By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The village head of Kudansa in Maraban Rido Community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr Auta Ganyi, has assured the International Alert (IA) and Global Peace Development (GPD) of a space meant to train women and girls in the area.
The Safe Space, an assault referral centre, is meant to serve as a place where the female gender can be come together to discuss issues of their importance with a view to finding lasting solutions to their challenges.
The Senior Project Officer of IA, Sunday Jimoh told newsmen on Thursday at Kudansa after the meeting with the traditional leader, that the IA in collaboration with the Global Peace Development have been able to train the first responders that would take care of the center and provide psychosocial and psychological support to survivors of SGBV in the community, hence, the need to have the center take care of them.
He observed that the choice of the community became inevitable in view of the growing cases of SGBV in the area, saying that the move to establish the center became a necessity after several discussions and consideration in order to curb some social problems in the area that affects women and girls.
He added that it informed the meeting with the traditional ruler with a view to enlightening the women and girls on ways they could guard themselves against the future for them to engage in meaningful ventures that will be to their advantage and the society at large.
According to Sunday, “We are here today to have a meeting with the traditional ruler of Kudansa in Maraban Rido community to discuss a partnership towards establishing a safe space for women and girls in the area in order to enlighten them on certain things that will be to their benefit and the entire society.
“We are able to come to an understanding of what the benefits hold for the community when the center comes to stay. The traditional ruler promised to discuss with his council with a view to get back to us on their agreed discussion.”
He thanked the traditional ruler for giving the NGO the listening ear and hope that a place would be allocated to them to ensure their programme takes proper shape for the benefit of the female in order to work together for the overall development of the area.
