My decision to join social and behavioural change communication is rooted in my passion, which is linked to my childhood experiences in northeast Nigeria. Growing up in my community, I experienced many physical, emotional, and financial barriers due to harmful practices and misinformation. These affected and still many women and girls in my community and beyond.
Girls like me experience exclusion due to dogma, prejudiced beliefs, stereotypes and limitations in every aspect of life; career choices, dressing, business, education, opportunities and even relationships.
Our parents only wanted for us a space where we could grow without fear; unfortunately that is not what we got.
We grow up in a community where children were not allowed to take vaccines because it was considered western culture. Women were denied the right to have their babies in the hospital or undergo caesarean sections because they were seen as a sign of weakness that brings shame to the family. Girls were thought to be better utilized at home than in schools. Girls were not supposed to be engineers, pilots, doctors, or lawyers, they were solely for men’s pleasure. Many were married at the age of 14 because parents feared early exposure. Girls who experienced abuse (rape) were considered badly raised. Blood transfusion and family planning were taboo, coupled with religious extremism, ideologies, and misinformation.
Against all odds, a few of us still strive to achieve our dreams even though we were not allowed to be children. Majority of us experienced lots of childhood trauma.
And this is why I dedicated myself to humanitarian interventions across the northeast, from prison services to full support during the insurgency in the BAY states, providing services to children, women, and girls.
I experienced firsthand how misinformation, harmful cultural practices, lack of access to accurate information, and religious extremism accompanied by a lot of stigma, limited opportunities, inequality, stagnation, limited growth and development.
These have metamorphosed into a cancerous worm eating the northeast and limiting its development.
I believe that effective communication is not just about passing a message but about influencing attitudes, behaviours, and empowering people to make the right decisions.
Even though the influx of the UN and other INGOs have bbrought many improvements, there is still much work to be done, and many gaps needing urgent filling across Northeastern Nigeria and the African continent as majority of children, women, and girls continue to face similar challenges daily. These experiences shaped me and triggered my commitment to promote communication for social and behavioural change.
This is my story. And this is my WHY
“I want a community where children are allowed to be children, girls can dream without limitation, and a society that respects and dignifies women.”
Ajirjir Martins
Adamawa, Nigeria.
