The Dangote, Gates foundations in collaboration with Community Reorientation Women Network, (CROWN,) Dangote, Gate Foundations, others facilitated vaccination of 20,000 children in 3 States,which includes Bauchi, Sokoto and Kano
The group also” do lifesaving vaccinations for over 20, 000 children, linked over 50,000 pregnant women to Antenatal services in six states across the north. “
However, speaking during a Press Conference in Kano Thursday, the Managing Director and Chief Executive officer Dangote Foundation Zouera Yousouffou, disclosed that CROWN has galvanized over 5,000 Ambassadors, placing them in these women collectives, to provide key messages to caregiver, identify children and women needing services.
She then added that the Group has already conducted a pilot outriched in 39 wards across three states, out of the six identified States, with the network of Ambassadors and facilitators.
Yousouffou who presented a keynote message with focus on the CROWN concept and its objectives, introduced the Board Members, and speaks to the vision for the future.
She said CROWN is volunteer based women collective that are committed to advancing human development indices in the most remote areas. “Our entry point has been health but we are consolidating and plan to expand to education and nutrition.”
“These women will be supported with economic empowerment schemes that builds on the crafts they are interested in ensuring that this is a wrap around support that empowers the woman and benefits her family”
“We have implemented pilots in a few wards across some states including Kano, Sokoto and of course Bauchi where we started. And we have started to see the promise that this holds in improving immunization uptake, preventing malnutrition and linking over 190 thousand families to essential health services.
“With this proof of concept established, we recently incorporated CROWN as a grassroots entity, and yesterday, inaugurated the Board of Trustees here in Kano to help steer this initiative and keep us true to cause.
Violiane Mitchell (a former director with the Gates Foundation with decades of experience supporting immunization and health in Nigeria) explained that, ” We have walked through communities with these women and seen the many creative ways they are influencing caregivers, and empowering each other on voluntary basis
Uche Igbokwe, the Chief Executive Officer of SCIDaR,0, said CROWN is volunteer based women collective that are committed to advancing human development indices in the most remote areas. Our entry point has been health but we are consolidating and plan to expand to education and nutrition.