By Nakanda Iyadim
In a proactive effort to enhance the safety of children during their crucial first 1,000 days, the Cross River State Government, in partnership with UNICEF, has trained 120 youth volunteers from 20 communities in the Odukpani Local Government Area.
This training program, part of a UNICEF-assisted community engagement initiative, aims to empower these youth leaders in essential family practices, including antenatal care, immunization, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, birth registration, and the reduction of open defecation. They are expected to advocate for these practices at the community level.
While declaring the training programme held at the Odukpani Town Hall open, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, represented by Director of Information Mr. David Akate, expressed gratitude to UNICEF for its ongoing support for Cross River’s children and mothers.
> “Today, we gather here with a shared purpose: to gain knowledge that uplifts and empowers our children and pregnant women, who are the heart of a thriving society,” Akate stated.
He commended UNICEF and all partners for their commitment, urging volunteers to take the training seriously and act as ambassadors of social behavior change in their communities. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to implementing community action plans effectively.
In a goodwill message, Mr. John Asanye, State Director of the National Orientation Agency, encouraged volunteers to become agents of change by promoting life-saving practices within their communities, adding the Cross River State and indeed Nigeria was looking up to them to drive the desired social change in their respective communities .
UNICEF SBC Consultant Ms. Blessing Eberechukwu emphasized the importance of ownership in the program, encouraging volunteers to impact their focused groups effectively.
The State’s Social Mobilization Officer also announced the launch of the second round of Optimize Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (OMNCHW2) and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination for girls aged 9 across all 18 Local Government Areas, urging volunteers to mobilize community members to ensure vaccination uptake, highlighting that the vaccines are safe, free, and effective.
The interactive training session comprised paper presentations by resource persons in key thematic areas, followed by a technical session led by Ms. Juliana Atialikong, Deputy Director, National Orientation Agency and technical advisor to the program.
The session outlined specific roles of the Community Youth Volunteers (CYVs) as they return to their respective communities.
