A non-governmental organisation, CARE Nigeria, has trained women in Bauchi communities on promoting exclusive breastfeeding and a healthy diet.

The organisation, in partnership with CARE Nigeria, through its project, Catalysing Strengthened Policy Action for Healthy Diet and Resilience (CASCADE), which is being implemented by GAIN and Development Exchange Centre (DEC) with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, mobilises women in the grassroots to enlighten them on the benefits of accessing antenatal care, early initiation of exclusive breastfeeding, and immunisation to achieve good health.

The women were trained in backyard farming of nutritional crops, including red-flesh potatoes, soybeans, vegetables, tomatoes, and others.

Ann Alberta, the Gender Technical Officer of the CASCADE project, explained that the project targets women of reproductive age (15-49) and children under 15 to build resilience and access quality healthcare, particularly during pregnancy and postnatal periods.

She said that the organisation has been conducting monthly awareness sessions on gender equality, human rights, women’s empowerment, and MYCIN. “In this political landscape, we found out cultural and social norms impede women’s rights, so having the enlightenment with community stakeholders—who are mainly men—be aware of some of these norms that hinder women from excelling,” she said.

She encouraged men to allow women to own farmlands to produce nutritional food for households and commercial use.
Also, Hannah Ishaku, Health and Nutrition Technical Officer for the DEC/Cascade project, said that the organisations are championing the welfare of mothers, infants, and children. “We are encouraging them to embrace exclusive breastfeeding for six months and initiation,” she said.

The NGO reaches out to hundreds of women in 20 communities each month for sensitisation and enlightenment. According to the NGO, CASCADE is being implemented in Nasarawa, Bauchi, Jigawa and Kebbi states.