Holidays are coming - Q4 2023 update
Dear friends, supporters, and donors of Lafiya Nigeria,
The end of the year is coming up - looking back on 2023, we are grateful and proud of the changes we have seen within Lafiya and the progress we have made in Nigeria. Our team is feeling proud of the work that is being done and we are receiving positive feedback from stakeholders around us. Read on for an update of our last few months!
1. Training 20 new Lafiya Sisters in Kebbi
Our pool of Lafiya Sisters grew from 42 to 62 in December. We were able to onboard an additional 20 Lafiya Sisters in Kebbi during two training days on December 12th and 13th. The sisters were excited to get started and participated with great enthusiasm in the training session. We trained them on family planning counselling and Sayana Press distribution. This part of the training was executed by the former Family Planning State Coordinator. Further, our program officers explained how to use SurveyCTO so that they can collect data in the field. Further, they have received doses of Sayana Press to distribute in their communities. We are so glad to have expanded our team with 20 motivated Sisters! We are sharing some pictures of the training below.
2. Onboarding new Program Officer in Jigawa
On November 1st, our new program officer started in Jigawa State. Her name is Fatima Balarabe Umar (pictured above during the training for new Lafiya Sisters) and she started on November 1st. She has onboarded well and is quickly finding her place within the team. We are very happy to have someone to mentor the Lafiya Sisters in Jigawa more closely as we will be scaling in both Kebbi and Jigawa.
A few words from Fatima herself: "Working with Lafiya Nigeria was a fresh start and an exciting moment towards making a positive difference in the community. My experience with Lafiya Sisters in Jigawa is harmonious as we are creating a strong bond and understanding to enable effective delivery of Services. I am glad to be part of the Lafiya Nigeria team."
3. Stakeholder meeting in Kebbi
On Wednesday, November 29th, we hosted a stakeholder meeting with representatives from all local government areas (LGAs) in Kebbi state. We wanted to ensure their buy-in and get more visibility with the government since this is one of our objectives for 2024. The meeting was a success: family planning coordinators at the local level are very excited about our work. Several local partners have requested for partnerships with Lafiya. The local government clinics are facing extreme stockouts and the demand for Sayana Press from women in the area is high because of the easy and discrete use. We are happy that word is getting out about our work and local stakeholders are enthusiastic!
4. Strategy retreat in the Netherlands
In early December, part of our team came together in the Netherlands to pin down the strategy for 2024 and got a head start on working towards our objectives for next year. It was so good to co-work in person again and we are so excited to continue working on Lafiya’s growth strategy! In case you want to know more, our objectives and key results for 2024 are published here.
Looking ahead to 2024
For 2024, we have already fundraised 52% of our optimal budget. As it stands now, we have a funding gap of $267,000 USD. We are happy to share our budget with you here. If you or someone you know wants to support Lafiya, we would appreciate it. To provide further context to our plans and funding needs, please find our 2024 funding proposal here.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season, and we look forward to making more impact together next year!
Best wishes,
Klau, Céline, Dr Fatima, Jefferson, and Nasiru
