Bansan-Osokom Clan EnTraLaunch Initiative

In most of Sub-Saharan Africa, majority of the population (51-55%) still live in rural villages, lager communities and Clans with living standards still basic and the social structures still reliant on traditional dynamics. The normative Extended Family System still underpins the social, economic and political dimensions of life here and is perhaps inseparable with strongly held sensitivities around "Identity".

In light of the above, care work in Bansan-Osokom clan is altogether undocumented, devalued and therefore unpaid in the truest sense of the word. As required by the norms, which by the way is more relevant to the local inhabitants than National Laws, an average female has no choice than to abandon her personal business (farm, table market etc.) when a family member is taken ill and needs care. She is fully aware of the consequences in the event she doesn't avail. The girl child, through her teen years to the time she moves to her own home, has been made to believe that making water available for the entire household, keeping the household and environment clean, looking after younger siblings, cooking for the entire household, fetching firewood, etc., are not only her responsibility but define who she really was . This scenario has no prospect of changing anytime soon as even those affected remain quite adamant that nothing is fundamentally wrong with this practice.

On the contrary, though, every indicia associated with the lagging behind of the female gender, in terms of poor performance in school, school drop out, early pregnancy, disproportionate access to jobs and career opportunities, eminent collapse of female owned businesses within Two years of starting up, etc., is inextricably linked with the foregoing.

Click Skills EnTraLaunch Initiative aims to Enlist, Train and Launch 36 youths across the 12 villages of Bansan-Osokom Clan to act and change the systemic stereotype hindering their progress across generations. An induction course - Care Certificate Standards 1 to 15 - full 15 Care Certificate standards (https://www.reed.co.uk/courses...), is both catalytic and timely. From the process of registering for the course, which is with an Email, to the completion, Digital Technologies are relied upon altogether. With this, the beneficiaries will posses the basic understanding about Care Work and become prepared to participate in the following exercise.

Sequel to the Online Training,  the 3 youths in each of the 12 villages in Bansan-Osokom Clan would commence a Data Collection Exercise aimed at capturing the specific number of people benefiting from (unpaid) domestic and Care work, and who bears the most burden of giving it in the village. This would include care for the sick, cooking and related responsibilities, child/elderly care, etc. The Data would be stored in digital format (web uploads) and available for reference. 

Essentially, some effortless extrapolation that follows would lay bare where the burden of Unpaid Care Work lies across Bansan-Osokom Clan and how it impedes progress on all fronts for them.

At this stage, an advocacy is launched by these participating youths, all of whom would be female, lobbying custodians of traditions, opinions leaders and Local Government Authorities on changing the stereotype. Key to the outcome of this Initiative is a proper valuation of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in order to give those responsible for giving it their right place in Bansan-Osokom Clan. Every critical aspects of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work should be shared among members of the household on an equal bases but not skewed towards a particular gender as is the case.    

Accordingly, as Click Skills' technology dependent EnTraLaunch Initiative stimulates a dialogue on this subject matter, which didn't happen hitherto, the issue is brought to the front burner, facilitating the much needed change. This would mean a positive change in all development indicators in favor of the women and girls in Bansan-Osokom Clan and in indeed the world over.

Bansan-Osokom Clan has a population of about 4000+ with women making up to 60% of this number, these are the ones our solution serves. Women who are compulsorily required by local norms to abandon their personal development to provide needed care to a family (extended inclusive) member who's taken ill, would be serve. Women whose services (unpaid care work) are not adequately valued to the extent that they are denied right to ownership of property (inheritance), are to be served. The girl child who is made to drop out of school as a direct result of her burdensome unrecognized unpaid domestic and care work responsibility, is to be served.

Obviously,  the outcome of Click Skills' EnTraLauch Initiative is to launch 36 female activists to generate documented evidence in Digital Data and undertake constructive Advocacy within Bansan-Osokom Clan that would change the status quo for good. When this eventually happens, Domestic and Care Work in our Clan will become a shared responsibility between the men and women of the Clan thereby giving the later more time for their personal development which would meaningfully improve their lives. Also, a change in status quo as a direct outcome of the EnTraLaunch Initiative would mean a relief for the girl child who would shed reasonable burden of unpaid domestic and Care Work to the boys thereby devote more time for school. This would improve her life in significant ways in terms of school performance and brighter career path. 

As a Youth Leader who is from and resides in Bansan-Osokom Clan, I interact with the target groups on a daily and continuing bases. My knowledge of happenings there is first hand and authoritative. My core mandate is to inspire and guide the younger generation and other vulnerable groups to attain their full potential in spite of the challenges they may face. My brain child, Click Skill, is entirely dedicated for Digital Solutions that enhance the youth's ability to attain self fulfillment and be a positive agent to their immediate community and the world at large.  Notably, most of them are from indigent backgrounds with no educated parent so Click Skills therefore takes up guidance and counseling roles in virtual platforms to bridge the gap. Usually, they express their priorities, their fears and expectations at these virtual sessions through which I understand their needs and develop the solutions accordingly.

In quite recurrent manner, the young people of both gender have indicated that they like to have a much more equal, open and balanced society where people are allowed to choose for themselves their preferences in all situations. Indeed it is for this precise reason that Click Skills has develop the EnTraLaunch Initiative that equips and guides 36 young people in Bansan-Osokom Clan to challenge status quo in the gender stereotype, especially as it concerns unpaid domestic and care work.

As with any other for-profit or non-profit entity at early stages, access to much needed monetary and non-monetary resources is either non-existent or perhaps inaccessible in Nigeria, therefore presents existential barrier. Click Skills is similarly faced with the same predicaments, so hopes Solve can help us overcome.

My application to Solve is for the full 9-months package, including but not limited to;

1. Receive access to funding in Grants and investments, including through prizes and Solve Innovation Future.
2. Join a powerful network of impact-minded leaders across industries and sectors, with dedicated spaces to meet year-round and during Solve's flagship events such as Solve at MIT.
3. Access mentorship, coaching, and strategic advice from experts as well as the Solve and MIT networks.
4. Receive Monitoring and Evaluation support to build an impact measurement practice.
5. Access relevant in-kind resources such as software licenses and legal services from Solve members and partner organizations

Enlisting, Training and Launching the young people in the remotest parts of the world in the use of Digital Technologies to solve complex social problems is both innovative and catalytic. It empowers the young generation to challenge stereotype and tear down the symbolic walls standing on their way to progress. The clear link between the burden of unpaid Care Work on women and girls and their apparent lagging behind in almost all development indicators remain striking but yet unaddressed. A bottom to top approach where the younger generation is empowered to take their destinies in their own hands through constructive and non-violent activism, is not only cost effective but also most feasible in the problem solving toolkit.

Indeed, as a direct outcome of our solution, the younger generation of women who have often watched their mother helplessly prevented from making required progress in education, career and self worth, would eventually bring change for themselves. Through the use of Digital Technologies, the younger generation of women would access useful skill set that nudges them to collect Data, share it via social media, seek synergy and act in a strategic and assertive manner that melts status quo in their favor.

Over the next Year, our impact goal is to have 36 vibrant young women in Bansan-Osokom Clan fully equipped with the skill set to generate documented evidence of Unpaid domestic and Care Work, who is responsible for it and who benefits from it in their Clan. Extrapolate and Indicate clearly how it is directly linked with the backwardness of the female population in the target area. Design a go-to website to hoist the Data  collected which puts faces to the numbers and accessible world wide.

Progressively, over the next Five years, the goals is to have a minimum 60% of the total population in Bansan-Osokom Clan to become fully aware of the magnitude of Unpaid domestic and Care Work that goes on in the Clan. How the burden is borne by the female population and the extent that stands on their way to attain full potential. This should result in behavioral change that allows Unpaid Care Work to become a responsibility of all, regardless of gender. The broader goal is to have more girls remaining in school, their performance improving, and their becoming competitive with their male counterparts in all career fronts.

Ultimately, how we equip the 36 young women is solely dependent on online courses, online platforms and other Digital Resources to be deployed throughout this Initiative.

As to how we achieve the required attitudinal change of having Unpaid Care Work In Bansan-Osokom Clan becoming the responsibility of all, regardless of gender, is dependent on the assertive, strategic and non-violent activism on the part of the 36 young women.

• Firstly, the number of girls that completes the Online Course, of the 36 targeted, would be a clear indicator for progress.
• The number of advocacy visits and other awareness raising events to be carried out within the first and following critical years.
• The size of the total population that becomes fully sensitized and open to attitudinal change.
• The number of male that becomes willing and eventually carry out Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in Bansan-Osokom Clan.
• A reduction in the difference in man hours put into Unpaid Domestic and Care Work between Male and Female in our Clan.
• The improvement recorded in the number of girls remaining in school with better performance

• ACTIVITY -  Care Certificate Standards 1 to 15 - full 15 Care Certificate standards (https://www.reed.co.uk/courses...). An Online induction course for everyone starting a career in health and social care. It would utilize Digital Technologies to the fullest extent with no in-person  meetings.

• OUTPUTS -   36 young women across Bansan-Osokom Clan (12 villages) gaining critical knowledge on health and social care that motivate them to act.

• SHORT TERM OUTCOMES - The 36 young women exhibit ability to identify and collect Data on Unpaid Domestic and Care Work within Bansan-Osokom Clan. This would include how the female population in the Clan bears the burden for about 85% of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work. Also  highlight an important data point proving how the burden of unpaid care work on the female population is having overbearing negative impact on their progress in education, career and social standing in the clan.

• LONG TERM OUTCOMES - The 36 young women launch a concerted non-violent activism and advocacy that change the narrative from status quo to one that the responsibility of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work becomes evenly borne by both male and female. By this, therefore, The 36 young women, through Click Skills' EntraLaunch Initiative would impact in very meaningful ways the living conditions of over 2000 women and girls in our Clan.

A wide range of Digital Technologies would be relied upon to deliver the Online Course which every other chain of event revolves around. This should include: Email, Conference Tools, Voice Call, Text Messaging, social media group chat, etc.

Being in a rather patriarchal society where women and girls face systemic barriers that hinder their progress, we at Click Skills take deliberate steps that guarantee equal opportunity for all. As a small Organization, 2 of our 3 full-time staff are female. This would remain a guiding principle that shapes our core values and ethics going forward.

• KEY RESOURCES: Click Skills Online Platform, Network of active youths, meaningful goodwill among enlightened population in our Clan, individual contributions.

• KEY ACTIVITIES: Conduct regular web search for relevant skill-based online courses and list same on our platform, promote the relevant courses across social media and other channels that the targets could be reached, facilitate the smooth taking of any course for anyone interested; this include finding and paying the required fees in the event of fee-paying courses, organizing  course materials and other relevant resources.

• TYPE OF INTERVENTIONS: Social Impact Creating Initiatives, programs and projects.

• SEGMENTS: Women/Girls, Youths, Rural Inhabitants, Unemployed Graduates and disadvantaged groups.

• VALUE PROPOSITION: `New skill set for employment, New skill set for changing social issues, New skill set for significant improvement in living conditions, New skill set to participate in the Digital and Net Zero Economy.

• PARTNERS + KEY STAKEHOLDERS: Local Governments Legislative Councils, Individual Donors, Traditional Rulers' Councils, Communities' Opinion Leaders.

• CHANNELS: Click Skills Social Media Page, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), Acumen+, Reed Courses, etc.

• COST STRUCTURE: Course Fees, Internet access Data for staff and course enrollees , Course Materials and resources, Staff Subsistence and lean operational cost, and contingency support for course enrollees. 

• SURPLUS: Fully funded scholarships for indigent youths and disadvantaged unemployed graduates.

• REVENUE: Grants, Individual Contributions, prizes and optional donations  from well-off testimonials.

• A network of success stories who benefited from our service at one time and should plow back at some other time to sustain our work. Our terms and conditions stipulates this for all our beneficiaries.
• On the job capacity-building services for staff of Governments to improve their productivity.

In an impressive show of value for our work, the following contributed handsomely to our recent "Bansan-Osokom Youth Mobilization for Skill Acquisition Campaign". The donations came as a direct response to the encouraging testimonials at the end of the exercise. Figures are in Nigerian Naira (NGN).

• Honorable Hilary Bisong - NGN: 100,000
• Sir Richard Bisong - NGN: 50,000
• Colonel Mathias Obi - NGN: 100,000
• Engr. Busa Etta - NGN: 80,000
• Prof. Florence Obi NGN: 100,000