A non governmental organization, SafePath Alliance for Women and Girls (SAFEPATH-Nigeria) on Thursday 22nd December, 2022, lightened the faces of women and girls in Eziaguluotu Community in Anambra East LGA, with relief materials to cushion the dreadful impact of flooding that recently ravaged their lives.
With the support from ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) under the strategic opportunity funding project titled ‘A multi-faceted and inclusive Approach to protection of Human Rights of Women, Girls and Vulnerable survivors of Flood Disaster in Anambra State’, the NGO hinted that over thirty households benefited from the relief materials.
The Director of SAFEPATH-NIGERIA, Nkechi Jane-Frances Odinukwe, revealed that Barrister Chika Rita Okwuosah’ Foundation (BCROF), collaborated with SAFEPATH in the project. The relief material donation she said was the second of its kind, having visited Umunankwo Community in Ogbaru LGA for the same purpose.
She added that the visit to Eziaguluotu was not only to supply emergency relief materials to survivors but for the two NGOs to visibly observe how survivors have re-settled in after the flood and how they are coping with their day to day lives.
Mrs. Odinukwe, further explained that Anambra floods and other environmentally-driven disasters have become a frequent occurrence in most communities within the State. She stressed the gendered effect to such recurring natural and man-made disasters; saying women and girls bear the greatest impact since they carry the burden of keeping the home, taking care of the young/elderly and providing other household essentials like food, energy for cooking and potable water.
She further stressed the need for women to play a key role in how such disasters are prevented and adaptively managed. “Women cannot continue to play beneficiary roles during disaster periods, they need to be right at the center of decision making conversations around resource allocation, management and rehabilitation of survivors so that they can better protect their own interests.”
She added that women need formal training on disaster management, climate change, reproductive health issues or other key thematic areas that could empower rural women.
While thanking ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) for helping to make this visit possible, she equally highlighted that essential reproductive health materials like sanitary pads and panties have been included as part of relief items so that adolescent girls and young women will take better care of their bodies.
Some of the items received by survivors include, sleeping mats, buckets, Nigerian made wrappers, bathing soaps, rice, salt, food seasoning, noodles and vegetable oil. She shared how extra efforts have been made to reach certain category of women like persons with disability, pregnant women, nursing mothers, women heads of households and single mothers with these relief materials.
While thanking SAFEPATH-NIGERIA and BROF, the Women President General of Eziaguluotu community, Mrs, Esther Onwu, mentioned that several lives were lost during the flood including that of a young child who drowned while home alone when the flood hit the community – his parents had left him to go to their farm.
While expressing appreciation to SAFEPATH-NIGERIA and BROF, she also shared that these two organizations are the first and only NGOs that have visited the remote rural community or reached flood survivors with these strategic relief materials.
She mentioned that many elderly women and young children sleep on the bare floor with empty rice bags as they cannot afford sleeping mats or other essential items. She urged SAFEPATH-NIGERIA and BROF to further assist the community with trainings and more relief support as women in the communities have little or no formal training around ecological or climate change issues but simply grapple with flood unprepared.
