By Ahmed Ahmed
The Better Life Restoration Initiative (BERI), a non-governmental organization, has trained 40 community-based women from various non-profit organizations focused on health in Bauchi, Misau, and Shira.
The training aimed to develop programs, advocate, and influence gender-transformative and affirmative approaches to health.
Ms. Deborah Ajibola, Programme Manager of BERI, explained that the three-year project, funded by The Global Fund, focuses on Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and Malaria.
The project will be implemented in Misau and Zaki local government areas of Bauchi State.
Ajibola emphasized the importance of adapting friendly tools to identify causes and barriers hindering access to healthcare.
Participants learned about the Participatory Learning Action (PLA) approach, which enables community participation in identifying causes and barriers related to the targeted diseases.
The training sessions discussed gender equity in health, focusing on positive outcomes in malaria, Tuberculosis, and HIV. Participants also developed their capacity in advocacy and its principles for better health outcomes.
BERI’s initiative aligns with the principles of gender-transformative approaches, which actively strive to examine, question, and change rigid gender norms and imbalances of power
By empowering community-based women, BERI aims to promote gender equity and improve health outcomes in Bauchi State.