A non-governmental organisation — Sexual Offence Awareness and Response Initiative — says it has trained no fewer than 257 persons as male gender advocates in various internally displaced persons camps (IDPs) in Benue.

The programme officer of the organisation, Mr Chibuzor Njoku, announced this at the quarterly meeting of the Benue Child’s Right Implementation Committee on Thursday.

Chibuzor noted that the training was done on the platform of the Young Men Advocate Programme Against Sexual and Gender Based Violence Y-map Activities.

He further said that another programme — Girls Empowerment Mentoring Programme(GEMS Arise) — trained no fewer than 381 displaced adolescent girls/mother’s as female mentors in the IDP camps.

Sexual Offences Awareness and Victims Rehabilitation Initiative was set up in 2011 by a survivor of child sexual abuse to prevent and respond to the prevalence of various forms of sexual violence and exploitation against children.

The organisation is currently working on a programme to address child marriage in the north central part of the country.

It is dedicated to the prevention of all forms of child sexual abuse as well as provide care and support for victims and survivors.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria