Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Adamawa have lauded the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative project for saving their lives and for empowering them.
They made the commendation in interviews in Yola on Sunday.
One of the beneficiaries of the fund’s interventions, a 20-year-old secondary school student, thanked the UN body for prompt actions toward saving her life when she was raped.
She explained that when the case was reported to the One Stop Centre (OSC), established by the UNFPA in Yola, the officials took care of her medically and psychologically.
The OSC was created to support women affected by violence in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace.
Aggrieved women who reached out or been referred to the OSC due to any kind of violence are, therefore, being provided with specialised services.
The 20-year-old said she and her parents were seriously disturbed at the time of the incident but after counselling and actions taken by the OSC officials to prevent her against any diseases, the family left everything in the hands of God.
She said “at the end, I was trained and empowered with sewing machine to start my business free of charge which I did not expect in my life.
“Currently I have already started producing bags to generate income for myself.”
Also, Florence Obed, another beneficiary, a 50-year-old widow with four children, expressed gratitude to God and to the UN body and partners for the empowerment given to her.
She said that the UNFPA really impacted her life, which is helping her to take care of her children.
Obed explained that she was trained on how to produce local spaghetti and empowered with a machine, which she is currently using to produce the pasta to feed her children and for sale to earn some income.
Another beneficiary who pleaded for anonymity also appreciated UNFPA for the empowerment and other services.
She said that she learned how to sew clothes at the OSC in Yola and empowered with a sewing machine after she was violently treated by her husband.
She explained that before the empowerment, she was in difficult situation, but currently living peaceful, running her business courtesy of UNFPA.
She added that it is her first time of benefitting from such a gesture and it is impacting on her life as the main source of income to cater for her needs.
She also appreciated the support, training and counselling given to her by officials of the OSC.
