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Overall, AWDF\u2019s grantee partners in Nigeria are creating significant change with relatively small amounts of money. Some of the change created has led to the creation of new policies at the level of state government. Family Resources Development Motivation<\/i> (FARDEM) for example, successful lobbied for a gender equality law resulting in Imo State Community Administration Law No.1 of 2012.<\/p>\n
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The main challenges grantees spoke of were linked to a lack of resources, challenges with fundraising in an economic downturn, and the inability of non-governmental organisations to retain well trained staff. Many spoke of the need for consistent institutional support, something that many funders outside of AWDF are often reluctant to consider. Grantees also spoke of the difference AWDF\u2019s resource mobilisation capacity building support had made to those organisations that had benefitted. Organisational outcomes included completed fundraising strategies, diversification of funding sources and more innovative and robust fundraising programmes.<\/p>\n
Highlights of the visit included:<\/h2>\nTowards Gender Parity in Politics and Governance<\/h2>\n
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The women politicians being supported by Ajengunle Community Project (ACP), an AWDF grantee partner in Lagos sing:<\/p>\n
ACP song<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n No longer men in front<\/i><\/p>\n And women at the back<\/i><\/p>\n Together we shall walk <\/i><\/p>\n Side by side<\/i><\/p>\n Side by side<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u20182015\u2019 came up several times during AWDF\u2019s monitoring visit. That is the year when Nigeria next goes to the ballot box, and there is already considerable anxiety around the forthcoming elections. There are concerns around potential political and physical insecurity in the context of increased conflict in parts of the country, as well as numerous challenges affecting women\u2019s political participation in the next general elections. The Ajengunle Community Project (ACP) has already started working with women politicians in the Lagos and Delta States with the goal of increasing the number of women politicians in public office. Towards this goal, ACP has trained 20 advocates in their target states who are in turn reaching out to women involved in politics at various levels in the states. A key success has been changing the mind-set of women who previously supported partisan parties by mobilising other community women as voters, cooks and dancers for the benefit of male politicians.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grace Bayo, participated in ACP\u2019s training programme and stated:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I used to be quiet until I joined ACP. Politicians had reduced women to singing and dancing. I had become disappointed in politics until I came to ACP. I have learnt to demand my rights. Women are not elected into office or given [government] contracts. Now we negotiate with the men.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Women trained by ACP now want to play active roles within their parties, and have learnt the art of negotiating with the key figures within their chosen political parties to gain more substantive political office. Women like Alhaja Babs-Olurun Kemi Ndurat, a local government Chairperson of the ruling PDP, and a beneficiary of ACP\u2019s training programme, has taken on the responsibility of mentoring younger women politicians.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Several of the projects visited (for example \u2018Women and Children of Hope Foundation\u2019, \u2018Positive Action for Access Treatment\u2019 and \u2018Heal the land Initiative\u2019) have been working for many years with some of the most vulnerable and marginalised people living with HIV\/AIDS. They spoke to the AWDF team about some of their key learning points over the years, including the importance of ensuring that women living positively are \u201ceconomically empowered\u201d. This translates to having sustainable and adequate incomes, and being able to afford nutritious foods and supplements, which are essential for those on anti-retroviral medication. Grantee partners also reported that stigma is still very much an issue of concern for women living positively. Click\u00a0here<\/a> to listen to a member of a support group run by Women and Children of Hope Foundation in Lagos share her experience of dealing with stigma.<\/p>\n A third key concern related to ensuring the sustainability of their organisations and services.\u00a0 An important part of AWDF\u2019s support to grantee partners includes organisational strengthening in multiple ways. \u00a0Organisations like Heal the Land, who had benefited from initiatives such as AWDF\u2019s resource mobilisation training (run in conjunction with Resource Alliance UK), reported that training had provided greater knowledge in fundraising, with some organisations reporting a more diversified approach to fundraising including elements such as \u00a0reaching out \u00a0to the corporate sector, implementing work place giving schemes and even starting small enterprises.<\/p>\n Watch a video of Jacinta Ine, Finance Manager of Heal the Land Initiative of Nigeria share her experiences of attending a resource mobilisation workshop organised by AWDF.<\/p>\n![\"ACP\"](\"http:\/\/www.africlub.net\/awdf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/ACP-l-to-r-Funmi-Adeniyi-Moyo-Omojugho-Olushola-Akai-Grace-Boyo-300x200.jpg\")
Living Positively<\/h2>\n