NGO Seeks Support For Women On Peace Mediation

A Non-Governmental Organisation, South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO), has urged community and religious leaders to support the women of the Sister Guardian Initiative on peace mediation.
Coordinator, Sisters Guardian Initiative project of  the SSDO, Mrs Blessing Udochukwu,  gave the advice on Friday in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State to commemorate the 16 Days  of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Udochukwu said the support could go a long way to make the mediation by the members a success.
“When leaders in communities get involved in settling matters between husbands and wives or matters on violence against women and girl-child, there will be peace in the community,” she said.
She called on the women of the initiative to also involve the leaders whenever the matters were difficult for them to handle.
According to her, the  Sister Guardian Initiative is  a community-based response, provided by women trained by SSDO for women facing violence by providing companionship, safe space, mediation with the husbands, extended families and village authorities.
Mrs Stella Ani, the Micro Credit Officer of the SSDO, encouraged the women to get involved in economic activities, to help their families financially.
Ani stressed that most violence against women were due to inadequate finance by the husbands as meeting the needs of the families could be difficult for them sometimes.
She added that the SSDO was ready to help the project members financially, through its different credit facilities by registering as cooperative societies.
Mrs Angela Zeigbo, President, Sister Guardian Initiative, Awha-Ndiagu Community, said the initiative, set up by SSDO, had brought love, peace, unity and progress in her community.

Zeigbo commended the SSDO for the project in her community as it had made their men to recognise their worth.

The traditional leader, Chief Titus Chioke, expressed joy over the peace and love the project had brought to his community, especially among husbands and wives as it had also reduced violence against persons in the community.

Chioke promised to include three of the executive members of the initiative into the traditional rulers’ council of the community.