A non-governmental organisation, the West and Central Africa Health Option Ltd/Gte (WCAHealth), in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Taraba State Government, on Friday graduated 20 trainees of sexual and reproductive health education known as ‘big sisters’.

The 20 big sisters drawn from the 20 wards of Lau and Zing local government areas (LGAs) of Taraba State underwent a four-day intensive training to enable them to intervene in reducing the high rate of maternal mortality in the two pilot LGAs.

The Executive Secretary (ES), Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Tukura Nuhu, while addressing the big sisters, told them to serve as mentors to little adolescent girls in their various wards.

Mr Nuhu urged the trainees to bridge the gap between parents and the adolescent girls by providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education to the little sisters.

He said, “Nigeria is battling with a high rate of maternal mortality, and Taraba State is one of the states with the highest rates due to the activities of adolescent girls, and that is why the big sisters model is necessary.”

The Taraba Coordinator of WCAHealth, Ibrahim Sheye, told the big sisters to take the duty seriously to save the lives of little sisters in their communities.

Mr Sheye explained that research showed that most of the maternal deaths occur among the adolescent girls through unsafe abortions and other behaviours.

The coordinator, who is also the lead facilitator of the training, commended the Federal Government for funding the training, saying it would go a long way in reducing avoidable deaths of mothers and babies in communities.

“The major role of big sisters is to interact with the little sisters, earn their trust and make referrals where necessary to hospitals for proper care.

“The big sisters are also there to clear myths and misconceptions among adolescent girls over their reproductive health by making friends with them in a manner they can open up on any concerns about their bodies,” he said.

Mr Sheye stated that the pilot phase of the big sisters’ model was being carried out in eight states of the federation, including Benue, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Ekiti, Kebbi, Taraba and Zamfara.

The big sisters were taken through various sessions on menstruation, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, mentoring, provision of youth-friendly services and gender-based violence, among others.

One of the facilitators, Joy Adams, while taking them through “values and principles of youth-friendly services,” told the big sisters to uphold confidentiality to earn the trust of the little sisters.

Another facilitator, Pprudence Oke, while taking the big sisters on “Do No Harm,” advised them to ensure that their work does not put the little sisters at risk.

She urged them to ensure that they provide correct information about sexual and reproductive health issues to save the young girls from harm associated with misinformation.

One of the big sisters, Faiza Muhammed, said she was happy to undergo the training, adding that she would use the knowledge to save the little sisters in her community from harm.

In her comment, another big sister, Florence Jonah, commended the organisers of the programme for coming up with the life-saving model.

She pledged to work hard to ensure that the future of little sisters in her community was guaranteed by providing them with accurate information about sexual reproductive health issues.

The big sisters were provided with comprehensive training manuals and other materials to enable them to hold sessions with the little sisters in their various wards.

(NAN)