About Community: Ningi is a town, a Local Government and an emirate council located in the central zone of Bauchi State. Ningi Local Government Area covers an area of 4,625km2 with a population of 387,192 (2006 census).

The area is inhabited mostly by Fa´awa, Ningawa, Duwa, Warjawa, and Fulani people. 75% of the populations are farmers with little percentage as civil servants. The average income of the people is less than N10, 000 per month. 65% of the inhabitants are unemployed. Ningi LGA has a general hospital, one maternity, two private Hospitals and primary health care centre in some of the communities.

Purpose of the Visit: Issues mostly faced by VC within Ningi include school dropout and malnutrition, evidences gathered from interviews, project reports and practical field experience from our organization indicates that low literate level, poverty and health issues among the household, including low level of government commitment to some extent is preventing these VC from benefiting from social services, so also discriminatory practices towards orphan and vulnerable children even within the extended household in the state rendered them highly susceptible to social vices. High incidence is found among girls as child labour, street hawking among others makes them more prone to teenage pregnancy, trafficking and abuse. Factors responsible for increased number of orphan and vulnerable children in Bauchi state is attributed to high maternal mortality during child birth, HIV/AIDS and conflicts resulting in death of parents.

Project Mission: The purpose of FAWOYDI intervention under RTI/LEAD is to improve the opportunities for these communities in areas of initiating and monitoring skill acquisition centers and educational programme in order to tackle the poverty situations by the horns.

• To build the capacity of 2000 Caregivers through training on educational and nutritional counseling in 16 communities of Ningi LGA by September 2016
• To build the capacity of 2000 Caregivers on Household Economic Strengthening through training in entrepreneurship skills, income generating ventures, micro savings and credit schemes in selected project communities of Ningi LGA by September 2016
• To facilitate the protection of 8000 VCs through support for the establishment of Child Protection Committee (CPCs) in 10 project communities of Ningi LGA by September 2016

Target Group: FAWOYDI/STEER Project target groups are: 8000 Vulnerable Children (0 – 17years) and 2000 Caregivers these includes people living positive (HIV/AIDS)

Project status before intervention:

1. Most of the caregivers (CG) are not involved in non-farm income generating activities
2. Some of the caregivers cannot differentiate between start- up capital and profit at the end of farming season.
3. Caregiver do not have knowledge on exclusive breast feeding to their infant
4. No any training on Nutrition education and counseling, importance of locally available food (four star diets).
5. No knowledge on production of Tom-Brown (Kwash-Pap) as an emergency measure for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), good hygiene practices, growth monitoring promotion (GMP) and regular attendance of antenatal care.
6. There was no community structure that protect children against abuse
7. There was no community structure that ensure quality improvement of programs In the community
8. community members do wait for either Government or NGOs intervention programs
9. Women and children are not involve/participant in programs as well as decision making in the communities

During Intervention:

1. 1000 caregivers trained on Business Development 700 caregivers trained on financial literacy out of which 685 caregivers are now benefitting on running a village savings and loan group through the training they acquired, 28 village saving and loan groups formed and are functioning across all the communities of intervention.
2. 75% of those 1700 CG are now into different small scale businesses such as petty trade, storage of grains, Agriculture and livestock farming. Also some of the caregivers now have access to financial services.
3. Over 75% of the caregivers were trained on exclusive breastfeeding from infancy to 6 month
4. 1748 caregivers were trained on Nutrition Education and counseling.
5. FAHIMTA Organization identify malnutrition cases and provide proper counseling to members of the community and beneficiaries on the best possible way of managing Malnourished Child within the communities.
6. The Infant and Young Child Feeding (C-IYCF) component, is an entirely new approach to our nutrition intervention in the community, thus caregivers are gradually changing their beliefs and behaviors on exclusive breast feeding.
7. FAHIMTA help in Complementary food (TOM-BROWN) introduced in the household/beneficiaries after 6month of age and for Severe acute malnourished children.
8. 51 supports group were formed in 16 project communities of Ningi, through these, some of the beliefs/attitudes of the community in the area of C-IYCF are gradually changing
9. Child protection committee was established in sixteen (16) project community of Ningi LGA.
10. Ten (10) community improvement team were established with the responsibility of identifying, analyzing and develop strategies to solve the problems (mobilize resources to solve their problems)
11. Child protection committee (CPC) and Community Quality Improvement Team (QIT) routinely visit school to ascertain the level of pupils attendance as well as the teacher

Progress: 1748 caregivers were trained on Nutrition Education and counseling, and on Business Development skills

Challenges

• High expectation from the community members
• Low literacy in the community

Target: To enrolled 2000 caregivers in business development skill and 8000 vulnerable children back to school in 16 project communities in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi.

Model Strategies:

• Advocacy
• Community sensitization
• Trainings

Best Practices:

1. Capacity building at all areas of program implementation
2. Village saving and loan concept (methodology)
3. Resource mobilization
4. Strengthening partnership and collaboration
5. Formal registration of community structures

Lesson Learnt:

1. We learnt that community problems can be solve by targeting its root cause
2. It is learnt that changing the mindset of the community people took some gradual step
3. Community participation and ownership of the project can yield positive results
4. Community can developed once shown the way

Health benefit to the community: The Health benefit of FAWOYDI/STEER Project to its target groups can be identified as follows:

1. Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) through referrals and linkages of People Living Positive (PLP) to health centers
2. Training of Caregivers on Nutrition Education and counseling
3. Counseling and sensitization on exclusive breastfeeding
4. Growth Monitoring of VC less than 5 years of age
5. Referring pregnant women to ANC during home visits

Education benefit to the community:

1. Sensitization of the community/caregivers on the importance of VC education
2. Identifying out of school VCs and enrolled them back to school
3. Conducting school visit by Project Community Volunteers to the level of attendance of the VCs

Employment benefits: The project provided employment opportunity for 48 community volunteers which stipends were given to them on monthly basis since the inception of the project.