Self Help Africa

As part of our Global Handwashing Campaign, Self Help Africa is grateful for the partnership and support of key leaders in Nigeria, as we continue to amplify our message here of the importance of handwashing, particularly in grassroots communities. Throughout October, our team was warmly received by the Honourable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Engr. Olawande Ayodele E, the Honourable Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, and the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed. Together, we’re empowering young Nigerians to become hygiene ambassadors during the campaign and beyond - in line with the National YouthWASH strategy. Partnerships for powerful change - stay tuned for more campaign updates! #GHD2024 Joy Aderele Shaaperaga Shadrack Guusu Theola Amiokhaibhor

Joyce Akello is part of a youth group in Teso district, Uganda. Joyce and her group are growing ginger to earn a living. Teso is a region that is still recovering more than a decade on from years of violence at the hands of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. High youth unemployment remains a challenge. Ginger is a valuable cash crop that’s providing an income for 220 young members of nine local producer groups that we’re working with. Joyce and other young farmers were provided with rhizomes (root stock) and training by Self Help Africa. They have also been linked to a commercial buyer who processes and sells ginger products for sale across Uganda and to international markets. Joyce’s story is one of those featured as part of our ‘Africa Adapting: Harnessing Potential’ exhibition - illustrating how women and girls in communities across Africa are adapting to a changing, challenging world. Read more stories and view the Africa Adapting Exhibition here: https://lnkd.in/dqTVrnwS

On Global Handwashing Day earlier this month, Self Help Africa were honoured to receive an award in recognition of our role in supporting the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector in Nigeria. As development partners of the Federal Government’s Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, and the National Task Group on Sanitation in Nigeria, Self Help Africa were proud to participate in the Global Handwashing Day commemorations, with a collective emphasis on the importance of hand hygiene in improving public health. This year’s Global Handwashing Day theme, ‘Why are Clean Hands Still Important’ is a great opportunity to continue our advocacy for the ongoing need for proper hand hygiene and WASH practices across Nigeria. For 25 years, Self Help Africa has been a key player in advancing WASH programmes in Nigeria, empowering thousands of communities in the process. This special recognition reinforces our dedication to promoting improved practices, and continued support of the national push in Nigeria for better health outcomes through WASH interventions. Self Help Africa’s Global Handwashing Campaign continues over the coming weeks in Nigeria, where we hope to increase awareness and understanding of why clean hands are so important. Handwashing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save lives. We look forward to continue pushing this important message. Stay tuned for more updates from our Nigeria team! #GHD2024 #GlobalHandwashingCampaign

Women in Africa are pioneering change, tackling challenges, and paving the way for a sustainable future. Self Help Africa's 'Africa Adapting' is an exhibition that illustrates how women and girls in communities across Africa are adapting to a changing, challenging world. These are images and stories about people we're working with at Self Help Africa. Stories of women and girls who are harnessing information, science and markets to mobilise their communities in response to the climate crisis and other pressing challenges. At Self Help Africa, much of our work closely aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). In these increasingly challenging times, the stories of our 'Africa Adapting' exhibition reflect the connections between local action and global impact - highlighting the importance of working together to achieve the SDGs. Together, we can build a more just and sustainable future for all, and leave no one behind. Learn more and view the online exhibition here: https://lnkd.in/dqTVrnwS

Today is United Nations Day - the anniversary of the UN charter, which came into effect in 1945. Amongst the impact of the UN has been the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an ambitious framework for a brighter global future by 2030. As an organisation, we can trace our origins back to the UN, whose 'Freedom from Hunger' campaign of the early 1960s led directly to the creation of Gorta - with whom we merged a decade ago. At Self Help Africa, we’re striving every day to progress the SDGs, and are grateful for the ongoing partnership and collaboration with several UN agencies to achieving lasting change, including: Working with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Ethiopia, Uganda and Zambia to build resilient livelihoods for smallholder farmers here. Together, we’re strengthening farmers’ food and income security, are improving natural resource management, and more. In West Nile and Northern Uganda, Self Help Africa have worked with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the WFP with host and refugee communities. Together, we’ve delivered training to 335 farmer groups with a total membership of 8,500+ people - improving farm productivity and fostering self-reliance. 📸 Farmer Ovon Achim, Uganda

❗Reminder: Our GBV financing webinar takes place tomorrow❗ The below information on the socioecological model is an excerpt from our publication entitled "Tracking the Money towards ending GBV". We used the model to show how GBV prevention and mitigation services differ at individual, interpersonal, community and societal levels. This was a key step in identifying the multisectoral nature of GBV, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of GBV funding. Tomorrow, we will hold a webinar which will feature an informative overview of the research and interactive discussion. 📅 Date: Tuesday, October 22nd 🕒 Time: 3-4pm GMT+1 (Irish Time) 📍 Location: Online Webinar 🔍 What to Expect: - Key findings on the current state of GBV funding - Leading platforms for tracking GBV funding flows - Emerging opportunities for mobilising new resources to address GBV 👉 Register Now: https://lnkd.in/gpre2KKk #GBV #GenderBasedViolence #Webinar #Financing #EndGBV #Advocacy ActionAid Ireland Aidlink Christian Aid Ireland Concern Worldwide Irish Defence Forces GOAL Global Ifrah Foundation Irish Aid Irish Red Cross Oxfam Ireland Plan International Ireland Self Help Africa Trócaire World Vision Ireland

Earlier this week, Self Help Africa was proud to be part of Queen's University Belfast's celebration of 100 Years in Agriculture, Food and Biological Sciences in NI event, hosted by the Institute for Global Food Security on World Food Day. At the event, Self Help Africa’s Paul Wagstaff spoke of our productive collaboration with QUB on several joint research projects - including goat health and the impact of mobile phones on women’s livelihoods in Uganda. Here’s a bit more on these projects: Professor Eric Morgan, Professor of Veterinary Parasitology: “Farmers in Malawi rely on small livestock for resilience to climatic extremes and crop failures, so the health of animals, including goats, is extremely important. QUB and our research partners have developed and tested simple and cheap approaches for managing intestinal worm infections in goats.” Dr Anne Nugent, Reader, Nutrition: “The DigiTeso project worked with women in Uganda, offering information and advice on crop selection, management, prices and marketing through their mobile phones. The survey data identified problems with diversity in diets, particularly for women. There were situations where people were going without food or had to reduce food consumption. Sadly we also have many people in Northern Ireland and throughout Ireland and the UK, living in situations where they are food insecure.” Congratulations to QUB on this incredible milestone, and we look forward to many more years working together.

Floods, cyclones, droughts, the COVID-19 pandemic and a cholera epidemic have all hit the people of Malawi in the past five years. With global temperatures rising, it's never been more important for NGOs to work together to integrate humanitarian and development programming and ensure that the country is best prepared for and can anticipate what is to come. So, it was fantastic to be able to highlight the importance of that continued collaboration during NGO Day in Malawi this week. The event, hosted by the country's NGO Regulatory Authority, saw our Malawi country director, Kate Hartley-Louis (who is also co-chair of the country's INGO forum) address a packed crowd that included the President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera. 📷 Kate Hartley-Louis greeting Malawi's President, Dr Chakwera on NGO day.

‘Good food begins with farmers, so let’s work together to enhance food systems to ensure healthy diets for all.’ - Self Help Africa’s Valentina Aslani has been attending the UN FAO #WorldFoodForum this week, with a focus on the right to food for all. Self Help Africa have a proud history of working together with the FAO - including our current project supporting refugees and host communities improve their food security and resilience in Kiriyandongo, Uganda.

Today, on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we reaffirm our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 1 - Ending Poverty - in all its forms, everywhere for everyone, by 2030. Poverty is more than economic hardship. Poverty can bring about interconnected challenges relating to access to healthcare, education and more. As we strive to achieve the SDGs, we must address both visible and invisible dimensions of poverty - to ensure that truly no one is left behind.