Charity Hopping Around the World Giveaway - PROJECTALERT

Most of my regular readers must have guessed that I am quite passionate about women's rights, and so the charity I will be talking about is PROJECTALERT. Project Alert is a charity set up in Nigeria to promote and protect the rights of young girls and women. hey "seek to influence society by actively advocating for zero tolerance for all forms of violence against women and young girls".

This hop hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, Reading Away the Days and Reading a Little Bit of Everything) and my giveaway is an eBook of A Heart to Mend, which slightly deals with the topic.

In AHTM, one of the sub-plots has Gladys being mentored by an older woman who has experienced an unhealthy marriage. Aunt Isioma's story is key to Gladys dealing with some of her own emotional baggage as she works through her relationship with Edward. Gladys is a woman discovering herself and making sometimes tough decisions in the process, including choosing a life partner.

A Heart to Mend may not be your classic romance novel about a helpless damsel waiting for a knight on a white charger, but like my other books, it is my own way of advocating for women to take charge of the totality of who they are - mind, body, soul AND emotions. Because in reality, most women do want to find someone to go through life with. The important thing is to know who you are first and know your worth as a person so you can enjoy a healthy relationship with the right person for you.

You see, in addition to being a romantic, I am a feminist. My feminism means for me to own my physical and mental well-being, and have the freedom to make life choices. It means appreciating the women who have gone before and who have made the road easier for me, and supporting my contemporaries and those who are coming up as we all learn together in life. It means condemning situations that degrade or subjugate women, and encouraging structures that support women to empower themselves.

This is exactly what ProjectAlert is doing. Please donate to them at the link and read more about them below. Thanks. Donate to Project Alert or Contact them on Violence Against Women;

- HQ Address: 21, Akinsanya Street, Off Isheri Road, Taiwo Bus stop (Behind FRSC), Ojodu - Berger, P.O.Box 15456, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. Phone 234-1-8209387; 234-8052004698; 234-8180091072; projectalert@projectalertnig.org; info@projectalertnig.org

- ABUJA OFFICE: 26 Bamenda Street, Off Abidjan Street,Wuse Zone 3, Abuja Nigeria. 234 -8708618

PROJECTALERT PROGRAMME AREAS

1. Human Rights Education - This programme is the lead unit for all advocacy initiative and training activities. Its primary objective being to educate and sensitize the society on the prevalence, nature, causes and effects of violence against women and young girls, and the relevant steps required, to address this issue. Activities conducted under this programme area include legislative, social and media advocacy. Legislative advocacy seeks to promote legal reforms that will effectively protect the rights of women and young girls. Under this programme, Project Alert also conducts various sensitization programmes and training workshops. Read more about past events under this programme.

2. Support Services Programme - This programme area provides practical support services to female victims of violence. These are:

a. Counseling Services - Counseling is yet another form of support service that the organization renders abused women and young girls. Clients receive both individual and group counseling. While individual counseling is aimed at dealing with the specifics of a client’s case; group counseling is aimed at encouraging victims to see themselves as survivors and gather strength from the experiences of others. The counseling department also organizes quarterly survivors’ forum, during which a motivational speaker on a particular issue of relevance to the survivors, is invited to speak to them. Read the counselling cases

b. Legal Aid - Project Alert provides free legal aid to female victims of violence. Services rendered to victims and/or their family include: Legal advice, Sending of letter of invitation to alledged abuser, Petition writing, Court representation & necessary follow-up, Accompanying of victims to the police station, Bailing of clients. In the last ten years, Project Alert has provided free legal aid to over 3,250 women and young girls. Read the legal aid cases

c. Shelter - Set up in May 2001, Sophia’s Place is the first battered women’s shelter in Nigeria. Located in one of Lagos numerous surburbs (its precise location not made public knowledge due to nature of cases received), the facility has sheltered over 580 women/young girls.

3. Research and Documentation - The Research and Documentation Unit of Project Alert is aimed at promoting the use of empirical information in understanding the nature, prevalence and effect of violence against women in the society. It serves as a complementary reliable source of information that will enhance policy decision making in eliminating violence and facilitate effective redress and response in our society. Activities under this programme area include: annual print media monitoring and documenting of reported attacks on women and girls; conducting of legal research and general surveys on violence against women/young girls; and documenting of various organizational activities. Check out the Project Alert Literature and Publications.

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To enter for the giveaway, simply leave a comment with your email address. Check out other charities on the blogs taking part in the charity giveaway hop.