WARIF Boys Conversation Cafe

NAME of ORGANISATION:

Women At Risk International Foundation - WARIF

PROJECT GOAL:

The initiative aims to reduce the high incidence of rape and sexual violence in communities through education and the change in the mindset and attitudes of the adolescent boy-child.

PROJECT LOCATION:

Oregun Senior High School, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND UPDATE:

-         Cohort 1 Project Implementation (Ongoing)

Following the approved proposal for the ongoing WARIF Boys Conversation Café, a total of 225 direct beneficiaries are expected to be trained for the period of a year.

 Due to the global pandemic and restrictions from Lagos state government, the education board directed schools to maintain social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols which led to the drastic reduction of class size to reasonable numbers.

 In other to ensure beneficiaries are protected, the implementation of BCC was further broken down into three cohorts. Each cohort is expected to accommodate 90 boys; leaving a total of 15 boys in each classroom for each session.

 WARIF strategically distributed beneficiaries in sub groups of 45 boys as school opens for students in alternate days.

 To this end, the school is opened to students in the Senior Secondary School (SSS) 1 on Wednesdays while SSS2 students are allowed to be in school on Thursdays respectively.

 In the current cohort, SSS 1 sub-group is divided into 3 classrooms of 15 students. Same is applicable to SSS2 sub-group of 15 students in each classroom.

-         Rapid Assessment Visit to Project Site

On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, WARIF team was received by the management team of Oregun Senior High School. The visit was to familiarize WARIF with the school and to confirm available classrooms for the implementation of the project.

The Principal of the school was elated to receive WARIF. Mrs. Ojolowo looked forward to a productive engagement with WARIF and fruitful measurable outcomes.

-         Coaching Teachers

WARIF trained four selected teachers from Oregun Senior High School on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at the WARIF Centre in Yaba, Lagos.

The purpose of the training was to equip the teachers for further engagement beyond the project lifecycle in the selected school. The teachers would also assist Mentors during the session when the need arises.

The selected teachers showed keen interest in the project and looked forward to supporting the team in changing the existing narrative.

The following teachers were selected by the school to assist in the implementation of BCC in Oregun Senior High School:

• Mr. Jato F.O
• Mr. Adeleye A.A
• Mr. Oluseye O.K
• Mr. Ashiru A.A

 -         Coaching Mentors

WARIF engaged eight Cummins volunteers who voluntarily made themselves available for the BCC project. The training was held on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 via zoom.

The coaching session was held virtually due to the Mentors location and unavailability to participate in a physical training session.

The session highlighted the project goals and get familiar with general rule of engagement during the project. During the training, WARIF introduced a mock facilitation session in order to have the Mentors understand how to administer baseline and exist surveys. 

CHALLENGES

1. Due to the global pandemic and social distance law, project implementation has stretched to two days weekly in order to accommodate SSS1 & SSS2.
2. This has impacted on the workforce and resulted in additional sessions with the boys instead of just four sessions/engagement with the boys.

• WARIF BCC Progress Report and Pictures (PDF)
  

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

1. To change the attitude and existing mindset of boys about rape and sexual abuse.
2. To educate boys who will act as protectors rather than bystanders or perpetrators.
3. To equip young boys with the knowledge and the tools to assist in the prevention of gender-based violence with the provision of the services provided by WARIF Centre.

DEMOGRAPHY of TARGET BENEFICIARIES

Age: 13-18 years old

Gender: Male

Class: SS1 and SS2

Class: Grade 9 – 11

FOCUS AREA (Education/Health/Empowerment)           

Education

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL SATISFIED BY PROJECT

Goal 4 – Quality Education

Goal 5 – Gender Equality

LOCATION

Alimosho Junior Grammar School, Alimosho, Lagos State, Nigeria

PROJECT PERIOD

August 20^th – 23^rd, 2019

REACH| 100

The WARIF Boys Conversation Café initiative was implemented as a school summer program.

One designated school was used for the program.

The initiative educated 100 secondary school boys from 19 government secondary schools who mostly were from a low income community. The young boys  were randomly selected from 10 schools within the school district 1, known as Alimosho zone in  Lagos state.

OUTCOMES

• 100 students were directly impacted through the BCC summer initiative in Alimosho Local Government Area
• All the direct beneficiaries were teenage boys ranging from ages 13 to 19 years old
• Beneficiaries at the summer program came from 10 schools within Lagos State School District 1, Alimosho zone.
• 95%strongly agreed that CONSENT from a girl  needs to obtained and respected always prior to engaging in  sexual relations
• 100% - all the  beneficiaries now understand the position of the law on offenders/perpetrators of rape in Nigeria
• Over 95% of the beneficiaries resolved to speak to their peers about

1. Abstaining from sex before consensual age
2. Respecting a girl's decision when she says NO
3. Responsible  protective behavior always

• There was an 80% increase in beneficiaries with improved self-esteem after the program

• All the beneficiaries strongly agree that they must not be by-standers in any case of sexual abuse.
• 92% of the beneficiaries agreed that engaging in sexual activities exposes them to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
• 84%agreed that a girl’s way of dressing cannot be an excuse to abuse her
• ALL the beneficiaries strongly agreed that they will support the cause to end the scourge of gender-based violence by

1. Acting as role models
2. Taking a stand not to be perpetrators, by-standers and reporting cases  of abuse and violence

• The education initiative transformed the mindset and belief system of the students who were now willingly to become Ambassadors of WARIF, pledging to speak out against gender based violence and breaking the culture of silence.

METHODOLOGY

• A 4-session specifically designed guideline –format  in a classroom setting
• Four (4) facilitators engaged
• 8 classes with an average of 25 students per class
• 32 hours session with facilitators

SURVEY TOOL

Pre and Post Assessment Forms