In a bid to enhance the capacity building of Nigerian-based Advocacy Working Groups (AWG), especially in the area of effective documentation of their success stories, the Pathfinder International on Wednesday commenced a three-day capacity building training for the family planning inclined Non Governmental Organisations drawn from four states of the federation.
The training exercise which held in Lagos, has in attendance participants from Kwara, Gombe, Ogun and Plateau States.
Speaking during the opening of the training on Wednesday (December 4, 2019), the Pathfinder International Communication/Media Officer, Somto Atuanya, said the workshop was aimed at building capacity of the selected NGOs in terms of effective documentation.
Atuanya explained that the training exercise became necessary as many of the beautiful works that AWG do in their states to advance family planning and secure increased investment for family planning go undocumented.
According to her, what Pathfinder International was doing was to try to build capacity of the AWG, so that they will be able to document and chronicle their successes as they go about their works.
“In essense, we are building capacity in the areas of developing success stories, advocacy briefs, so that they can write proper adovacy briefs, proper project reports and proper success stories that will enhance the work they do at state level” Somto said.
The Managing Director of an Abuja-based Communication outfit, Isumedia Limited, Odoh Diego Okenyodo, who was the resource person, described effective documentation as an integral part of the AWG which increases their visibility and stimulates their acceptability by donor agencies.
Okenyodo explained that a lot of NGOs don’t showcase their works, saying that such an attitude prevents them from accessing funds from donor agencies.
He advised NGOs to do more in terms of documentation in order to place themselves on a limelight, adding that whatever they are doing they need the support from donor agencies.
Okenyodo who is a communication expert also advised donor agencies to continue to do their humanitarian work and come down to see the results on the ground, saying that “sometimes some of the organizations they deny funding are organisations that are doing reall good work but miss the opportunity because they don’t know how to write sweet English and package their reports.
The workshop continues till Friday 6th of December, 2019.
End.
