By Ahmad Nasir, Dutse
No fewer than 1,500 women have benefited from CASCADE (Catalysing Strengthened Policy for Healthy Diets and Resilience) Project training on Social Analysis and Action (SAA) training in Jigawa State.
The Gender Technical Officer of the project in the state, Ani Akpoko, made this known at the graduation ceremony of the participants in Dutse.
Akpoko said the participants, who are members of the Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), were from the five CASCADE project implementing Local Government Areas of Kiyawa, Jahun, Dutse, Ringim and Kafin Hausa of the state.
She explained that the women graduated after participating in 10 sessions of the Social Analysis and Action between Nov. 2024 and Aug. 2025.
According to her, the Social Analysis and Action sessions were aimed to challenge social norms, beliefs, and practices around gender that shape people's lives, empower communities to recognize and address power imbalances, and promote long-term social change.
"Today, we are here to celebrate the achievements of our Village Savings and Loans Associations participants who have completed Social Analysis and Action sessions with the CASCADE team.
"Social Analysis and Action is a program that helps us understand and challenge negative social norms practices in our community. It empowers us to make positive changes in our lives and community," She said.
The gender officer added that the training has also empowered the participants with critical thinking and problem-solving skills, effective communication and negotiation skills, leadership, and community mobilisation skills.
"It has also increased their knowledge of rights and entitlements, empowered them to make a difference in their communities by working together, among other things," the gender officer added.
Akpoko, who called on stakeholders to keep working together to create a more just and equal society, sought the support of all, including community leaders and policy makers, to support and invest in the Social Analysis and Action initiatives.
Some of the participants who spoke at the event praised the impact of the project on them by sharing their positive experiences through personal testimonials and stories.
The participants said the program taught them household dialogue, healthy living, and cultivation of nutritious food for improved nutrition for family consumption.
Jamila Muhammad and Fatima Alhassan from Balago and Kazuba communities in Kiyawa LGA, said their families have adopted tolerance, unity and husbands’ participation in domestic chores through the training, while Maimuna Suleiman from Mopol Base community of Dutse LGA, testified that women in the area have learnt how to prepare nutritious food using locally sourced raw materials.
"CASCADE has really touched the lives of women in this area. Through these sessions, our women learnt more about how to live well with their husbands.
"Most of the participants also embraced going to hospital for ANC, delivery and other services. We were also given orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP), okro seeds, moringa seeds, tomato seeds, and pepper seeds, which were planted in order to enhance our nutritional intake along with our children.
"In my last 30 years engagement with organisations on projects, I've never witnessed a project that supported our women well like CASCADE project," she testified.
In their separate remarks, the District Head of Kiyawa, Adamu Aliyu, and Village Head of Mopol Base, Zubairu Ahmad, commended CASCADE for empowering women in their respective domains.
"We really appreciate CASCADE for mentoring and empowering women in our communities assuring the sustainability of the positive practices promoted under the Social Analysis and Action sessions initiative in their communities.
In his remarks, a religious leader in Dutse, Malam Tahir Bala, urged the organization to expand the project to rural communities for the benefits of more women.
This, Tahir said, is because there are more malnourished people in rural areas than in urban communities.
In response to Tahir request, the Gender Officer said CASCADE project is already being implemented in rural communities of the five LGAs of implementation.
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