» Girls’ Power Initiative, Benin City

Erica Williams (WOCON – Women’s Consortium of Nigeria): Erica worked at the Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program at Howard University, in Washington, where she organized material for the African Burial Ground Project. Between 1999 and 2001 Erica worked and studied in Venezuela, Brazil and South Africa. In South Africa, she conducted historical and ethnographic research at the University of Western Cape. Erica studied for her BA at New York University, where she received several travel and research scholarships and volunteered for several different organizations: Students Active for Ending Rape (SAFER), WomenCare, Face to Face International, The Center for African Spiritual Culture, InI Performance Club, NYU, Golden Rose Awards Banquet Committee, NYU. She also served as Editorial Assistant, Academic Achievement Program Newsletter, NYU. At the time of her fellowship, Erica was studying for a Master's degree in African Studies at Yale University and preparing to start a Ph.D. in Cultural and Social Anthropology at Stanford University. Erica asked many probing questions of AP’s new fellowship program, in person and through her final evaluation: “At the orientation, I noticed the beginning of a possible conflict of interest when I learned that interns were expected to engage in capacity-building at their organizations. But I questioned my ability as a 23 year-old student to tell a 50 year-old experienced, renowned human rights lawyer and activist how to run her organization. Perhaps this is the cultural anthropologist in me, but AP, myself, and future interns must recognize their position as outsiders to Nigeria and to WOCON. Being in that tenuous position creates a dynamic where it is difficult to tell people what they should do, because as outsiders we’re not even accustomed to living in their environment." “For instance, with my office experience in the U.S., I’m used to organizing files in labeled manila folders and hanging file folders in file cabinets. Thus, I found WOCON’s filing system of long folders in a multi-shelved closet impossible to understand. But it works for them. My work experience in the U.S. has also trained me to write out my daily activities, allot a specified amount of time to tasks, and rely heavily on the computer. This is an unattainable goal in Lagos because of the constant unexpected power outages and the fact that sending two emails can take you upwards of two hours. Future interns should be fully aware of the challenges they will face in Nigeria, and even then they may still have trouble adapting to the environment.” Erica also found Lagos to be hard work: “The daily struggles of life in Lagos were another challenge. Constant power outages, traffic jams, torrential rains and floods, painfully slow internet service, and the week-long fuel strike all conspired to make my work more difficult.”

09 Apr

When I arrived in Benin City, I wasn’t able to make calls with my mobile phone, so I was a bit nervous about dropping by the GPI office unexpectedly. Luckily, Mrs. Olateru-Olagbegi had phoned to let them know that I would be coming that day.

When I got to the office, Phil, the Office Manager, gave me a warm welcome, showed me around, and introduced me to everyone. After informing me that Mrs. Osakue would be in later in the afternoon for a meeting that I was invited to attend, she helped me make phone calls to the other NGOs on my list to set up appointments. Given that I had no idea how to get around Benin City, she asked Ety, a GPI graduate and intern, to escort me.

Ety is a nineteen year old, shy but self-assured young woman who had successfully completed GPI’s three-year comprehensive girls’ education program, which focuses on reproductive health and rights and assertiveness. In her third year, she did an intervention on rape and incest in her mother’s village.

GPI’s girls’ education program reflects their vision of “educating girls into healthy, self-reliant, productive, and confident women for the achievement of positive changes and transformation of patriarchal values in Nigeria.” GPI also has research libraries and resource centers in the four states, and provides counseling and referral services for girls who are dealing with cases of rape, sexual abuse, family and relationship problems, and trafficking.

GPI’s anti-trafficking activities are preventative in nature. According to Mrs. Osakue, girls who go through comprehensive sex education are better able to resist trafficking because of the self awareness, coping skills, and assertiveness that they learn. GPI is concerned about trafficking in both its internal and external forms. The offices Akwa-Ibom and Delta States work on internal trafficking. Mrs. Osakue pointed out that despite the fact that external trafficking gets more attention, internal trafficking may actually be worse because “the girl trafficked to Europe usually doesn’t die, and is at least able to earn money, but the girl trafficked internally only gets N7500 ($55) for a whole year of exploitation.”

Posted By Erica Williams

Posted Apr 9th, 2007

Rose Chinedu
July 13, 2009

I love what GPI is doing at the nationaal and international levels. Just to say more greeze to your elbow because educating a girl/woman is to educate a nation.
cheapest flights to johannesburg from cape town
May 3, 2012

â€‹ Cheers for this illuminating blog. I have been in search of cheapest flights to
cape town from johannesburg for ages|This is a interestingpiece of information on locating bargain domestic flights|I located your page about this topic
when I was looking to book flights to johannesburg from cape town you have saved me a bundle|I feel that you simply
know what you are talking about, this is great blog.|An excellent read.
I will certainly be back.|Itâ€™s very simple to find out any really great information on the web regarding cheap flights to johannesburg from durban as
compared to books, as I found this paragraph very informative.

Thanks!|These are actually great ideas in on the topic ofcheapest flights
from cape town to johannesburg You have touched some interesting points here.
Keep writing!|Great article, totally what I wanted to find.
This is my very first time visiting South Africa so I appreciate the information.
|Appreciation to my jet setting friends who stated to me on the
topic of this website, this weblog is genuinely awesome|Hurrah!
In the end I got a website from where I can truly take useful facts regarding
cheapest flights from cape town to johannesburg.|Generally
I do not read article on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it!
â€‹Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks,
quite great post.|Sometimes it is not easy to find useful information about domestic flights online
and none of my friends have been to South Africa.
Your site is providing me with the support I don’t have offline. Your contributers sure know their stuff!| Great website. Plenty of useful info here. I’m sending it to several friends who are looking for flights from South Africa and also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you on your effort!| It’s really a nice and helpful piece of info. I’m happy that you just shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.|Incredible points. Great arguments. Keep up the good work.| I am in fact glad to read this webpage posts which contains lots of helpful facts, thanks for providing these data about flights from South Africa.|You managed to hit the nail upon the highest as neatly as|and also|and} outlined out the whole thing with no need side effect , other folks can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thank you|I am actually grateful to the holder of this website who has shared this impressive piece of writing at this place|Hey very interesting blog!|Every weekend i used to go to see this website, as i wish for enjoyment, for the reason that this this site contains really good travel related data|Its not my first time to visit this web page, i am browsing this web page dailly and obtain pleasant data from here all the time.|It is actually a nice and useful piece of information. I am satisfied that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.| Good activity, cheers|I know this web site gives quality based articles and additional material, is there any other website which offers such things in quality?|I believe this is among the most significant information for me. And i’m happy reading your article. But want to commentary on few basic issues, The web site style is ideal, the articles is truly nice : D.|Useful post for any traveller.|I go to see everyday a few web sites and information sites to read articles or reviews, but this blog offers quality posts. |Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to mention that I’ve truly enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. After all I will be subscribing on your rss feed and I’m hoping you write again very soon! |Nice post. I used to be checking continuously this weblog and I am impressed! Extremely useful information particularly the closing section 🙂 I care for such information a lot. |You can certainly see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The sector hopes for even more passionate writers such as you who aren’t afraid to say how they believe. At all times follow your heart.|I without a doubt will make certain to do not overlook this web site and give it a glance on a constant basis. |Hello I am so thrilled I found your blog, I really found you by mistake, while I was searching on Bing for articles about cheapest flights to johannesburg from durban and would just like to say cheers for a remarkable post.I donâ€™t have time to browse it all at the minute but I have saved it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the superb work.|It’s good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same old rehashed material.|Great read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account. It is going to really help during my travels. |Howdy! Someone in my Facebook group shared this website with us so I came to give it a look. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers!|Hello there, I discovered your web site via Google while searching for a related subject, your web site came up, it appears good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.|Hurrah, thatâ€™s what I was searching for, what a data! present here at this website, thanks admin of this web page|
payday loans for bad credit
June 18, 2012

May I simply just say what a relief to uncover somebody that genuinely knows what they are talking about online.
You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important.
More and more people must check this out and understand this side of your story.
I was surprised you aren’t more popular since you certainly have the gift. Payday Loans
PC- & Videospiele
March 17, 2016

Audials Tunebite 2016 Platinum (PC Software)

Girls’ Power Initiative, Benin City

4 Comments

Rose Chinedu

cheapest flights to johannesburg from cape town

payday loans for bad credit

PC- & Videospiele

Enter your Comment

Submit

Fellows