By Emmanuel Ihechi Asonye | CEO/Head of Project Global
Earlier in 2019, our Advocacy and Outreaches Team decided to scale up the Beauty Beyond Speech (BBS) project in Lagos. Beauty Beyond Speech is a project brand of S-DELI designed to stop all forms of domestic and sexual abuse against deaf girls and women in Nigeria. The first BBS Outreach in 2019 was held at the Junior Secondary School, Ikeja with a population of 33 deaf girls, age, 13 to 20.
The outreach which began at 10:30 had all the 33 female students in attendance. After a brief introduction of S-DELI and what it stands for, the students received a general teaching on how to avoid and/or report sexual and domestic abuse against them during the sensitization and awareness session. The students were also informed about the readiness of Team S-DELI in working with the victims through the process. Signed language interpreting services were provided by two teachers from the school on a volunteer basis, although they were given incentive after all. The students were also admonished on the need for them to develop self-esteem and confidence in their capacities notwithstanding their challenges. During this session, young girls were asked to share their career dreams. While some indicated that they wanted to become doctors, lawyers, others fashion designers and related entrepreneurial positions.
The team used pictures and graphical illustrations to talk about sexual violence the dangers of teenage pregnancy and the challenges it poses for young girls of their ages and disposition. The class was given an exercise to explain what they had seen in the illustration, only two girls were able to do so, using sign language. The team also pledged to provide support for young girls, who have been victimized one way or the other. The team called on the school authorities to do their part in supporting their project, provide an enabling environment for the young girls to express themselves. Packs of sanitary pads were distributed to the students for personal hygiene.
Having seen and heard of the impacts the BBS Project is making in the lives of deaf girls in Nigeria, an upcoming NGO, Awesome & Beautiful Initiative decided to collaborate with us in furthering the project even beyond Lagos State. The Awesome and Beautiful (A&B) team has reached out to corporate bodies for in-kind incentives and gifts to deaf girls during the outreaches. While counseling follow-ups are ongoing in Ikeja to reach out to the students one-on-one, subsequent outreaches are being planned with other schools and the Lagos State Deaf Women Association within the year. Reports of these program will be brought to you as soon as the programs are carried out. Our target is to have at least one outreach in one moth followed by counseling follow-up visits.
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