The Women At Risk International Foundation (WARIF) has unveiled plans to educate about 200 secondary school girls in Lagos between the ages of 13-16 years on the prevention of gender-based violence and abuse.
The non-governmental organization is expanding the WARIF Educational School Program (WESP) through the recent partnership with one of the leading financial institutions in Nigeria, Diamond Bank.
Kemi Dasilva Ibru the founder of WARIF said “we are going back to schools in the Lagos State District and will expand the WARIF Educational School Program (WESP) to include an additional number of affected adolescent school children. This will provide the necessary tool-kit that is vital in educating and re-orienting the mind-set of our future generation of young men and women and will put an end to gender-based violence in our society”, Dasilva Ibru said.
The founder of WARIF added that the bank’s vibrant Corporate Social Responsibility Department will collaborate with the WARIF Educational School Program.
“One of WARIF’s primary projects targeted primarily at secondary school girls between the ages of 13-16 years. 200 schoolgirls from a selected school in Surulere will participate in the project on the prevention of gender-based violence and abuse through a specifically designed curriculum offered to the selected students’, parents and teachers at the school” she said.
Chioma Afe, Diamond bank’s chief spokesperson, stated that “the partnership with WARIF is an important one, as it is an opportunity to re-orientate and educate women and young students on issues around gender-based violence.”
She further stated that “Women’s Wealth and Wellbeing form a core part of the bank’s approach towards corporate sustainability and WARIF’s efforts provide a good platform through which to empower not only Nigerian women but the younger generation.” This she believes is a step in the right direction towards reducing the incidences of violence against women and girls in Nigeria.
Women At Risk International Foundation (WARIF) is a Non-Governmental Organization incorporated in response to the high incidence of sexual assault, rape and human trafficking occurring among young girls and women across Nigeria.
Anthonia Obokoh
