Projects

The Spotlight Initiative project under the UN Women Trust Fund was implemented to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and empower women and girls. The project aimed to end violence against women and improve health, safety, well-being, and dignity. Strategies employed included community engagement, capacity building, advocacy, and service provision. Trained gender champions facilitated dialogue sessions, while action committees responded to real-time SGBV cases in collaboration with faith leaders, community heads, service providers, and security agencies. Key outcomes included increased awareness, improved survivor response, cultural shifts, sustainability through community ownership, and collaboration among genders.

The Kungte community of Fan District in Barkin Ladi LGA, of Plateau State, Nigeria has faced challenges due to conflicts and crises for many years. These conflicts stem from a mix of factors including ethnicity, religion and competition for resources causing negative impacts on women and girls who often bear the brunt of the unrest. The repeated episodes of violence have disrupted routines resulting in families being displaced, properties being destroyed and community structures breaking down. This has widened the gap leaving women and girls without the skills needed to fully engage in society and the economy. On a level, local businesses and livelihoods have been severely affected by the conflicts. Women who are active in small scale trade and agriculture have lost their sources of income and earnings. This economic decline has pushed families into poverty with households led by women facing vulnerability. Additionally, the environmental consequences of these conflicts have been significant. This impacts not

only the health and welfare of the community but also adds pressure on economic resources, especially in agriculture and water management. Women are frequently excluded from decision making, having restricted access to resources and opportunities

and encounter chances of gender-based violence. This project aims to address these interconnected challenges by providing integrated economic empowerment, and environmental stewardship leading to a peaceful community. By focusing on these

areas, the project seeks to break the cycle of marginalization and empower women to become active agents of positive change in their community, contributing to long-term peace and sustainable development in Kungte community.

This project is a nine (9) months project with focus on two major objectives;

1: To increase social cohesion by 20% among 100 women and men in Kungte

community members by October 2025.

2: To empower 50 women economically through formation of two (2) Village Savings

and Loan Associations (VSLA), and skill development in sustainable agriculture by 20%

in Kungte community by October 2025.    

The proposed project in Fan District, Kungte community of Barki Ladi, LGA of Plateau State, sponsored by Bread for the World through Development Exchange Centre (DEC) and implemented by SUWA, will address critical needs that have been severely

exacerbated by ongoing conflicts. Supporting this initiative is crucial for several compelling reasons:

1. Breaking the Cycle of Marginalization: By focusing on economic empowerment, and environmental stewardship, the project offers a comprehensive approach to uplift women who have been disproportionately affected by the crises. This holistic strategy can help break the cycle of poverty and exclusion.

2. Promoting Sustainable Peace: Empowering women economically can contribute significantly to community stability and resilience, reducing vulnerability to future conflicts.

3. Environmental Restoration: Addressing environmental degradation is vital for the community's long-term health and economic sustainability, particularly in agriculture-dependent areas.

4. Inclusive Development: The project's focus on women with disabilities, widows, and marginalized groups ensures that the most vulnerable community members are not left behind in the development process.

5. Community Resilience: Strengthening women's roles in the community can lead to more robust social networks and support systems, crucial for navigating future challenges.

The BLOOM project represents an investment in the Kungte community's future, promoting gender equality, economic growth, and environmental sustainability in a conflict-affected area that urgently needs intervention. Indeed, supporting women’

education can strengthen climate strategies by empowering women rights, fostering women’s climate leadership and pro-environmental decision-making. Bread for the World through Development Exchange Centre (DEC) has given resources for this

intervention for the people of Kungte Community to break every limitation to having sustainable peace, economic growth, social cohesion and a sustainable environment.

SUWA is also giving the time and resources needed to implement the project and to see to the achievement of the set objectives of the project, to ensure that the people ofKungte Community live in peace and are empowered to live out their full potentials, so

that they can contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of their community and the nation at large.

This project is designed towards reducing Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and increasing peaceful coexistence. The project aims at changing attitudes, beliefs and behavior on SGBV including different forms of violent conflicts found within the community of implementation. Strategies include advocacy to key stakeholders: Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (MWASD), Federation of International Female Lawyers (FIDA), Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs), School Authorities,

Traditional/ Religious leaders) etc to address harmful cultural practices against women/girls; work with service providers (health, social, legal, police) to be better able to identify and refer SGBV survivors to appropriate services, support and care. Sixty (60)

Gender Champions/ Peace Ambassadors have been trained to conduct community

dialogue sessions on SGBV and conflict Management. There is quarterly community dialogues to analyze roots causes of violence and how to mitigate them. Interventions to reduce the risk of GBV, designing initiatives to promote community resilience to GBV and violent conflicts enable survivors and those at risk to access care and support services. Local supporting capacities are being supported to establish systems to prevent and deal with SGBV in a sustainable manner. Faith/ traditional leaders, community

members, security personnel and other social service providers need are engaged and mobilized to actively speak out against GBV and violent conflicts. Beneficiaries of the project are SGBV survivors of violent conflicts including other community members

within the community. The project has created avenues that foster dialogue between victims and offenders resulting in victims’ satisfaction and offenders becoming accountable. setting up of interfaith committees, raise peace ambassadors, counseling,

and run for effective integration.

The project is built on three strategies

• Strategy One-Peace Building and Conflict Management
• Strategy Two Sexual and Gender Based Violence
• Strategy Three Livelihood, Empowerment and Psychosocial Support

   Project Location: This project is implemented in Angwan Rukuba, Tudun Wada Communities of Jos North, Gada, Naynago         Communities of Jos South, Foron, Gashish communities of Barkin-ladi LGAs of Plateau State and Wanunne Benue state.

Objectives :

• To make a difference in God’s advancing Kingdom by providing financial,

  consultative, and prayerful support to effective faith-based initiatives that

  emphasize evangelism, church planting, discipleship, leadership development and

  redemptive ministries

• To build resilient faith actors who are strong advocate of peace building, ending

  SGBV and supporting livelihood empowerment, psychosocial support in their

  communities

  Project Outcome so far

• Transformation: Improved change in behavior, attitude and culture among community

  members. The community dialogue session is encouraging forgiveness and reconciliation

  among members of the community and encouraging Alternative Dispute Resolution

  (ADR) and saving cost of litigation.

• Social Cohesion: Intra-faith and interfaith relationships have been enhanced as different

   faith and divided Communities are beginning to communicate with each other and doing

    things in common.

• Active participation/Project Ownership: Active participation and eagerness from the

   community members enhanced cooperation and social cohesion among target group and

   community members hence, encouraged project ownership.

• Inclusiveness: The inclusiveness of the program involving all stakeholders has led to

  smooth implementation of the project and acceptability of the project/organization. The

  involvement of women and youth in peacebuilding enhance good participation and equal

  right for all.

• Effective and good platforms created for information sharing by religious actors led to

  clear understanding of peace building and conflict management.

• Sustained Advocacy visits to relevant stakeholders (community, government and

   religious authorities) gives opportunity to access participation and ownership of the

   project by the people.

• Livelihood, Empowerment and Psychosocial Support:
• Capacity Development: Building the capacity of project staff/community participants

    /volunteers helped them to be effective in respective community work.

• Attitude change: The community dialogue sessions are transforming communities that

   were prone to violence into a peaceful community. Young people under the facade of

   religion are denouncing violence and seeking ways to work for peace and engage in

   meaningful ventures. Hence, reducing intra communal conflicts

• Good Time and Communication Management: The use of modern communication like

    WhatsApp, GSM calls, SMS, and internet has enhanced the success of our work. There is

    reduced delay of upward and downward flow of information with increased proper

    channeling and prompt action.

Target Locations

• Kaduna State: Jama’a LGA (Bakin Kogi/Dangoma), Kaura LGA (Fadan Attakar/Zangang,

Manchok/Zankan, Morda).

• Plateau State: Bassa LGA (Miango, Jebbu Bassa), Jos North LGA (Angwan Rogo and Congo

Russia).

The Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) in Nigeria is a consortium of four international

NGOs—Mensen met een Missie, Tearfund, Search for Common Ground and Faith to Action

Network—alongside seven local implementing partners: Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace (DREP)

Centre, Development Initiative of West Africa (DIWA), Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in

Nigeria (FOMWAN), RURCON, Scripture Union West Africa (SUWA) and Women Interfaith Council

(WIC).

The JISRA program seeks to transform intra-, inter-, and extra-religious dynamics in Nigeria to promote

Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB). Through an interconnected approach, the program aims to

reduce FoRB-related conflicts and foster peaceful coexistence in ten Local Government Areas (LGAs)

across Kaduna and Plateau states. JISRA leverages the influence of religious leaders, youth, women, and

civil society from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds to identify, reflect on, and act upon key entry

points for dialogue and engagement. By doing so, the program fosters an inclusive, tolerant, and

harmonious society. JISRA partners focus on empowering religious and community leaders, youth, and

women to bridge religious divides and advocate for a more inclusive social and policy environment.

The program operates on the following Theory of Change (ToC):

• IF faith leaders (both formal and informal, traditional and non-traditional), women, and youth are

equipped with skills in dialogue, conflict management, mediation, and FoRB advocacy,

• AND IF opportunities for interfaith dialogue and collaboration are created,
• THEN these faith leaders will model interfaith engagement, leading to increased interaction and

cooperation at the community level.

• AND THEN, as communities engage in dialogue and collective action—including addressing

shared grievances—interfaith trust, mutual respect, and collaboration will strengthen.

The JISRA program envisions a sustainable transformation where:

• FoRB is protected and promoted across target states.
• Interfaith and intrafaith relationships improve, reducing religious tensions.
• Intergroup divisions—exacerbated by religious discrimination, such as biased hiring practices are

discouraged.

• The cycle of religiously motivated violence, including blasphemy-related killings and reprisal

attacks, is broken.

Recognizing the deep-rooted religious dimensions of violence in Nigeria, JISRA addresses both human

rights violations and peacebuilding gaps. By tackling these interconnected challenges, the program aims

to foster a more inclusive, peaceful, and cohesive society.

Processes of FoRB in Conflict and Peacebuilding:

Religious freedom is a critical enabler of peace. Conversely, the lack of religious freedom is a

demonstrable cause of conflict. Religious freedom, incorporated into SUWA JISRA efforts to promote

communal and state peaceful coexistence, the settlement of conflict, the reduction of religious intolerance

and other goals related to peacebuilding.

The processes of FoRB in conflict and peacebuilding may include;

1. Risk Assessment and Conflict sensitivity: Doing a thorough job on risk assessment and

conflict sensitivity at the planning stage helped us to manage the risk and reduce

conflict. The fact risk exists helped us to think of possible hindrances to successful

projects implementation. Risk assessment helped SUWA to make possible adjustments

for quality service delivery. Most often, some risks are far beyond our control and having

this in mind helped us to plan in anticipation (ahead). Through community and

stakeholders’ engagement and involvement that provided opportunity to carry out conflict

mapping, conflict analysis, risk management and possible mitigation measures, we also

ensured that the principle of “Do No Harm” is upheld. This is done periodically and

documents are upgraded.

2. Advocacy and awareness raising: 17 key stakeholders were trained in collaboration with

JISRA Lobby Advocacy and Communication Group (LACWG) on advocacy, social

accountability, election; women and youth participation from the project sites to

champion advocacy issues, community sensitization and awareness creation on civic

education and non-violence election participation. Further step down was done for other

community members. These trainings have helped in all our communities of JISRA

project implementation sites to have had a peaceful election in the 2023 presidential,

national assembly, governorship and state assemblies’ election.

3. Capacity building: SUWA through the Intra Religious Pillar have trained 96 stakeholders

(traditional, religious, women and youth leaders) from the project sites on sanctity of life,

forgiveness for all, civic responsibilities and religion, love for neighbour and peaceful

coexistence, justice and peace, harmful cultural practices, impartiality and non-

discriminatory behaviour. 120 faith actors trained under interreligious pillar from the

project sites on discrimination, tenets of Christian and Islamic beliefs, framework of

interreligious dialogue and peaceful coexistence. Due to the effectiveness of the

trainings, over1000 indirect have been reached through step down trainings and

awareness raising

4. Dialogue: Dialogue is a powerful tool that help in building trust and good relationship

among community members. The dialogue is at intra, intra, extra and cross cutting

pillars. It helps to reduce and remove prejudice and fear and can be vital in addressing

sensitive issues related to religious freedom such as conversion, apostasy, and

blasphemy. SUWA has facilitated 39 intrareligious dialogue sessions with the

stakeholders. This has brought about change in attitudes, behaviour and perception thus

leading to forgiveness, reconciliation, love, respect for one another, peaceful

coexistence, tolerance and appreciation of their common values and differences. 6 Inter-

religious dialogue sessions were conducted within the 4 LGAs of Plateau and Kaduna

States (Jos North, Bassa, Kaura, Jama’a).

5. Mediation: through the various dialogues initiated at the community level, SUWA was

able to facilitate a mediation process between the farmers and herders.

6. Setting up of network/structures: SUWA through the JISRA project implementation have

set up 39 peer horizontal intrareligious networks and 6 Peer Horizontal interreligious

networks formed across Plateau and Kaduna States involving Religious, traditional

leaders, Women and Youth leaders at the community level 6 interreligious networks

formed across Plateau and Kaduna States involving religious, traditional leaders, women

and youth leaders thus bringing about inclusivity for all irrespective of religion, gender,

ethnicity, colour etc.

7. Collaboration and partnership: SUWA partner with other service providers at the

community, Local, State, National levels.

With the coming of JISRA project, there is now increased understanding on sanctity of human

life, God’s creation, love for neighbor, peace and unity, tenets of Christians and Muslim

principles/practices.

This has brought about religious tolerance, relationship building, mutual understanding, respect,

unity and peaceful coexistence between the two community as they now do things together

without any discrimination. They attend each other’s events at their religious worship centers.

The interreligious dialogue for the communities is held in both the Churches and Mosques

thereby bridging religious divides and creating room for networking along networks of youth,

women, traditional/ faith actors.

Description of project:

Title of Project: Improve socio-economic empowerment, peacebuilding and political participation of

women and girls in Ogoja, Cross River States.

Project Duration: April 2022 to April 2024

1. The objectives are:

To increase women/girls’ participation in politics and decision making processes in Ogoja, Cross

River State;

2. To strengthen capacity of women/girls and host communities for increase peace, recovery and

resilience in the refugee camp and host community;

3. To increase socio-economic status and financial literacy of displaced women and girls in Ogoja,

Cross River State.

SHARP aimed to strengthen livelihoods through climate-smart agriculture, build resilience, promote hygiene, and foster peace in Benue State (Abagena and Ichwa IDP Camps). Key activities included stakeholder engagement, community entry, transforming masculinities training, trauma healing sessions, self-help group formation (VSLAs), peace club formation, and distribution of hygiene kits and seedlings. Over 400 beneficiaries were registered, with validated processes ensuring accountability. The project fostered improved community dialogue, social cohesion, and gender inclusion. Community dialogue graduation events symbolized healing and reconciliation, including emotionally significant gestures between men and women.