Ojilima Foundation

12/08/2026

12/08/2026

Empowering young women to lead and drive sustainable policy change in their communities!

Yesterday, Tuesday, August 11, 2026, we hosted an impactful Refresher Training on Advocacy Tools and Leadership Skills for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW).
The sessions focused on equipping participants with practical, evidence-based advocacy strategies to influence decision-makers and drive meaningful social change.
Key Highlights from the Training:
Principles & Types of Advocacy: Deep-diving into core principles such as legitimacy, transparency, empowerment, and clarity of purpose. Participants explored self-advocacy, individual advocacy, and systems/policy advocacy aimed at driving collective impact.
Campaign Building & Tactical Selection: Exploring versatile tactics—ranging from lobbying, action alerts, and targeted messages to social media advocacy, radio programs, and grassroots community mobilization.
Developing Strategic Advocacy Plans: Unpacking the step-by-step framework to identify core policy issues, set SMART objectives, draft compelling messages, and evaluate campaign metrics.
Stakeholder Engagement & Political Economy Analysis (PEA): Learning how to navigate local power dynamics using PEA, categorize leading, supporting, and resistant stakeholders, and map influence using stakeholder grids.
Hands-On Practical Group Work: Breaking into interactive groups to identify AGYW advocacy priorities, perform stakeholder power mapping, and design tailored communication plans for maximum impact.
A massive thank you to all our brilliant participants for their energy, insights, and passion! Check out moments from the training in the photos below 📸

28/05/2026

19/05/2026

Empowering Frontline Health Heroes in Benue State 🇳🇬
On May 15–16, 2026 ,we successfully hosted an intensive two-day workshop in Makurdi, Benue State, focused on scaling up youth-friendly health services for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in underserved communities.
We brought together 20 dedicated frontline health workers —including nurses, CHEWs, TB focal persons, HIV counselors, and PHC facility heads—to strengthen care delivery. 🏥💪
🔄 Key Highlights & Impact:
Integrated Care:Equipping providers to seamlessly combine HIV, TB, Malaria, and Sexual & Reproductive Health (SRH) services.
Better Experiences:Shifting toward shorter waiting times and maximum privacy.
Zero Judgment:Training healthcare heroes to deliver empathetic, stigma-free care.
By strengthening our local PHCs, we are ensuring every young woman has access to dignified, high-quality healthcare. A massive thank you to all our incredible participants for their commitment

29/04/2026

Fighting Malaria, Empowering Every Voice:
A Gender-Transformative Approach🦟✊

This World Malaria Day, through the support of GEF, Ojilima Women Foundation (OWF) stood side-by-side with the SMEP, WHO, Concerned Women Development Initiatives (CWIDI), Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Benue State Chapter, Nigerian Red Cross,Harvest FM,BENGONET and other concerned CSOs to declare: “Now We Can, Now We Must.”
Malaria is not just a health crisis; it is a gender justice issue. While malaria kills a child every minute in Africa, it is often Adolescent girls and young women(AGYW) as caregivers, mothers, and community pillars who bear the heaviest burden of this disease.
To end malaria for good, we must move beyond medicine. We must adopt a gender-transformative approach that empowers AGYW to take the lead in health decision-making and ensures no one is left behind in the shadows of displacement.
Our Action in Makurdi📍
We took the fight from the airwaves to the frontlines of our community:
* 🎙️ Radio & TV Sensitization:Breaking down myths and sharing the science of prevention across Benue.
* 👟 Road Walk for Awareness:Making our voices heard and our presence felt on the streets of Makurdi.
* ⛺ IDP Camp Outreach:We visited various Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, including the International Market Camp, to ensure the most vulnerable are protected.
Delivering Impact at the Grassroots
Working with SMEP and WHO, we didn't just talk—we delivered:
✅ Distribution of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs): Putting the tools for protection directly into the hands of women and families.
✅ Medication & Testing:Emphasizing that every fever must be tested before treatment.
✅ Vaccination & Health Talks:Dr. Ngusuur and our teams led vital sessions on immunization and malaria prevention.

StartsWithMe

16/04/2026

Two-Day Safe Space Meeting for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in Makurdi - Benue State
On April 14 and 15, a transformative two-day safe space meeting was held, bringing together 30 Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) to discuss the unique challenges they face within their communities.
The sessions were designed to provide a secure, non-judgmental environment where participants could openly share their experiences. During the dialogue, many attendees highlighted the significant barriers they face when attempting to access youth-friendly health services. A recurring theme was the profound fear of being judged or stigmatized for their personal choices, which often prevents them from seeking essential care.
The meeting served as a vital "unpacking" experience. Participants worked together to identify and unmask deep-seated community gender norms that restrict them. These norms often perpetuate the idea that young women should remain silent on matters of their own bodies and health. By naming these barriers, the girls began the process of reclaiming their narrative.

To ensure the participants left with more than just a shared experience, the meeting provided comprehensive sensitization on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). The discussions covered several critical pillars:
Emphasizing the right of every girl to make informed decisions about her own body without coercion or violence.
Empowering the girls to demand healthcare services that are confidential, affordable, and respectful of their dignity.
Understanding the legal and social frameworks that protect them from early marriage and gender-based violence.

The impact of the two days was evident. The AGYW left the meeting feeling more confident and better informed than when they arrived. They departed with a renewed sense of purpose and a collective promise to ensure they are seen, heard, and understood in their communities. By bridging the gap between silence and sensitization, this safe space has laid the groundwork for a future where every young woman can navigate her health and rights with courage.

07/04/2026

Today, on World Health Day 2026, the Ojilima Woman Foundation stands with the global community to honor this year’s theme. “Together for Health. Stand with Science.” We are taking this moment to reflect on our continued dedication to the health and well-being of women and communities.
We commemorate the progress made in global health and recommit ourselves to our mission every other day of the year. Health is a fundamental right, and together, we are building a healthier future.