African Girls Empowerment Network

How Can R**e affect the over-all well-being and happiness of a victim?

Join us and share your view on the conversation in another engaging episode of our Facebook and YouTube Live chat on Thursday May 13th, 2024, by 5:00 p.m.

As we learn more and engage with . Dr Jayasree Sampath on the

Topic: Pleasure and R**e
🕔 Time: 5:00 p.m.

Venue: Facebook & YouTube Live Chat (https://facebook.com/TheAGENetwork)

Zoom Meeting ID: 960 8434 5638
Access Code: 829093

Don’t miss out on this interactive episode filled with valuable insights! 💃💃

Do you know that girls who have been s*xually exploited and abused are at high risk of HIV/AIDS infection and unwanted pregnancy and they will be married off before their 18th birthday

Join us in our ongoing community awareness campaign to End HIV and unwanted pregnancies

Happy Children's Day

On May 21st, 2024, the AGECares team had a successful session with the girls of Bevy Genius School in Ijoko Road, Sango Ota, Ogun State, on the importance of managing proper menstrual hygiene and breaking the silence and stigma surrounding menstruation among young women and adolescent girls.
During the session, the team focused on myths and misconceptions surrounding menstruation, the menstrual cycle, body changes, and the importance of changing sanitary pads regularly and washing hands.
As part of our effort to among women and girls in various communities and schools, we were able educate 30 girls and share 20 sanitary pads among the girls.
Proper menstrual hygiene is essential for women and girls' health, and this can help, among other things, prevent infections and boost self-esteem.
Join us to and empower young women and adolescent girls to take control of their menstrual health and hygiene.

Today, 20th of May,2024, Our team held a session with girls of God Will – Lifeline School in Sango, Ota, Ogun State as part of our effort to among women and girls in various communities.

The session focused on educating the girls on menstrual hygiene practices as well as breaking the stigma surrounding menstruation. During the session with the girls, we explained the importance of menstruation which is the monthly period of a girl when she attains puberty, emphasizing on the fact that without menstruation a woman cannot conceive. We further spoke to the girls on various hygiene practices they should indulge in during their menstruation such as changing of sanitary pads, taking their bath at least 2times a day and maintaining general hygiene as this hygiene practices during menstruation helps to prevent infection and body odor.
To wrap up the session with the girls we addressed the myths and misconceptions surrounding menstruation and told them not to feel ashamed or dirty during their periods, additionally we distributed 50 sanitary pads and educational materials to the girls in the school.

Let's continue to promote menstrual hygiene awareness all around the world. ,

Yesterday, May 17, 2024, the AGECares team carried out market sensitization at Super, Lagos State, in commemoration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day on the need to end the stigma surrounding menstruation and promote healthy practices among young women and adolescent girls.

During the exercise, the team talked to the young women and adolescent girls about the need to maintain good hygiene and how important it is to change their sanitary pads at intervals of 4-6 hours and avoid using perfumes on their pads to prevent infection and body odor.

We were able to reach 500 women and girls and distribute 53 sanitary pads and educational materials. The women were so excited,

During the campaign, a woman shared her experience of having abdominal pain every month after her menstruation and referred her to healthcare for proper checkup and treatment, collected her contact number for a follow-up

Still on our challenge to reach 6,000 young women and adolescent girls to dispel the misconceptions and stigma surrounding menstruation amongst young women and adolescent girls in commemoration of Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024, tagged hashtag .

Call to Action: Let's keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts and experiences with us, and let's work together to break the silence surrounding menstruation.

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

On 13th May, 2024, the AGE Network team in collaboration with the Primary Healthcare Development department in Yakurr paid an Advocacy Visit to key stakeholders in yakurr LGA including the Education Authority Ugep, Principal and Administrative Heads of Secondary schools in Ugep, Yakurr, Cross River State.
The advocacy visit to stakeholders was to officially introduce the Human Papillomavirus vaccine for young women and adolescent girls' to protect them against cervical cancer and also promote our programs tailored to meet the needs of young women and adolescent girls in Yakurr community, Ugep and our team provided an overview of their work and interventions aimed to addressing the specific needs of young women and adolescent girls.
The Education Authority Secretary Ugep warmly welcomed and appreciated our programs, recognizing the impact and role it will play in promoting gender equality and rights of the young women and adolescent girls' and also consented to give the full support aan approval.
On 14th May, 2024, in collaboration with the Primary Healthcare Development department in Yakurr, we paid an Advocacy Visit to local government administration (HOLGA) in yakurr, visited the Principal and Administrative Heads of Secondary schools in Ugep, Yakurr, Cross River State.
The advocacy visit to the HOLGA and schools authorities was to officially introduce and seek their consent to carry out the vaccination exercise of Human Papillomavirus vaccine for young women and adolescent girls to protect them against cervical cancer.
Our team was also given an opportunity to walk them through our programs tailored towards meeting the needs of young women and adolescent girls in the community to advance the s*xual health rights. Successfully we were given an approval and full support to carry out our campaign.

On Thursday, 16th May, 2024, we had another exciting moment with girls at Girls Secondary school Ugep, Yakurr, Cross River State.
Still on our challenge to reach 6000 young women and adolescent girls to dispel the misconceptions and stigma surrounding menstruation amongst young women and adolescent girls' in commemoration of the menstrual hygiene day 2024 tagged .
During the session, we enlightened them on the need to see menstruation as the stage of maturity that leads them to adulthood and a simple sign that shows they are fertile, the team lead expatiated on ending stigma surrounding menstruation making it a normal fact, as it's a normal fact of life and not a taboo or something bad as many people sees it to be and as the transcends to adulthood they should be proud of being a woman and bearers of our future generations.
The workshop session had the presence of the PHC director-Yakurr, SMO/Health Educator- Yakurr and 2 health personnel who also joined the session helping girls know how important they are and their place in making Change happen as change makers they are in the society.

The girls were very excited and grateful for the sanitary pads shared with them
Thanks to our Partners for their support
We successfully educated and distributed sanitary towels to 210 girls.
Stay connected for more updates as we continue the movement!

On May 10th, 2024, AGE Network organized a one-day capability building workshop for informal healthcare providers in Ado Odo Ota- Ogun and Yakurr- Cross River state, the workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of informal healthcare providers and other stakeholders Involved including pattern medicine vendors, Traditional birth attendants, Youth's/ Adolescent girls' groups, Community influencers such as Royal father's, Youth leaders, school authorities/teachers, Pattern medicine dealers chairman, TBA'S chairman and community health workers on the best practices to advance the s*xual and reproductive health rights of young women and adolescent girls and increase access to and uptake of modern contraception and family planning services vulnerable settings in Nigeria to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy, child marriage, unsafe abortion, girls school dropout and promote the overall s*xual health of the young women and girls.
During the workshop, the health workers were sensitized on how to advance the s*xual and reproductive health rights of young women and girls in their respective communities. Emphasis was also made on the need for confidentiality and referral as some women opted for self-medication because of the fear of being stigmatized.
With a model, one of the facilitators demonstrated the proper methods of wearing and disposing of both male and female condoms.
The Youth's/ Adolescent girls present in the workshop were enlightened on the importance of s*xual abstinence for a healthy fulfilling life and purpose, importance of being an agent of change in promoting SRHR and supporting young women and adolescent girls rights within their communities and also improving their responses to meet the unmet needs of women and ending stigma surrounding the access and uptake of modern contraception and family planning.
The workshop was interactive as the participants discussed various ways they have been promoting the s*xual health of women in their communities and they were encouraged to keep it and give rooms for girls to come up to them whenever the need s*xual health services.
We successfully trained a total of 162 persons both in Cross River and Ogun states including 16 stakeholders/Youth leaders as community influencers. We also shared our Belle by Choice padi flyers and brochures among our participants.

On Thursday, 9th May 2024, our AGE Cares team had an inspiring session with 281 girls at Community Secondary School Ugep Yakurr, Cross River State. As we’re on a challenge to normalize menstruation and end period stigma among young women and adolescent girls.
During the session, we discussed the different phases of menstruation and the importance of staying safe avoiding s*xual risk behaviors and it's consequences as it accompanied with unwanted pregnancies, STIs, and emotional trauma. We enlightened them on the benefits of s*xual abstinence and strategies for practicing it delaying s*xual activities at this early stages of their life's and advised, that start setting boundaries and making informed choices based on personal values and goals and not under the influence of tradition/culture or circumstances of any kind.
To further provide support for the girls, we created peer-to-peer discussion platforms where they can share experiences, challenges and seek needed advice and help on issues related to their overall well-being. We also provided access to additional resources like pamphlets, websites, and hotlines for further information and support on menstrual hygiene management, s*xual reproductive health rights, and s*xual risk behaviors/abstinence and also distributed pads to 281 girls and had 16 girls who were counseled one on one after the session and 7 seek for mentorship.
We're committed to reaching 6000 young women and adolescent girls with sanitary pads this year. Your support will help us make a difference! Together, let's empower girls to prioritize their health and well-being by making informed choices and seeking support when needed.

MEN GIVE BELLE BY CHOICE O!!!!

Still on 10,000 Men give belle by choice matter, Today 12th of March the belle by choice team carried out community awareness on the need for men’s involvement in ending r**e, unsafe abortion gender based violence, child marriage, unwanted pregnancies and stigma surrounding women and girls s*xuality in Gas-line community, Ado-odo Ota LGA, Ogun State.

During the awareness we talked to 98 Men on the Negative impact of r**e, unsafe abortion, gender based violence, child marriage, unwanted pregnancies on the lives of women and girls such as depression, girls school dropout, maternal mortality and some cases su***de, we further emphasized on the need for them to take a stand with women and frown against such act as their voices would go a long way in reducing and curbing the rate of r**e, unsafe abortion gender based violence, child marriage, unwanted pregnancies and stigma surrounding women and girls s*xuality.

In Addition we encourage Men and women to make use of modern contraception such as Condom and family planning to prevent unwanted pregnancy and contacting HIV/AIDS and other STIs, it was an insightful experience because most of the men we spoke to pledge their commitment and joined us to take a stand with women and adolescent girls.

Today, March 12th, 2024, our team hosted Belle by Choice capacity-building training workshop for 46 informal healthcare providers, traditional birth attendants, patent medicine dealers/vendors, and traditional medicine dealers from the various communities in Akamkpa local government area on the best practices, safeguarding and improving the last mile distribution of modern contraception and family planning commodities and services to end unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion among women and adolescent girls s*xual reproductive health rights in Cross River State.

The session was very interactive and engaging as the participants were all allowed to take part and make their contributions, lend their voices to each discussion, and also make recommendations and suggest the way forward to reducing unwanted pregnancies, child marriage, and unsafe abortion in their communities.

Thanks to the support of the director and her team at Akamkpa council, PHC Coordinator, the family planning focal person and other health workers for providing the needed assistance to make the workshop a huge success.

🌟 VET4Women Training Program 🌟

🚀 Our FREE vocational training for young women in fashion/textile design and digital content creation to bridge the gender gap in Nigeria's digital and creative industry is presently ongoing!

👩💻 Are you a young woman ready to kickstart a career in digital content creation or fashion design? You can still join the class! 🚺✨

🎨 Program Highlights:
 Video Editing
 Animation
 Graphic Design
 Digital Storytelling
 Photography
 Fashion/Textile Design

📅 Training Details:
 Mode: Online and Onsite
 Session: Monday to Friday
 Duration: 2 weeks - 3 months

To register for the training click the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_kYuc3wwJeuwF1SVEryp7COWHtZ1FGu9mmKKCglB0-8/edit

Yesterday March 7, 2024, we hosted a Belle by Choice capacity-building training workshop for 32 informal healthcare providers, traditional birth attendants, patent medicine dealers/vendors, and traditional medicine dealers from the various communities in the Odukpani local government area on the best practices, safeguarding and improving the last mile distribution of modern contraception and family planning commodities and services to end unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion among women and adolescent girls s*xual reproductive health rights in Cross River State.

The session was very interactive and engaging. The participants were allowed to take part and make their contributions, lend their voices to each discussion, and also make recommendations and suggest the way forward to reducing unwanted pregnancies, child marriage, and unsafe abortion in their communities.

Thanks to the support of the director and her team at Odukpani PHC Center for providing the needed assistance to make the workshop a huge success.

How does infection during pregnancy affect maternal mortality rate

Join us and share your view on the conversation in another engaging episode of our Facebook and YouTube Live chat on Thursday,March 7th 2024, by 5:00 p.m.

As we learn more and engage with @ Pharm Chukwukelu Uchechukwu on the

Topic: Impact of infections on maternal health

🕔 Time: 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Facebook & YouTube Live Chat (https://facebook.com/TheAGENetwork)
Zoom Meeting ID: 960 8434 5638
Access Code: 829093

Don’t miss out on this interactive episode filled with valuable insights! 💃💃

Join us this Friday to celebrate women all over the world in a one-day virtual summit in commemoration of International Women’s Day, with our theme: inspiring young women for leadership, economic, and financial inclusion.
Don't miss this opportunity to connect with us and learn from experts in the field, and be a part of the movement towards gender equality. Let's come together to celebrate the achievements of women and continue to strive for a more equitable world.
Together, we can make a difference and create a more equal world for all.
Date: March 8, 2024
Venue: Zoom
Meeting ID: 89584069018
Passcode: 281422

Yesterday 28th February 2024, our Let Girls Lead team in Calabar hosted a session on s*xual abstinence, Sexual Risk behavior and life planning for girls at Government Secondary School, federal housing estate, Ikot Ansa, Calabar with the aim to empower girls on the journey of making healthy and informed choices and build their personal and academic development and growth to lead and fulfill their purpose in Cross River State.

During the session, we highlighted Key factors and benefits of setting SMART Goals, making Informed Choices, abstaining from s*xual activity to end unintended/unwanted pregnancies and safe from contracting STI's.

We further emphasized that engaging in s*xual activity and risk behavior is the reason so many are unable to make informed
Life choice to keep them safe, and healthy to fulfill their future ambitions and dreams and advised them to be responsible and focused specially on their education and seek support and help whenever they feel depressed or emotionally uncertain about things or confused to making decisions at every point and step of their life.

We successfully educated 228 adolescent girls.



Growth
!