Community Links and Human Empowerment Initiative

20/08/2026

In commemoration of World Humanitarian Day, CLHEI extended humanitarian support to 95 women, children and men residing in Daudu 1 IDP Camp, Benue State.

The intervention provided clothing, footwear and other essential relief materials, offering practical support to displaced families and reaffirming the importance of protecting dignity and wellbeing in humanitarian settings.

On World Humanitarian Day, we recognise the strength and resilience of people affected by crisis and reaffirm our commitment to linking communities and transforming lives.
Benue State Government
Civil Society Organizations, Benue State
Bureau for International Cooperation and Development
UN Women Nigeria

19/08/2026

The CLHEI team paid a congratulatory courtesy visit to the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, of Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, Benue State, Prof. Member Genyi, to celebrate her well-deserved appointment and wish her success in her new role.

Through its Country Lead, CLHEI expressed appreciation for Prof. Genyi’s previous collaboration with the organisation during her tenure as Director, Centre for Gender Studies, particularly her commitment to partnership, gender advocacy, student development and institutional impact.

In her response, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor expressed appreciation for CLHEI’s longstanding partnership and acknowledged the organisation’s contributions to the university community, including capacity-building programmes for students, staff and security personnel. She further commended CLHEI’s practical campus development interventions, notably the establishment of a palm plantation and the provision of two boreholes serving the female hostels, which have contributed to improving student welfare and wellbeing.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to building on the successes of their partnership and expanding collaboration around initiatives that advance inclusive institutional development, student wellbeing, gender responsiveness and sustainable community impact. CLHEI congratulates Prof. Member Genyi and wishes her wisdom, strength and continued success in her new assignment.

19/08/2026

CLHEI conducted series of monitoring visit to women-led micro-enterprises established by women living in Displacement Camps, assessing business performance, identifying emerging challenges, and providing on-the-spot technical handholding to strengthen enterprise sustainability.

It was encouraging to see the women actively engaged in their businesses and confidently sharing the progress achieved through their participation in Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). Beyond access to finance, the VSLA model is strengthening financial literacy, promoting a culture of savings, improving access to business capital, and enhancing women’s capacity to absorb and recover from economic shocks.

These outcomes reaffirm the value of community-driven financial inclusion models in strengthening household livelihoods, economic agency, and resilience among displaced and vulnerable women.

Today, as we mark World Humanitarian Day 2026, we remain grateful to our partners, and staff who have supported and strengthened the VSLA model over the years, including UNDP (2022), ARISE Foundation (2026) ECOWAS (2026), Action Aid (2026) and other partners committed to advancing inclusive economic empowerment.

When women have the knowledge, systems, and resources to build sustainable livelihoods, families and communities become more resilient.
UNDP in Nigeria
Arise
Ecowas - Cedeao
Benue State Government
Bureau for International Cooperation and Development
ActionAid Nigeria
Civil Society Organizations, Benue State
UN Women Nigeria
European Union in Nigeria

18/08/2026

Today, we engaged community leaders, opinion leaders, and members of the Yelewata community in a participatory dialogue on the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) model established under the Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership (RWVL) Project, supported by ActionAid.

The engagement provided a platform to deepen community leaders understanding of the VSLA model, reflect on its implementation, and through a co-creation approach identify practical and actionable measures to strengthen adoption, inclusive participation, accountability, and long-term sustainability.

At the heart of the RWVL intervention is the recognition that access to financial knowledge and affordable capital is critical to strengthening women’s economic agency and resilience. Through the effective operation of VSLAs, women are being supported to build financial literacy, cultivate a culture of savings, access locally available capital, and strengthen their capacity to initiate and sustain income-generating activities.

Beyond establishing groups, RWVL is investing in community ownership, institutional strengthening, and the functionality of the VSLA model to ensure that these structures remain viable and responsive to women’s economic aspirations beyond the life of the project.
ActionAid Nigeria
Canada’s International Development – Global Affairs Canada
Benue State Government
Civil Society Organizations, Benue State
Bureau for International Cooperation and Development
UN Women Nigeria
European Union in Nigeria

16/08/2026

16/08/2026

ABUJA OFFICE REPORTS:

ACCESS TO JUSTICE CAMPAIGN | KARSHI, ABUJA | 14TH AUG 2026

On August 14th, CLHEI joined ActionAid Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Justice through FJSRCC, and other justice stakeholders for a Joint Citizen Awareness Campaign in Karshi, Abuja. The campaign focused on bringing justice closer to citizens by educating them on their legal rights, available justice services, legal aid, and how to report human rights violations. Key barriers raised included high cost of litigation, court delays, poor awareness of rights, and distance to courts — challenges that affect women, youth, PWDs, and other vulnerable groups the most.

As CLHEI, we supported community engagement and civic education to help people demand a justice system that is accessible, transparent, timely and accountable. This engagement proves that justice reform works best when government, CSOs and communities collaborate.
Justice is not a privilege.
It is a right for all.

12/08/2026

Community Links and Human Empowerment Initiative (CLHEI) continues supervising establishment of Demonstration sites across Makurdi metropolis.

Establishment continues tomorrow through the weekend to hit the target of 40 demonstration farms.
Benue Acresal
European Union in Nigeria


Farm Rich
Benue State Government
Bureau for International Cooperation and Development
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
UN Women Nigeria

08/08/2026

CLHEI was proud to participate in the Women Community in Africa 2026 Townhall Meeting in Abuja on August 6th with the theme “From Voice to Power.”
The gathering brought together women leaders, advocates, and students to discuss women’s leadership, security, accountability, and inclusive decision-making.
A major highlight was the inauguration of our Country Lead, Dr. Helen Dennis Teghtegh, as a full member of the Women Community in Africa Coalition.
CLHEI remains committed to empowering women, building strong networks, and ensuring women don’t just have a voice — but real power to lead and influence change across Africa.

06/08/2026

Today marked a significant milestone in advancing the integration of Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) across public primary and secondary schools in Benue State.

The Stakeholders’ Consultative Engagement brought together key actors from government, education, child protection, civil society, and development sectors to critically review the proposed PSEA Code of Conduct, validate its provisions, and contribute practical recommendations to strengthen its adoption and effective implementation.

The engagement underscored a shared commitment to creating safe, inclusive, and accountable learning environments where every child is protected from sexual exploitation and abuse. Through collaborative dialogue and collective ownership, stakeholders are laying the foundation for institutionalizing safeguarding standards across the state’s education system.

Protecting children is a shared responsibility, and today’s engagement represents another important step towards ensuring that schools remain spaces of learning, dignity, and safety for all.
Thank you Bureau for International Cooperation and Development for your coordination.
Benue State Government
Civil Society Organizations, Benue State
UNICEF
ActionAid Nigeria
UN Women Nigeria
UNFPA
European Union in Nigeria
UNDP in Nigeria