in an Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Monday.

Abubakar explained that the adolescents and young people were trained in Tudun Wada, Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

He added that the participants were trained on how to use technology, particularly Kobo Collect to document data on GBV and SRH related issues in their community.

He said that the training was part of 16-day activism against gender-based violence, adding that similar training would be conducted for adolescents in Kabala West, Igabi LGA.

He said that Kabala west and Tudun Wada, both semi-urban communities have a population of women and girls with low literacy level, low access to sexual reproductive health services and information about sexuality.

This according to him, is contributing to the increased rate of unsafe abortion among adolescent and young girls, unplan pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS.

“There is equally high rate of GBV, ranging from rape, emotional, and physical violence due to poor sex education, particularly among adolescents.

“The champions will create the needed awareness on GBV and SRH, facilitate access to legal services, support, counselling, and protection to the survivors.

“They will equally serve as accountability mechanisms through the monitoring and reporting of GBV incidence in their respective communities as well as ensuring justice is served and providing feedback to communities.”

Abubakar added that the effort would improve access to antenatal care (ANC), and family planning services in Kabala West and Tudun Wada communities.

He said that the Ngo would also establish a facility-community relation for adolescents, young people and women of reproductive age to freely report GBV cases, refer clients for ANC and access family planning services.

“This in the long run will improve facility delivery, uptake of family planning service and reproductive health information among women of reproductive age, adolescents and young people,” he said.

The executive director also said that the NGO rounded up the 16-day activism against GBV with a rally to create more awareness about the social menace.