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Dear Friends,
Over the summer, a group of 8 women — 3 KIND team members, 3 students from American Universities, an Australian community trainer and a local youth activist — traveled to 10 states in Nigeria to meet and conduct workshops for Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs).
We called the trip the ‘Winds of Change’ tour, to highlight the changes taking place within Nigerian communities as a result of the transfer from military rule to a democratically elected government on the 29th of May.
Through the tour we hoped to discover:
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What changes were taking place in people’s perceptions of their role in political and social institutions?
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The strengths and weaknesses of NGOs and CBOs that serve women and youth in Nigeria.
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What areas KIND should emphasize in its projects.
The picture of the sign (PICTURE 5) was taken at office of the one of the cbos. The quote speaks to the questions we were asking during the tour.
Our ‘Winds of Change’ report reflects the responses of the 296 NGOs and CBOs we met to these questions. This is not the report! If you’d like a copy of the tour report, please click on resources and follow instructions for ordering one.
This is simply my reflections on the tour, with pictures. Enjoy our pictures! We have loads more but couldn’t put everything on the web. We hope both the reflections and pictures give you a sense of how wonderful and challenging the experience was for us, and how incredible the people we met are!
This picture(PICTURE 6) of Queen Amina is found in the entrance of the Emir of Kazzua’s palace in Zaria/Zazzua, a town in Kaduna State (the town where my mum was born).
In the painting Queen Amina is depicted as female and strong (note the muscles on her arms and the sword she carries). This depiction is supported by accounts of her achievements, which include the expansion of the Kadunacaliphate, the area that she ruled.
Given
the esteemed position she holds in Northern folklore, it is surprising
that women in the predominantly Islamic North of modern day Nigeria play
a much less prominent role in all aspects of public life.
It’s chronologically
incorrect to start this photo journal with a picture taken in Kaduna since
our first stop was Kano but opening with a picture of a strong woman leader
seems really appropriate as it demonstrates that women’s leadership
has contributed to communal development in the past, and can again in
the future.
NIGERIA TOUR TEAM (PICTURES 1 - 4):
#3 PAMELA COLLET (KIND'S RESOURCE PERSON) HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH A WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT IN KADUNA
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proceed to KANO |
contact Kind: info@kind.org