No fewer than 1,500 women have benefited from the Catalyzing Strengthened Policy for Healthy Diets and Resilience (CASCADE) Project’s training on Social Analysis and Action (SAA) in Jigawa State.
The Gender Technical Officer of the project in the state, Ani Akpoko, disclosed this at the graduation ceremony of the participants held in Dutse.
Akpoko said the beneficiaries, who are members of the Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), were drawn from the five CASCADE project implementation areas — Kiyawa, Jahun, Dutse, Ringim, and Kafin Hausa.
She explained that the women graduated after participating in 10 SAA sessions between November 2024 and August 2025.
According to her, the training was aimed at challenging social norms, beliefs, and practices around gender, empowering communities to recognize and address power imbalances, and promoting long-term social change.
“Today, we are here to celebrate the achievements of our VSLA members who have completed SAA sessions with the CASCADE team.
“SAA is a programme that helps us understand and challenge negative social norms in our communities. It empowers us to make positive changes in our lives and communities,” Akpoko said.
She added that the training has equipped the participants with critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, negotiation, leadership, and community mobilization skills.
“It has also increased their knowledge of rights and entitlements and empowered them to make a difference in their communities through collective action,” she said.
Akpoko urged stakeholders to continue collaborating to create a more just and equal society, calling on community leaders and policymakers to support and invest in SAA initiatives.
Some of the women shared personal testimonies and success stories, praising CASCADE for its positive impact on their lives.
They said the programme taught them household dialogue, healthy living, and cultivation of nutritious foods for family consumption.
Jamila Muhammad and Fatima Alhassan from Balago and Kazuba communities in Kiyawa said their families had embraced tolerance and teamwork as a result of the training.
Maimuna Suleiman from the Mopol Base community in Dutse said women in her area have learned to prepare nutritious meals using locally sourced ingredients.
“CASCADE has truly changed the lives of women here. We have learned to live peacefully with our husbands and now visit hospitals regularly for antenatal, delivery, and other health services.
“We were also given sweet potato, okra, and moringa seeds, which we planted to improve our families’ nutrition,” she said.
The District Head of Kiyawa, Adamu Aliyu, and the Village Head of Mopol Base, Zubairu Ahmad, commended CASCADE for empowering women in their respective communities.
Also speaking, a religious leader in Dutse, Malam Tahir Bala, appealed to the organization to expand the project to more rural communities to reach more women.
