Project Alert on Violence Against Women, a non-governmental organisation, recently concluded its three-year initiative focused on addressing sexual violence among young persons in academic institutions. During the close-out meeting held in Calabar, the organization emphasized the critical need to broaden the understanding of sexual violence against minors, moving beyond the sole focus on rape to encompass other forms of abuse.

Launched in 2022, the comprehensive project, named “Kasa” (a Hausa word meaning “speak out”), was a collaborative effort with the Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI) and received crucial support from the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF). It was meticulously implemented across ten schools – five each in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states. The initiative was developed as a direct response to a distressing 2012 survey, which alarmingly revealed that 77 percent of sexual violence victims were children aged between zero and 17 years, with a significant number of these incidents occurring within educational environments.

Ms. Nsini Udonta, Senior Programme Officer at Project Alert, elaborated on the project’s design, highlighting its objective to foster awareness among students through the establishment of school clubs and various educational activities. Reflecting on the project’s conclusion, Mrs. Ndodeye Bassey-Obongha, Head of Programmes at GPI, expressed mixed emotions and voiced concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of the “Kasa” momentum in Cross River State. She noted that while Cross River has integrated Sexuality Education, also known as Family Life and HIV Education, into its school curriculum since 2003, its impact has been severely constrained by poor institutional memory and discontinuity among officials. Bassey-Obongha underscored the necessity for incoming government officials to thoroughly review handover notes from their predecessors, stressing that proper documentation and continuity are absolutely essential for enduring progress.

Dr. Gloria Bassey, Chief Consultant for the project in Cross River, provided insights into the intervention’s scope, which covered two tertiary institutions and three secondary schools within the state. She observed that many students initially possessed a limited understanding of sexual violence, perceiving it only as rape, and remained largely unaware of other pervasive forms of abuse. Furthermore, students lacked knowledge of proper reporting channels and often confided solely in friends, exhibiting a deep-seated distrust of school counselors, principals, and even parents. To bridge this critical gap, the “Kasa” project established clubs designed to comprehensively educate students on all facets of sexual violence and inform them about accessible reporting mechanisms. Dr. Bassey proudly affirmed that thanks to these clubs, significant progress has been achieved, with students becoming more vocal, cases being reported and effectively addressed, and a discernible positive shift in behavior. She urged both the state government and other potential partners to continue this vital work.

The positive ripple effect of the initiative was also acknowledged by CSP Philomena Modor, Head of the Gender Unit at the Cross River State Police Command. She affirmed that the support and collaboration received from the “Kasa” project and various stakeholders had made a substantial difference in improving the handling of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases, which previously presented significant challenges. The close-out meeting saw the participation of key representatives from the state Ministries of Education, Justice, Women Affairs, and Health, alongside delegates from the Basic Rights Council Initiative and other prominent advocacy groups, collectively reinforcing the collaborative spirit essential for combating sexual violence.