UNFPA Distributes Solar Radios To Adolescent Girls in Gombe State

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in July 2018, signed an agreement with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for implementation of a three-year project tilted, “Integrated approach to empowering adolescent girls and women in Gombe and Akwa Ibom States through access to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights”, at a cost of NOK 24,000,000.

The project goal is to improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services for women and adolescents girls in Gombe and Akwa Ibom states.

The Project objectives are to: improve availability of quality Sexual and Reproductive Health services including Family Planning for adolescent girls and women of reproductive age; increase access to sexual reproductive health information and life skills for adolescent girls in selected LGAs in Gombe State; and strengthen operational capacities of national partners and community-based organizations to address social norms in order to improve access to SRH services and prevention of child marriage.

The expected beneficiaries are: 100,000 women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) access SRH information and services including contraceptives and family planning; 900 health workers strengthened to deliver SRH services; 9,000 adolescent girls (4,500 aged 10-14 years and 4,500 aged 15-19 years) at risk of school drop-out and child marriage; 250 female teachers strengthened to be safe spaces mentors; 2,700 health workers benefit from information and knowledge sharing on SRH by their peers; and 1,200 teachers (both male and female) benefit from information from their peers.

This event, distribution of Solar Radio sets to 9000 Adolescent Girls in Gombe state, is aimed at ensuring continuous learning and education of adolescent girls enrolled in Safe Spaces programme during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nationwide closure of schools since March 19, 2020 by the Federal and States Ministries of Education, to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, has affected the education as well as learning activities delivered through school-based safe spaces to the adolescent girls enrolled in the project.

UNFPA’s strategy to engage adolescent girls virtually via radio broadcasted learning sessions, is designed to build their literacy and numeracy skills as well as critical life skills including reproductive health and family life education.

The distributed radio sets would enable the girls have access to the radio messages, however, the coverage is state wide.

These interventions serve to ensure girls are retained in school.

Studies have shown that adolescent girls who receive an education are less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives.

They earn higher incomes, participate in decisions that affect them, and build better futures for themselves and their families.

Some of the project’s key achievements in Gombe state include: the renovation and equipping of 47 health facilities in Gombe, Akko, Billiri, Kaltungo, Balanga, Yamaltu Deba, Kwami, Funakaye and Shongom LGAs creating an appealing and conducive environment for provision of quality child spacing services; 28 more health facilities are to renovated in 2020. 125 Nurses/Midwives were trained to provide quality long acting reversible contraceptive services including DMPA-SC/Self injection.

An additional 25 Nurses/Midwives added in 2020, 209 Community Health Extension Workers in Gombe State were trained on provision of quality DMPA-SC/Self injection both in health facilities and in communities and additional 91 Community Health Extension Workers will be trained by the project.

UNFPA appreciate the contribution of the Government of Gombe State and collaboration towards achieving UNFPA’s three transformative results of: ending unmet need for family planning, ending preventable maternal deaths and ending violence against women and girls.

UNFPA would like to thank our Implementing Partners that support implementation of this project- CGE, PPFN, ARFH and MTV Shuga for their continued positive collaboration and the Federal Ministries of Health and Education for their leadership and support in improving the well-being of women, girls and young people.

UNFPA also reiterates its commitment to ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, every child birth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

UNFPA also thank and appreciate its donor the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for providing funding support for the project.