Preventing Violent Extremism Through Economic Empowerment For Young Women
Kahdijat’s Story
For 25 years old Kahdijat Oyiza life is so much better now compared to her previous circumstance.
After losing her father to a prolonged illness in 2010 just before she concluded her secondary education in 2011, kahdijat’s life almost crumbled. She had depended solely on her father to have her needs met, and his sudden death changed everything. It was 8 years of hardship for her family and due to lack of funds, she was unable to enrol for further studies in a higher institution.
In the interim, Kahdijat opted to assist her widowed mother and four other siblings in domestic work including farming which is the major source of income for most families in her community, Ukowa. Despite being the 5th and last child of her parents, she had never resisted going to the farm every day to support her mother because she understood how important it was for her family’s survival. Most times she was bored and unhappy.
“I prayed every day for things to get better. Sometimes I cried because my mother was getting sick and I could not help her. I wanted something better for my family” she sadly narrated.
Having spent all her life in Ukowa, she concluded that anything worthwhile capable of taking her away from her hometown for a while would be good for a change. However, when her friend Hauwa came home from the 2019 Youth Peace Camp organized by ActionAid Nigeria in partnership with Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) and narrated how insightful the camp was, everything she had learnt and the new friends she had made from neighbouring communities, Kahdijat was excited and starting looking forward to opportunities from ActionAid.
As soon as she heard about the skill acquisition programme, she hurriedly registered and was very happy when she was selected. She is currently in one of the training centres learning catering every workday. She buys flour at the local market and practices some of the recipes she has been taught at home. Now she bakes every weekend, sells in Ukowa local market, and makes N2000 profit.
With eyes beaming with smiles she said “I am grateful to ActionAid for this opportunity and for giving me the chance to create a better future for myself. My mother is happy and I am happy that I can now save for my higher education and become a professional food nutritionist”.
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The system and structure strengthening Approach against Radicalisation to Violent Extremism (SARVE II) Project funded by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), with specific focus on Kogi and Nasarawa sates, aims to see community resilience against Violent Extremism strengthened while decreasing the vulnerability of at -risk young men and women.
The Youth Peace Camp is an innovation of the SARVE II Project, set to raise peace ambassadors among youths in vulnerable communities through intensive training and mentoring.
ActionAid Nigeria is implementing the SARVE II project together with partners in Kogi state, Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) and in Nasarawa state, Global Peace Development (GPD) and Beacon Youth Initiative (BYI).
