APRIL 28, 2021- BENIN CITY, EDO STATE. One of our core values at Pathfinders is granting access to women who are at-risk to trafficking, providing them with opportunities to educate and empower themselves and thus reducing overall vulnerability. To this end, and with the support of a Global Freedom Exchange grant from Vital Voices Global Partnership, we provided humanitarian support (via a food drive) to five beneficiaries of “Each One, Reach One,” one of our projects which targets women who are at-risk to becoming trafficked. In addition to providing humanitarian support, the project pairs at-risk women with survivor advocates who serve as peer-to-peer mentors, while also providing economic empowerment (vocational skills training, capital to start-up a small business and financial literacy training), medical support and mental health counseling.
At the food drive, all five beneficiaries received the following: palm and vegetable oil, cornflakes, golden morn cereal, packs of milk, perfume, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, half bag of beans, a bag of rice, a bag of garri, cartons of indomie noodles, detergent, bathing soap, packs of spaghetti and sachets of gino tomato paste. They also received a smart phone and data to help them promote their businesses online.
Overwhelmed, all project beneficiaries expressed genuine joy and shock, considering the extent to which the humanitarian support will go to alleviate some of their most pressing needs in a post-COVID economy that has been brutal on the inflation rate in Nigeria. It is expected that the items received will provide feeding for at least three (3) months.
‘Each One, Reach One’ is funded by a grant from the Vital Voices Global Partnership, to which we are grateful. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of Pathfinders Justice Initiative and do not necessarily reflect those of Vital Voices Global Partnership or the Global Freedom Exchange Program.
