The two day workshop for Public School Counsellors on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV, organised by the wife of Ondo State governor, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu comes to an end in Akoko North West today, as participants lauded the initiative and assured of their readiness to swing into action to bring the dastardly act into barest minimum in the area.
After the intensive training which was organised by her Foundation,through Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu Foundation, BAAF, in support of the federal Lawmaker representing Akoko North East/West, Hon Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, participants described it as one of its kinds in the history of Guidance and Counseling unit of education sector, while some appealed for retraining.
Sharing her experience, a Counsellor from Omolore high school, Irun Akoko, Mrs Dorcas Olonisakin said the training was impactful and expressed commitment to influence her school with what she had learnt.
A participant from Ajuta high school Ogbagi Akoko, Mr Thomas Ominawa, described the initiative as a laudable one, saying, “I commend the First Lady for organising this kind of seminar for we Counsellors to go out there and engage both the boys and the girls on how to protect themselves, especially the girls against Sexual harassment”.
“This workshop is fantastic, it is an encompassing capacity building training, I want to give kudos to wife of the governor for bringing this initiative to the rural areas”, says Mr Ebenezer Adamolekun from Eya-Oke comprehensive high school, Oyin-Akoko.
The BAAF team subjected the Counsellors who were drawn from all schools in Akoko-North west, to hours of technical sessions.
They were put through topics ranging from Multisectoral Prevention and Response to GBV, handled by Damola Ayeni and Bassey Obeten of BAAF, and Ethical issues related to GBV presented by the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Gender Research and Documentation, Mrs Temitope Daniyan, who put them through some qualities that a Counsellor must possess for effective service delivery, which included confidentiality, honesty, friendliness among others.
The BAAF Coordinator, Austin Otabor, who oversees the distribution of 12,500 Yellow cards of SGBV awareness to the Counsellors, enlightened them on how to use it and analysed its objectives, while the need for monitoring and evaluation was emphasised for good feedback.
The Local Government Chairman, Mr Akande noted that the effects of the training would be long-lasting, while appreciating the determination of the wife of the governor to give zero tolerance to Sexual and Gender-based violence in the state.
His wife, Mrs Mopelola Akande enjoined the participants to maximize the knowledge they acquired by improving on their responsibility in their various schools, in order not to waste the effort of the First Lady.
Mr S.O Adedayo from the Comprehensive high school Igashi-Eriti Akoko said, ” It is a very laudable programme that need to be continous with training and retraining”.
The climax of the training was the development of Action Plan and the presentation of Certificates to the participants.
One of the daughters of the soil, Dr. Mrs Bunmi Osadahun who visited the venue of the workshop to provide moral support, expressed appreciation for the training, and thanked the sponsor for affording the local government to be the first beneficiary of the gesture.
The training continues tomorrow in Akoko North East local government.
JATS Online News 