By Michael Omotosho |
The Havilah Empowerment and Impact Foundation (HEAIF) has equipped nearly 6,500 women and community members with critical information on preventing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and accessing support services to ensure survivors obtain justice.
This milestone was announced during the close-out ceremony of the ‘Inform to Empower Project’, implemented under the Inform Women, Transform Lives Campaign of The Carter Center.
The four-month initiative, carried out in Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA in Lagos, sought to raise awareness about women’s right to information, improve access to municipal services, and demonstrate the transformative power of information on women, families, and the wider community.
Celebrating Impact and Amplifying Voices
In her welcome address, HEAIF Convener, Emerald Chioma, described the event as a celebration of tangible progress.
“This is a celebration of impact as more women and girls are informed. More voices are speaking out. More communities understand the importance of reporting and prevention,” Chioma said.
She expressed appreciation to Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), The Carter Center, and community stakeholders for their support.
According to her, the project focused on expanding women’s access to information on GBV, including reporting channels, available health, legal and psychosocial services, and understanding their rights.
Each One, Inform One Model Drives Community-Led Advocacy
Expanding on the project’s outcomes, HEAIF Program Manager, Ifeoluwa Adeboye, highlighted the success of the ‘Each One, Inform One’ model, a strategy designed to promote message retention and grassroots dissemination.
“One of the project’s key strategies, the ‘Each One, Inform One’ model, strengthened message retention and encouraged community-led dissemination of information,” Adeboye explained.
“Trained Info Ambassadors replicated awareness sessions within their communities, leading to peer referrals and the recruitment of 27 new volunteers into the advocacy network.”
The Carter Center Commends Grassroots Engagement
In her goodwill message, Blessing Oladunjoye, City Representative of The Carter Center, commended HEAIF for targeting grassroots communities with accurate and empowering information.
“When women and girls have access to critical public information, their confidence grows, their voices become stronger, and they can jointly address issues that affect them,” Oladunjoye said.
“This project has shown that information can be transformed into action and awareness into empowerment.”
She described the Info Ambassadors as the true champions of this initiative and urged them to sustain the momentum beyond the project’s lifecycle.
“Together, we can ensure that access to information remains a tool for empowerment, accountability, and positive social change,” she added.
Access to Information as a Catalyst for Change
Representing the Executive Secretary of the Lagos DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Program Manager Zainab Alaka emphasized that access to information is not merely a right but a catalyst for confidence, civic engagement, and informed decision-making.
“The impact stories emerging from this project are a testament to the power of knowledge and collective action,” Alaka noted.
She called on traditional leaders, Info Ambassadors, and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and continue creating platforms where women and girls can safely raise their voices.
Survivors Share Transformation Stories
Highlighting the human impact of the initiative, some GBV survivors who were linked to DSVA services through HEAIF shared testimonies of how access to information and support transformed their lives.
The End-Line Study and Close-Out Reflection Meeting was attended by community leaders, women’s groups, youth volunteers, and development partners, marking the conclusion of a project that stakeholders say has significantly strengthened community response mechanisms against GBV in Lagos.
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