Benue NGO gives lifeline to young females

Jessica Tyover, 22, can’t hold back her joy as she showed off some  beautifully sewn clothing of Ankara fabrics.  She is one among many girls currently under a mentorship programme. Tyover, who otherwise would have continued to languish in depression through sheer benevolence of an international organisation, found herself in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, […]

Jessica Tyover, 22, can’t hold back her joy as she showed off some  beautifully sewn clothing of Ankara fabrics. 

She is one among many girls currently under a mentorship programme.

Tyover, who otherwise would have continued to languish in depression through sheer benevolence of an international organisation, found herself in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, from Gboko where she had, before the intervention, lived all her life. 

The 22-year-old, who shared her joy with our correspondent in Makurdi, stressed that she could already make clothes in various styles after spending some months learning the art of tailoring. 

Another mentee, Maashin Namdoo Rita, quipped, “I’m really excited about this learning opportunity given me. I never knew that I could ever be a tailor but Girls Act had made it possible. I’m so happy.” 

Benue/Plateau Chronicles reports that there are many other girls under the non-govermental organisation behind the nobel idea. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Girls Act programme in Benue state aimed to foster healthy living among young people. 

The AHF – Girls Act, is a girl initiative which fosters leadership and confidence for girls and young women to support each other, strengthen fundamental life skills, and develop community activism. 

AHF-Nigeria Advocacy/Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade, told our correspondent that the initiative’s chapter in Benue had since its formation in July 2020 provided supports to brighten the future of girls and young women. 

He said: “The Girls Act put leadership in the hands of young people while empowering them to do the things they would want to do such as skills acquisition and educational support.’’ 

Aborisade added that the initiative offered safe space and opportunities for a secure base where young people can share their challenges in order to be guided even as they are helped to realise their potential early in life and also empower the girls to stay healthy and thrive. 

He said in an edition of the programme (Girls Act), AHF engaged the psychological dimension of treatment in partnership with Gede Foundation, screened over 100 adolescents for depression and other psychological problems and are on treatment. 

On her part, the AHF -Girls Act Coordinator in Benue State, Koko Deborah, said the programme, which started in 2020 had so far enabled most of them to derive a lot of benefits. 

“We have been coping so well. We have made improvement in our learning of skills. I can make skirts and other forms of clothing at this point within the period we started acquiring tailoring skill.” 

Deborah said: “I indicated interest in tailoring while others made their different choices. At the end of the day, those of us who opted to learn various skills were supported to do so while five others got scholarship to return to school.” 

Meanwhile, the State Nursing Coordinator of AHF, Ruth Atabo, who is presently overseeing the young girls, explained that within the past months, she had provided mentoring key support for the Girls Act leadership in the state while building the confidence of the girls who are between the ages of eight and 24. 

“We have four leadership positions for the girls led by Deborah as their coordinator. They have grown their numbers where our sites are located in the state. We provided direct support and leadership support. 

“We have ensured that the girls stay in school, prevent unwanted pregnancies, stay healthy and thrive. We enrolled some out-of- school back to school.