Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI) has announced a partnership with Spanish nonprofit Mundo Cooperate to launch “EmpowerHer”, a two-year project aimed at combating female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage in Kaduna State.
According to a statement signed by EWEI’s Communications Manager, Uche Brown Egbe, the initiative — running from September 2025 to February 2027 — will support 30 highly vulnerable girls under 16 years in Keke A and Keke B communities of Chikun Local Government Area and Rafin Guza in Igabi Local Government Area.
The project, the statement said, will integrate education, vocational training, legal support, technology, and advocacy “to create sustainable pathways for girls’ empowerment.”
“Through EmpowerHer, EWEI will enroll and retain 30 girls in school, establish safe spaces in three schools, provide legal and psychosocial support to survivors and at-risk girls, and improve menstrual health access and knowledge,” the statement read.
Egbe further noted that the initiative will sensitise 200 community members on the harms of FGM and child marriage, while advocating for legal reforms and stronger enforcement of protective frameworks.
The project will be implemented in collaboration with public schools, traditional leaders, and local NGOs, with progress tracked through quarterly monitoring using attendance records, surveys, and stakeholder feedback.
Highlighting the significance of the intervention, Projects Coordinator at Mundo Cooperate, Alban del Pino, said the project reflects a global commitment to girl-child empowerment.
“When adolescent girls around the world are empowered and given the right platform, amazing things start to happen. Poverty reduces, economies grow, families get stronger, babies are born healthier, and the world, by all accounts, gets better,” del Pino stated. “But progress doesn’t happen overnight. That is why Mundo Cooperate is excited about this intervention in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria.”
In the same vein, Hafsat Yusuf, Programme Officer, Organisational Development and Partnerships at EWEI, expressed optimism about the project’s long-term impact.”
“We are delighted that the needs of girls in Kaduna State are being prioritised, and we call on more organisations and individuals to follow the commendable steps of Mundo Cooperate,” she said. “Together with our partners and experts, we are committed to delivering high-quality activities and sustainable support to project beneficiaries.”
The statement added that EmpowerHer is part of Phase 2 of the Right to Be a Girl Programme supported by Mundo Cooperate.
Founded in 2008, EWEI is a women-led NGO based in Kaduna State, working to empower women and girls through capacity building, information dissemination, advocacy, and community service projects.
Mundo Cooperante, established in 1998, is an independent nonprofit organisation focused on development projects benefiting children, youth, and women through professional and community-led action.