Production and diffusion of radio on extension topics for the benefit of the rural communities in the 44 LGAs of Kano

“Because of its unrivalled access and its low production costs, radio is the technology that best meets the information and communication needs of farmers, world-wide” For now, radio is a medium of choice to share knowledge for a better world.

Radio programs:

During the previous CTA/WOFAN projects this activity was the main medium for the dissemination of agricultural information and reached a wide coverage. At the end of the three working years experience with CTA the following has been achieved:

•  Both women and men submitted that through rural radio, they increased their interaction with government officials and people in the urban areas:

•  They have been able to promote the idea of peaceful coexistence among themselves and between them and other rural communities.

•  They have kept alive some of their cultural practices and have shared these with those outside their community.

•  They have gained psychological satisfaction by hearing their own voices or those of theirs on air.

•  It has increased the rate of interaction within and between rural community members. This is because they talk more now with and among themselves and this enables them to know themselves more than they hitherto.

•  Community members are also able to air their views on issues that affect them such as leadership roles and translation of election promises into action.

Radio Kano , the State Radio Station, which serves four neighboring states of Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna , Zamfara and parts of the Republic of Niger in addition to the 44 LGAs of Kano will continue to be the choice of these extension radio programs.

The procedure for the radio programs is that first women, youths and farmers' groups are trained by WOFAN on various extension and awareness topics after which group members package their discussions around those topics for the wider listeners of radio Kano giving their concerns and calling on relevant bodies such as government or research institutions to address problems of farmers and their communities.

When important concerns are raised, WOFAN finds appropriate technical support or a follow up on the issue with policy makers through advocacy visits by the groups. Topics discussed during the 2004 project included:

•  The dangers of industrial water waste on the health and production of farmers
•  The need to increase cotton production
•  Factors affecting improved poultry production
•  Gender issues
•  Importance of girl child education to national development
•  Farmers and drug abuse
•  Food vendor and food hygiene, etc.

HIV/ AIDS Awareness Programmes

According to a Baseline survey conducted by WOFAN July- December 2003 in 10 local government areas of Kano , a high disparity in the infection rate was identified in all the 10 communities. Likewise it was evident from the research that the rate of spread of the virus has a direct relationship with gender issues and poverty. Likewise stigma and discrimination remain key issues undermining efforts to combat HIV/AIDS

The research also illustrated high level of stigma and the disproportionate impact felt by women. As a result of the aforementioned, WOFAN felt the urgent need in creating awareness to address HIV issues in Kano state with the following objectives:

•  Religious and traditional leaders support and collaborate in efforts to reduce HIV transmission and stigma.

•  The vulnerability of women to HIV infection is reduced by providing relevant and timely information to rural groups, provide economic empowerment and literacy programmes as well as vocational trainings to rural groups particularly women and youths in order to reduce socio – economic issues indirectly linked to HIV.

Other programmes related to HIv reduction include

Functional literacy classes for women and BI- MONTHLY HIV/AIDS awareness talks

WOFAN's ongoing WOFAN's functional literacy programme for women in the rural areas which started since 2002, and graduated 80 women in December 2004 continued to build the capacity of the women. 120 women were newly recruited into the 4 adult learning centers supported by WOFAN where functional literacy programmes including HIV/AIDS reduction strategies are taught to the women.

The functional literacy programmes and the economic empower programmes have given women the power to build self esteem through their various income generation activities, art of speech making on issues that affect them through radio, paying advocacy visits and getting the support of renown religious and traditional leaders and being able to take simple decisions at family and community level. This has eventually given women the power of protecting themselves from falling victims of HIV directly and indirectly

For example in a village in Kano state-Kumurya, there are 15 teenage girls in the range of 13- 16 years who have personally enrolled themselves in the literacy center and have reduced the hours of hawking by at least 5 hours from the usual 8 hours when they were forced by parents to hawk. “I regret that I was not enrolled earlier by my parents in school and now I have realized that to improve my life in the future and that of my children, I need some form of basic education to protect myself from various diseases including HIV and also to sustain life when I am married” lamented Hasiya Abdullahi during the assessment of the literacy programmes in Bunkure LGA.

In the same vein, 48 women from another village called Kera in Kano state have also started a literacy programme in their center taking a leaf from the Kumurya center. According to the leader of the women group, “ we are becoming more informed on our health, environment and how to prevent our selves from diseases such as HIV, malaria and diseases that kill our children from our literacy classes- right now, no woman in Kera will allow a birth attendant to use an old razor blade during childbirth in this village of over 2500 child bearing aged women!” .

An Islamic working manual, on HIV awareness was jointly put together by WOFAN and the Islamic medical association (ISMA) to help tease out verses of the Qur'an and Sunnah which frowns against stigma and discrimination. The two organizations put head together with Islamic religious leaders to find relevant Qur'an verses and Sunnah that discourages any form of stigma to fellow human beings. Likewise a poster has been developed by WOFAN on women's right tree in Islam which allows women understand their roles and responsibilities as well as what is due to them from the Islamic context., All rights issues raised are backed up with verses of the Qur'an and Hadith which supports women and children's rights. The manual has become a handbook for most of the schools and even NGOs and clinics in Kano .

Women have demanded fair treatment in cases of HIV/AIDS since most positive women were infected in their matrimonial homes. “Flashing back at 20 years ahead, a lot of mistakes have been made that can lead to contracting HIV- for instance, we used razor blades for over 20 people at the same time in child birth, circumcision, hair cuts etc. Like wise our hospitals have given blood without screening, injected us and our children with a single syringe for many patients on the same day, as such we are calling on our leaders to disabuse the minds of people from stigma and name labeling when people become negative.

“Yes, I will encourage my daughter to go to the VCT center before she gets married”, says Salisu Makeri in Dususu village in Garko LGA, when A Hausa service correspondent of BBC visited the village to follow up on WOFAN's campaign on the use of VCT centers. In the village of over 3000 people, a random sampling of 25 households got 14 households to accept that they can visit VCT centers when the need arises since sexual intercourse is not the only means of contracting HIV and if they find themselves positive, it gives them opportunity to take proper care of themselves and protect their loved ones from being infected.

“HIV stigma has reduced drastically in our rural communities”, says Muntari, the leader of the youths in Kumurya village. People talk freely on HIV issues these days because daily you hear jingles, radio discussions and NGOS talk against the spread, as such it is no more a taboo to talk about HIV.


World AIDS Day Activities
The media and a number of NGOS and the general public were invited to participate in the joint rally and peaceful procession organized by WOFAN, Society for Family health (SFH)- Kano, and COPOP-PLWHA on the 3/4/2003 round major streets of Kano to draw the attention of the general public to the need to end the stigma and discrimination of people living with and affected by HIV/Aids

•  Palace of the District Head of Kumbotso
•  Radio Kano
•  State Television- CTV 67
•  Ministry of Health Kano .

The colorful procession with fleet of buses, motorcyclists in a beautiful lemon green jacket and placards with messages against stigma and discrimination started with the first stop over at the Palace of the District Head of Kumbotso and Dan Lawan Kano, Alhaji Ahmed Ado Bayero in Kumbotso Local Government area of Kano state.

At the palace, Alh. Ahmad Ado Bayero praised the efforts of the participating NGOS and copop members members for their courage in taking giant steps in informing and breaking the silence and myths surrounding HIV/AIDS. He shunned the discrimination of people affected and infected by the deadly virus. According to him, all his ward heads and community leaders will put heads together to ensure that at all public gatherings and community meetings, reminders will be sent to the general populace on the need to show love, care and support to all affected. Alhaji Bayero went on to say, “If campaign against HIV and stigma is to succeed, it must target all sectors of society, including religious leaders, the media, teachers and families”. The district head called on WOFAN to intensify training and awareness in his ward by conducting awareness and technical trainings for all his ward heads, traditional and religious leaders and the general populace particularly in his district council.

The secretary of COPOP, Mallam R (name withheld) thanked the district head for his exemplenary actions and kind words, “if people living positively receive attention like this, and government provides adequate facilities, stigma will stop and more people will be willing to test and declare their status and surely, it will reduce the spread of the virus”.

A 7 year old girl living positively and who is already orphaned and now living with her grandmother was presented to Alhaji Bayero, who gave her a hug to prove to the general public that people living positively could be hugged and shown affection. The grand mother of the child thanked all the team and the traditional ruler for the support and called on government and NGOS to strongly support orphan children as a result of the HIV/AIDS.

The next stop over was to 2 media houses in Kano : the procession visited both the Kano State Radio and City Television (CTV). At Radio Kano , the Director of Engineering Service, Alh. Aliyu Adamu, who received the team on behalf of the Managing Director, Alh. Bello Kankarofi. With placards all raised up, an appeal was made by the coordinator of WOFAN, Hajia Salamatu Garba, for media to intensify information through the radio using jingles, drama, songs, debates and short talks by all stakeholders. The media was also called upon to waive charges on HIV programmes to enable more programmes to be aired for the benefit of the public.

On her part, the programme officer from society for Family health- SFH, Hajia Nabila Ismail, called on the MD to discourage programmes that can influence stigma and discrimination on positive persons. She further briefed the MD and all the staff of radio Kano of the activities her organization carried out during the world aids day celebration, which included a joint rally by SFH and COPOP in Dawakin Kudu LGA where the chairman shook hands with the COPOP chairman as a sign to fighting stigma. Other activities at the SFH-COPOP joint programme included songs and drama against HIV/AIDS stigmatization. She further said, “SFH is a leading Reproductive NGO in Nigeria and a major partner in a 7-year programme on Promoting sexual and reproductive health and HIV/Aids reduction (PSRHH), in Nigeria . In his response the MD praised the efforts of the collaborating NGOs and encouraged others to learn from their experience and determination to fight HIV/AIDS in Nigeria . He assured the rally team of constant support from the media,

At the CTV- Kano, the Permanent Secretary, Alh. Faruk Umar Usman listened attentively to the similar address as his radio counterpart and addressed the team by throwing more light on ways on reducing and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. He also spoke at length to give encouragement to the COPOP members and to inform them of the plans of the federal to discourage all forms of stigmatizations through sensitization and awareness campaigns. The voices of positive women were also captured when in a low soft voice; one of the women living positively thanked the management of CTV for the strong encouragement. “Most of us are married women and got infected through our spouses, it is therefore wrong to link HIV/AIDS to prostitution only”, she says. In his vote of thanks, the secretary of COPOP thanked the MD for his support on the fight against HIV/Aids. The secretary stated that it is sad that the general public needs to be reminded that there are other ways of spreading HIV/Aids outside sexual intercourse and that the media should work hard towards obtaining behavioral and attitudinal changes through out Nigeria in order to achieve a sustainable reduction and prevention of HIV/Aids.

Dr. Bashir Abba, Coordinator of the State AIDS Control Programme in the Ministry of health received the procession on behalf of the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Sanda Muhammad. The Commissioner said the state government has established a voluntary counseling test center (VCT) at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) to be commissioned soon. In his vote of thanks, a member of COPOP, Malam Jae (not real name) called on the general public to stop stigmatizing and discrimination against them. He lamented that most hospitals and health posts lack the desired drugs and facilities for the treatment of HIV/Aids symptoms, this according to him could be one factor why a lot of people have declined from testing to know their status. He therefore solicited for strong advocacy on voluntary testing by all and the federal government and all the traditional leaders should make sure there is an enabling environment for positive people to live a life free of stigma and discrimination.

PRESS RELEASE by WOFAN and sister NGOs in Kano , to advocate for reduction in stigma and discrimination

INTRODUCTION

In an attempt to design a more participatory intervention programme on the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Women Advancement Network (WOFAN), a Kano based NGO working with rural groups to create awareness on their well-being, identify, reflect and find solutions to their agricultural and social needs- in October 2003, supported the conduction of a baseline study on STI's/HIV/AIDS in 10 LGAs of Kano state. The research team included representatives of the Kano state HIV control unit of the Ministry of health and the following sister – Society for Women and Aids in Africa (SWAAN_KANO), society for Family health (SFH-KANO), YOSPIS, Center for information technology & development-(CITAD), as well as representatives from the department of Biological sciences-Bayerouniversity- Kano.

The objectives of the baseline were as follows:

•  To provide a baseline assessment of awareness and services related to HIV in 10 rural communities of Kano State
•  To assess how the attitude of key stakeholders influence stigma/discrimination
•  To assess the level of HIV services provided
•  To identify the needs of PLWHA and provide an opportunity to influence policy makers and civil society towards better services on HV/AIDS reduction/prevention matter
•  To sensitize other civil society groups to carry out more advocacies on HIV issues.

During the study, members of the baseline study team conducted over 30 focus group discussions with various stakeholders, including:

Traditional/Religious Leaders

TBAs /Local Barbers

Town criers

Youth groups

Health Workers

Traditional Healers

Women groups

Teachers

The survey reports level of awareness of the people with respect to HIV/AIDS issue, their attitudes to the people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and affected by HIV/AIDS (PABAS) as well their recommendations on how to fight the disease.

Major Findings

•  The baseline study revealed a high level of discrimination against PLWHA and PABAS. The level of stigma shown to them can be illustrated by the following representative attitudes/actions we found across all the communities:
•  Awareness is still very low generally on issues around HIV/AIDS in the rural communities.
•  Most PLWHA are abandoned to die without care or support from their communities.
•  Their properties are generally burnt after their death, although their money is immediately utilized.
•  Very few people attend to their funeral rites.
•  Patients are isolated in the communities and food is usually thrown to them through the door.
•  They are socially excluded and subjected to ridicule.
•  Women widowed by HIV and Children orphaned by the disease are also discriminated against and neglected generally.
•  Hospitals and health centers are inadequately equipped
•  Capacity of health providers and community home based care trainings need to be improved upon
•  Data collection and documentation needs to be given attention to in the hospitals and major government parastatals and NGOS to update status and major achievements and break through on HIV related matters.
•   Interactive Session with PLWHA

In order to authenticate what the baseline team found and to hear directly from PLWHA, as well as to plan on how embark on a joint campaign against stigmatization discrimination, WOFAN in collaboration with the Society for Family Health organized an interactive dialogue with the Council of Positive People (COPOP- PLWHA) on November 21, 2003 at COPOP Office in Kano. The forum provided an opportunity for the PLWHA to voice their opinion and the various ways in which they are discriminated upon.

Major concerns raised by people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS are that of violence/abuse &discrimination on women who disclose their status or whose spouses die of Aids. Also access to adequate information, medication and fight against stigma and discrimination at all levels worldwide. A male member of the group stated, “ Every person has a right to adequate information on HIV”, while another member indicated “barriers and silences in communication around HIV/Aids are impending efforts to fight stigma and discrimation”

Considering the fact that an unchallenged culture of silence can only serve to exacerbate the Aids epidemic and increase confusion, denial and stigmatization, the discussion ended with a decision that as part of the world Aids day activities, an advocacy visit and a joint rally and procession be taken to media houses in Kano as well as visit to some key public officials and traditional leaders to break the culture of silence and campaign against stigma and discrimination .

The Workshop

In order to involve more stakeholders in the campaign against stigmatization WOFAN had as part of its plan of activities a debriefing workshop decided to further organize a workshop specifically to discuss this issue and find how to fight it. Participants at the workshop, which held on 4 th December 2003 at Sani Abacha Youth Center , Panshekara included traditional/religious leaders, youth and women groups, representatives of NGOs and PLWHA. The outcome of baseline study report was narrated to the participants in additional to presentations by various speakers.

The workshop adopted the following key recommendations:

ON POLICY MAKERS

•  Government should assist people living with HIV/AIDS by subsidizing their drugs and making the drugs available at the hospitals.
•  Policy makers should show examples by going for voluntary HIV/AIDS test to encourage other people to follow the gesture.
•  Government should include HIV/AIDS education in school curriculum. Parent should teach their children, wards on HIV/AIDS preventive measures.
•  Government should make kits for HIV/AIDS tests available and affordable to all and possibly legislate compulsory testing. Health workers should stop discrimination and stigmatization on patients.
•  Government should enlighten parents on the rights of their children, most especially on health issue. Discrimination and stigmatization should be highly discouraged among children.
•  Government should create, enabling environment for (PLWHA) people living with HIV/AIDS to acquire some skills to enable them live a meaningful life
•  Health workers should ensure that proper screening of blood of donors, and proper equipment are used for screening and blood transfusion. Government should provide the required equipment to health worker.
•  Traditional town criers should be involved in HIV/AIDS campaigns in towns and the rural areas by government and NGOS.
•  To encourage HIV/AIDS carriers, government should provide incentives to enable carriers marry, by giving them some allowance. This will remove stigma and discrimination. And many carriers will come out to be identified.
•  Government should legislate a law, which should guide against discrimination of HIV/AIDS carriers by employers of labor.

ON TRADITIONAL RULERS

•  Government should continue involve traditional rulers in public enlightenment about HIV/AIDS.
•  Traditional rulers should form community counseling center (CCC) where people will receive counseling on HIV/AIDS
•  Traditional leaders/ Government should consider the plight of disadvantaged women and provide them with means for livelihood, e.g. grants, soft loans and skills acquisition to uplift their status.
•  Traditional leaders should encourage mosque sermons to include fight against the spread of HIV/ AIDS as well as discrimination against PLWHA.
•  Everyone in Nigeria should advocate for voluntary counseling and both government and the traditional leaders should ensure an enabling environment as well as care and support for those found positive.

ON YOUTH WOMEN AND NGOs

•  Women should be trained/enlightened by government/NGOs on food and nutrition to help in quality feeding.
•  Government and NGOs should encourage economic empowerment by creating clubs and associations where income-generating activities can be taught and skills acquired.
•  Youth should be sensitized on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and be advised to abstain from unprotected sexual acts. Voluntary counseling test (VCT) should be encouraged amongst the youths.
•  NGOs should embark on mass public enlightenment and advocacy on care and support of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) through traditional rulers, policy makers and other members of the public.

Visit to the Emir of Kano- Alhaji Ado Bayero- with 50 HIV positive women and a six month old positive child To crown the advocacy efforts, on Friday, 4 December 2003, WOFAN led a team of civil society groups and representatives of the association of the PLWHA to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero who received them in his palace The Emir was briefed of the various activities which included the baseline survey and the rallies embarked upon by the civil society groups as part of the activities marking the World AIDS Day. The aim of the rally, the groups informed the Emir was on the need to highlight the plight of PLWHA by allowing them voice out issues affecting their well being and the need to end discrimination and stigmatization of HIV/AIDS patients. The national coordinator of WOFAN, reiterated the fact that the spread of HIV in Nigeria particularly in the rural areas will affect food security and economy down fall as a result there is need for all hands to be on deck in the fight against the deadly virus. A former Minister of Women affairs in Nigeria , and a member of the board of director of Society for family health Hajia Hajjo Sani as well as a pediatrician with Murtala Mohammed Hospital in Kano- Dr Yashua Alkali Hasshim both called on the Emir on the need to encourage attitudinal and cultural practices that can fuel the spread of HIV/AIDs in Nigeria. In response the Emir expressed support for the activities of the organizations and called on all African countries including federal and state governments to find ways of getting drugs to prevent and cure HIV/AIDS rather than rely solely on the western nations for medication. Alh. Ado Bayero emphasized local initiatives should be given opportunity to try their drugs rather than government discarding them. He further called on all traditional and religious leaders to team up with their wards for the campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS. During the visit, the Coordinator of WOFAN presented a six-month old baby who is living positively with HIV virus to the Emir. On his part, the Emir cuddled the child as an example to stopping stigma and discrimination.

Early Childhood Development Programme

To promote and support respect and the provision for the holistic development and educational rights of vulnerable children in Kano state.

Purpose: To enhance the capacity and participation of community members to provide support and care to vulnerable young children in four communities in Kano state. Specific objectives: •  To increase awareness and capacity to fulfill the rights of children and the reproductive rights of girls and women in the context of Islam through literacy and radio programmes in the 4 target rural communities. •  To enable the establishment of effective community organized ECD services for 400 children aged 7 years and under in the 4 target rural communities.

•  To enhance the capacity of WOFAN and its staff to promote, support, monitor and evaluate community-based interventions aimed at addressing the needs and rights of young children. For more information Click Here.