TCI Trains Coalition on Resource Mobilization, Developing Proposals in Bauchi
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Preparatory to the exit of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded intervention in Family Planning services in Bauchi State under The Challenge Initiative (TCI) intervention and its sustainability, the initiative has conducted a one day intensive step down training on resource mobilization and proposal development to members of it’s Social /Behavioural and Change Communication committee (SBCC) in the state.
In a remarks shortly before the commencement of the training, the State Program Coordinator (SPC) of TCI,Yakubu Abubakar explained that the objective of the was to expose participants in exploring avenues on how to mobilise resources through a well written proposal to carry out activities on Child Birth Spacing (CBS) and other health related issues in Bauchi State.
He commended members of SBCC for their commitment in carrying out awareness campaigns leading to improved uptake of CBS services, which in turn, ensures quality health for nursing mothers and children.
“The step-down training will equip you the technical capacity to mobilize resources in order to carry out your awareness campaign effectively in a sustainable way.
“You can achieve this through a sound proposal to organizations or any corporate entities seeking for grants to implement your plans in line with such organization’s overall goals and objectives”, said Abubakar.
He also commended the Bauchi State Government for creating the enabling environment for international partner’s interventions in different sectors, reiterating that, “I hope members of the SBCC will take a step further towards registering the coalition as an NGO.
While making a presentation, a master trainer, Ms. Elizabeth Kah expressed satisfaction with the level of commitment demonstrated by members of SBCC and also urged them not relent in their tasks of awareness creation on CBS services.
She said the training was part of sustainability plan by TCI as the intervention is gradually exiting.
Our correspondent reports that participants were taken through on how to source for funding through proposal in order to pick up from where TCI stops.
“We felt that now that TCI is winding up we need to sustain what they have started and create demand for CBS services in our various communities. That is why we are training journalists to come up with fresh ideas, new ways of doing things to continue to send this message to the communities”, she said.
Some of the key take-away at the end of the training was the resolve of the SBCC to explore avenues of funding, register the coalition into a full fledge NGO and pledge to focus more attention on improving uptake of CBS services in all the nooks and crannies of Bauchi State
The training attracted members of SBCC and the media, comprising both print, electronic and online media.