Running for the lives of Women and Children in North West Nigeria

PADEAP Marathon Challenge 2010

Running for the lives of Women and Children in North West Nigeria

PADEAP Nigeria is situated in Funtua, Katsina State Nigeria. Northwest Nigeria is currently the focus of our work. With an estimated 36 million people, it is one of the most populated zones, yet one of the most neglected in terms of infrastructure. Consequently, the zone has high rates of maternal and child mortality and poverty, low literacy rates and an abysmally large literacy gap between men and women.

Women and girls in Nigeria face daily challenges in leading healthy, fully productive lives. Nigeria has a 40 percent rate of illiteracy among women and the third largest number of HIV infections. The Northwest of Nigeria now records 1,025 deaths per 100,000 live births, ranking amongst the worst in Nigeria and the world. PADEAP has worked in Northwest Nigeria since 2003 to increase support for women and girls’ education and empower women and their families to improve reproductive health and improve maternal health.

Today, PADEAP Nigeria provides literacy and vocational training skills to women. PADEAP is a registered adult training centre, with 2,145 women having received their basic literacy certificate in the last 4 years.

To improve reproductive and maternal health in a region where 1 in every 10 women dies in childbirth, PADEAP Nigeria works with the local Government hospital and primary health centre to train local women to be qualified birth attendants. The women must first complete their basic and post literacy certificate and priority is given to women from remote villages where no assistance is currently available if women have complications giving birth. We currently have 220 trained birth attendants working in Funtua zone.

PADEAP Nigeria wishes to extend this successful programme. In 2010 we aim to open a dedicated training and support centre for women. We can then offer more classes for basic and post literacy and a practical classroom space for training birth attendants.

Please support this work through our MARATHON challenge 2010. I am running in the Milton Keynes half marathon on the 7th March 2010 and my close friend and PADEAP supporter Ms Joy Otache will be using her place in the London marathon on the 25th April 2010. We need to raise funds now to stop unnecessary deaths in Northwest Nigeria. We will also be running in memory of our Chair for 13 years and friend the late Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, a consistent advocate for maternal heath care, his young sister Asmau who died during childbirth last February and all the women who have died while bringing life into the world.

Thank you
Ms Christine Tominke Olaniyan (Programmes Director)

Please send cheques to PADEAP, Unit 8 Tottenham Green Enterpise centre, Town Hall Approach, London N15 4RX