Empowerment Programme for GBV Survivors in the Gambia (2002)

The Network against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV) in collaboration with the SOS Children’s Village with funding from UNFPA (The Gambia) seeks to contribute to peace building and social cohesion by reducing the short- and long-lasting effects of SGBV on the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of survivors, their families, and communities. In line with the project’s output area in ensuring the livelihoods of selected SGBV survivors and communities are supported to promote resilience and improve wellbeing, the project supported the empowerment initiative geared towards supporting vulnerable women including survivors of GBV to promote resilience, improve well-being, and livelihood and facilitate integration into their normal lives through the production of reusable menstrual pads and Diapers.

To this end, Royal Heritage Health Foundation was engaged to train selected trainees on the sewing of reusable menstrual pads and diapers, conduct capacity building sessions, including monitoring and quality assurance in the Gambia.

STRATEGIES

Development of a comprehensive curriculum on the production of reusable Sanitary pads and Diapers.
Development of student-centered approach to learning through weekly work-plan and review.
Integration of other life-building skills into learning.
Comprehensive Training on PSEA at the inception of the training.
HIV counselling, testing and referral services due to the nature of the training and the sharp objects involved.
Pairing of Trainees to Trainers for further guidance and mentorship.
Rotation of all trainees across all the departments to achieve excellence and also discover Trainees’ strengths and weaknesses.

Sewing Machines, Leak Proof, Top Sheet, Absorbent (Liner), Material for bag, Snapping Button, Big Thread, Industrial Reeler, Industrial Shuttle, Cutting Machines, Press Button Machines, Machine oil, Machine Needles, Press Button Machine Dice, Stamp for Branding Pad, Packaging Tie, Gravity Iron, Tailoring Tape, Iron Ruler, Scissors, Tailoring Chalk, Elastic Rubber, Plastic Rubber, Office Pin, and Markers were procured and delivered to NGBV towards the production and training of the participants on the production of reusable sanitary pads and diapers.

Activities Implemented in Bakoteh

Coupling and servicing of Industrial machine- 6 new industrial machines were coupled in Bakoteh and 10 industrial machines were serviced in Basse.
Orientation on PSEA and Fitness test- Trainees were enlightened on the tenets of PSEA and how it applies to the training.
Introduction to reusable diaper and pad- Trainees were introduced to the theoretical concept of reusable sanitary pad and diaper.
Drafting and measuring of Reusable diaper- Trainees’ previous knowledge on measurement and drafting was tested and they were made to attempt the drafting of the reusable diaper on paper.
Introduction to industrial sewing machine- Trainees were introduced to the use of industrial machines as well as the notable differences between them.
Cutting, sewing and snapping button of reusable diaper- Comprehensive training on cutting, sewing and button snapping.
Sewing of absorbent and packaging bag for reusable diaper -Trainees were taught on the processes involved in sowing the absorbent and packaging bag for reusable diaper.
Drafting and measuring of reusable pad- Trainees were taught on drafting and measuring of reusable pad and they all attempted it.
Cutting, sewing and snapping button of reusable pad- Trainees were tutored on cutting, sewing and button snapping for reusable pads.
Sewing of packaging bag for reusable pad- Trainees produced packaging bags for reusable sanitary pads.
Mass production of reusable pad and diaper- Trainees successfully produced 4608 reusable sanitary pads and 842 reusable diapers.
Graduation – Trainees graduated and received certificates of completion.

Three representatives from RHHF were at Basse from the 23rd -28th of April, 2022 to train 12 participants on the improved reusable sanitary pads. Cutting Machine, Ropes, Threads, Absorbent, Top Sheet, Leak Proof, and Bag Material were also procured for the center towards the production of reusable pads

In addition to this, 2 instructors were at the center in Basse from 22nd of May to 1st of June 2022, to train the participants on how to measure, cut, sew and fix button on the reusable diaper. During the visit, participants sew 154 diapers and the following materials were delivered to them for the production of reusable diaper: Snap Button Machine (Manual), Snap Button Machine Dice, Snap Buttons, Big Threads, Absorbent, Top Sheet, Leak Proof, Polyester, Bag Material, Elastic Rubber, Marker, and Chalk.

Graduation Ceremony

The graduation ceremony for the successful trainees held on the 1st of July, 2022 at the SOS Children Village, Bakoteh. There were several dignitaries in attendance including representatives from UNFPA, NGBV, SOS and RHHF. Having fulfilled all the training requirements, 12 out of 13 Trainees were given certificates of completion and also secured an employment with the production center in Bakoteh. The CEO (RHHF), in his speech, appreciated the support of the donor and partners and also encouraged the graduates to pursue excellence and make the most out of the opportunity. Two out of the Trainees also expressed their gratitude for the opportunity and also shared some of the things they learnt during the training period. After the ceremony, some of the trainees led the dignitaries to view the displayed finished products.

Lesson Learnt

Trainers learnt to relate with diverse trainees in a way that brought out the best in them.
Prioritization of teamwork ensured maximum corporation among trainees.
The integration of respect and other core values helped to create a conducive atmosphere for learning.
Setting of ground rules during the inception training helped to curb indiscipline.
Creating a feedback mechanism through social networking with the trainees will help to follow up on the success of the project.

Sucess Stories

While the project recorded a ground-breaking success evident in the impact made on the trainees and the beaming smiles on their faces, one significant story that stood out for us is that of Haddy Colley. During the inception training, it was observed that she was largely withdrawn and sometimes broke down in tears during the training. A close relationship with her revealed that she was deeply hurting from her SGBV experience as she eventually shared with the class. This resulted into lack of confidence in her ability to handle tasks and also made her prone to errors and mistakes. Having noticed this, the instructors worked closely with her and encouraged her about the endless abilities that are embedded in her. Before the end of the training, she grew to become one of the best among them. She effortlessly handled the industrial machines as well as the cutting machines. In fact, she began to assist her colleagues across all the departments.