By Femi Bolaji , Jalingo
The United Nation Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has launched the Child Friendly Community Initiative, CFCI, in Taraba and 14 other states.
The initiative which targets those at the grassroots is aimed at equipping communities with the requisite knowledge to make the right choices for children.
UNICEF Cheif Field Officer of Bauchi Field Office, Bhanu Pathak who spoke Friday at the inaugural meeting in Jalingo, Taraba state capital, expressed dismay over lack of attitudinal change in some communities where it had various interventions.
According to him: “We are doing various interventions in health, nutrition, WASH, Child protection among others but despite all we have done and funds spent, we could not see the result on what is the outcome in a child.
“This may be due to lack of knowledge or some other causes, and that is why this initiative was devised in 2019 to make communities own some of this initiative for the benefit of children.
“We will start with this one in 15 states and Taraba is one of the five states under the Bauchi Field office. ”
“The knowledge transfer approach in select communities will incorporate WASH, Nutrition, Child protection, routine immunization and others so we can see results.”
Taraba State Planning Commission Chairman, Helkina Mafindi who noted that 80% of children reside in developing nations, charged other children-oriented NGOs to emulate UNICEF by channelling their resources to support children in developing nations.
Executive Secretary of Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Aminu Jauro, on his part, pledged the continuous support of his agency to UNICEF in areas where it would be needed in various child-friendly interventions across the state.
Vanguard