*shares pathetic story of rape victims
By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
Following
the increasing rate of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), especially rape of minors and young girls in Kaduna State, Basileia Vulnerable Persons Rights Initiative (BVPRI), an NGO that has been promoting the full realization of the rights and potentials of vulnerable population has launched N1m fund raising campaign for psychosocial support for victims.
Disturbing spate of these violence is what has propelled the NGO to start raising funds to support the victims of this inhumane and degrading act as part of her activities to mark the 16days of activism against Gender Based Violence.
Narrating the pathetic stories of victims and why they are solicit for financial support, when she paid a visit to the office of Center for Media Advocacy for Mother and Child (CAMAC), Executive Director, of BVPRI, Barrister Jennifer Agbaji, said providing survivors with psycho-social support would help them regain self confidence and reunite with their communities.
CAMAC is a media advocacy group that focuses on advocating for policies and programmes that favour vulnerable women, adolescent girls and children in areas of education, health, child’s rights, protection, development and survival, while also drawing the attention of government and other stakeholders to their plight, with the view to finding lasting solutions to their problem. As well as creating awareness and sensitizing the public on the above areas.
In a message circulating on all social media platforms, titled: “My Shameless Plea” the NGO said “i want to plead with you to help me raise funds to make life meaningful for this girls again! There are many Khadijah and Fidausi out there in need of urgent help.
“My name is Barr(Mrs) Jennifer Yere Agbaji. Join me to support rape survivors in Northern Nigeria!!!
In February 2021, the NGO raised an alarm over the rape of a 5 years minor, Mari (real name withheld), in her school in Zaria, Kaduna State. Mari, who is a primary 1 pupil of Falcon International School, Zaria, was defiled at the school premises on the 17th of February 2021, without the school management and security agencies doing anything substantive to track the rapist.
The negligence of both Police and the School Management, prompted the NGO, to take up the matter and petition the State Commissioner of Education, seeking the commission to make the school accountable for the rape if they can not provide the rapist.
The petition dated 3rd March 2021, addressed to the Commissioner with the heading: “Rape/Defilement Of 5year Mari (not original name) Who Was Severely Injured While In The Premises Of An Educational Institution As A Pupil Of The Same”, signed by Jennifer Agbaji, read in part “with the greatest respect Sir, we hope priority attention is given to this matter as the school needs to be accountable for any child in their custody as schools are supposed to be safe spaces for children. We are ready and available to provide additional information and records you would need.
Another rape issue the NGO took up was that of Hakuri, (real name withheld) which Barr Agbaji, explained she met on Friday 15th of October 2021, at about 7:30pm sitting alone with her head bowed at Kabama layout, Zaria.
She said when she approached Hakuri, who spoke in Hausa language, the first thing she said was “zan gayamaki komi ina so in samu wurin in kwanta” meaning I will tell you everything, I just want a place to sleep.
Agbaji, added “according to her she was given some substance and she doesn’t know what else happened to her. She equally asked” A ina neke?” “where am I?” she was told that she was in Zaria, seeing the states that she was in she was taken to our girls center for GBV survivor.
“We then called the local vigilante in the area who came immediately and advised that she should be taken to the police station, seeing the state she was in it was clear the police station was not were she ought to be kept and the vigilante also affirmed the fears when she took her bath, and couldn’t eat but kept asking for water, she hardly slept through the whole night she kept saying “ ina so inyi baci ama bazan iya yi ba” meaning I want to sleep but I cant.
“Through questioning I gathered information about her house and sent it on a whatsapp platform of the GBV Actors in Kaduna State and the search began for her family, by morning her family was traced in Kano. Information about her whereabout made her family travel down to Zaria by Saturday noon. They said they haven’t seen her for over three years within that time her mum had died without her knowledge.
“In the morning she joined other girls for activities but was withdrawn and will not mingle with them, showing she is in dare need of psychosocial support. Her father and two other uncles came later to pick her; at the sight of her father she immediately broke down in tears. she returned with them and was visited in Kano where she revealed that said she wants to go back to school.”
She noted that the willingness of the 5years minor to share the story what happened to her was amazing and it is what prompted the need to monitor Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) survivor role switch from victims to united voices.
“We do counselling, referrals and support them financially also care packs are given to them, we also monitor and ensure justice is done where the police is relax we write petition to relevant authorities and do advocacies too.
“We now want to have a wholistic support system that’s why we are raising N1m so we can also train more volunteers that will continue to give phychosocial support to the survivors.” She said.
These and more is what propelled the NGO to start a campaign to raise funds to provide psycho-social support for SGBV survivors, according to the Executive Director and is flexible people can support with any amount no amount is irrelevant through the
Disturbing spate of these violence is what has propelled the NGO to start raising funds to support the victims of this inhumane and degrading act as part of her activities to mark the 16days of activism against Gender Based Violence.
Narrating the pathetic stories of victims and why they are solicit for financial support, when she paid a visit to the office of Center for Media Advocacy for Mother and Child (CAMAC), Executive Director, of BVPRI, Barrister Jennifer Agbaji, said providing survivors with psycho-social support would help them regain self confidence and reunite with their communities.
CAMAC is a media advocacy group that focuses on advocating for policies and programmes that favour vulnerable women, adolescent girls and children in areas of education, health, child’s rights, protection, development and survival, while also drawing the attention of government and other stakeholders to their plight, with the view to finding lasting solutions to their problem. As well as creating awareness and sensitizing the public on the above areas.
In a message circulating on all social media platforms, titled: “My Shameless Plea” the NGO said “i want to plead with you to help me raise funds to make life meaningful for this girls again! There are many Khadijah and Fidausi out there in need of urgent help.
“My name is Barr(Mrs) Jennifer Yere Agbaji. Join me to support rape survivors in Northern Nigeria!!!
In February 2021, the NGO raised an alarm over the rape of a 5 years minor, Mari (real name withheld), in her school in Zaria, Kaduna State. Mari, who is a primary 1 pupil of Falcon International School, Zaria, was defiled at the school premises on the 17th of February 2021, without the school management and security agencies doing anything substantive to track the rapist.
The negligence of both Police and the School Management, prompted the NGO, to take up the matter and petition the State Commissioner of Education, seeking the commission to make the school accountable for the rape if they can not provide the rapist.
The petition dated 3rd March 2021, addressed to the Commissioner with the heading: “Rape/Defilement Of 5year Mari (not original name) Who Was Severely Injured While In The Premises Of An Educational Institution As A Pupil Of The Same”, signed by Jennifer Agbaji, read in part “with the greatest respect Sir, we hope priority attention is given to this matter as the school needs to be accountable for any child in their custody as schools are supposed to be safe spaces for children. We are ready and available to provide additional information and records you would need.
Another rape issue the NGO took up was that of Hakuri, (real name withheld) which Barr Agbaji, explained she met on Friday 15th of October 2021, at about 7:30pm sitting alone with her head bowed at Kabama layout, Zaria.
She said when she approached Hakuri, who spoke in Hausa language, the first thing she said was “zan gayamaki komi ina so in samu wurin in kwanta” meaning I will tell you everything, I just want a place to sleep.
Agbaji, added “according to her she was given some substance and she doesn’t know what else happened to her. She equally asked” A ina neke?” “where am I?” she was told that she was in Zaria, seeing the states that she was in she was taken to our girls center for GBV survivor.
“We then called the local vigilante in the area who came immediately and advised that she should be taken to the police station, seeing the state she was in it was clear the police station was not were she ought to be kept and the vigilante also affirmed the fears when she took her bath, and couldn’t eat but kept asking for water, she hardly slept through the whole night she kept saying “ ina so inyi baci ama bazan iya yi ba” meaning I want to sleep but I cant.
“Through questioning I gathered information about her house and sent it on a whatsapp platform of the GBV Actors in Kaduna State and the search began for her family, by morning her family was traced in Kano. Information about her whereabout made her family travel down to Zaria by Saturday noon. They said they haven’t seen her for over three years within that time her mum had died without her knowledge.
“In the morning she joined other girls for activities but was withdrawn and will not mingle with them, showing she is in dare need of psychosocial support. Her father and two other uncles came later to pick her; at the sight of her father she immediately broke down in tears. she returned with them and was visited in Kano where she revealed that said she wants to go back to school.”
She noted that the willingness of the 5years minor to share the story what happened to her was amazing and it is what prompted the need to monitor Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) survivor role switch from victims to united voices.
“We do counselling, referrals and support them financially also care packs are given to them, we also monitor and ensure justice is done where the police is relax we write petition to relevant authorities and do advocacies too.
“We now want to have a wholistic support system that’s why we are raising N1m so we can also train more volunteers that will continue to give phychosocial support to the survivors.” She said.
These and more is what propelled the NGO to start a campaign to raise funds to provide psycho-social support for SGBV survivors, according to the Executive Director and is flexible people can support with any amount no amount is irrelevant through the
donate link:
https://donate-ng.com/campaign/phychosocial-support-for-gbv-survivors
