Mary Nnah
The Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) has taken on the laudable task of increasing awareness of Gender-Based Violence across the country with the launch of #WARIFVision2020; with the aim of impacting one million lives by the end of 2020.
The organisation is already achieving this through its various initiatives and plans to engage other NGOs and CSOs across Nigeria. The organisation also calls on well-meaning Nigerians to support this goal through volunteering and donations.
Activities have commenced under this project and WARIF believes that through a collective effort we can all live in a society free from rape and sexual violence.
Commenting on this, the founder, Dr. Kemi Dasilva Ibru stated that ‘the magnitude of the issues surrounding GBV is one that the organisation tracks closely and this initiative will serve as an ideal opportunity to raise awareness to many individuals still unaware of the menace of GBV that exists in their community’.
Partnerships that have impacted on many individuals such as that with Slum to School and Freedom Foundation are examples of collaborations that will assist WARIF in achieving this goal.
The organisation will also partner more like-minded organisations in Nigeria and beyond for the actualisation of this goal.
WARIF was launched over three years ago in response to the high incidence of rape and sexual violence in our communities.
Since its inception, the organisation is successfully tackling these issues whilst providing health care to survivors and raising awareness through its preventive initiatives in education and community service. It has now become one of the foremost anti-sexual and Gender-Based Violence organisations in Nigeria.
The prevalence of Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria has fast become an epidemic affecting an average of 1 in 4 girls and 1 in girls before the age of 18. The impact of which is seen in almost every community across the country.
WARIF is a non-profit organisation founded in 2016 by Dr. Kemi DaSilva Ibru MD; MPH in response to the high incidence of sexual assault, rape and human trafficking occurring amongst young girls and women across Nigeria.
The foundation was established to raise awareness and address the prevalence of this problem through the “WARIF Approach” – a unique holistic method of tackling Gender-Based Violence through the development and implementation of a series of initiatives, targeting both the intervention/treatment of these affected women, as well as providing preventive measures in education and community service to reduce the high incidence.
