Michika community to restore livelihood through advocacy and lobby

Farming, predominantly led by women  in Michika Local Government area of Adamawa State, served as a primary source of livelihood until the 2014 insurgency attack disrupted community life.

As normalcy gradually returns, restoring livelihoods becomes paramount to addressing food security and enhancing both the state and national economies.

A resident of Michika Local Government area, Mary Yana, said farming has been a key source of livelihood for people before the insurgency attack, and expressed determination to contribute to economic recovery.

It is against this backdrop that the German Government launched a project, support to improving Social cohesion through community development planning across sixteen wards of Michika on August 24, 2023.

The project seeks to restore the livelihood of members of the community in the areas of agriculture, education, health, water and sanitation as well as mitigate effects of climate change among others things.

This project which was rolled out in phases futures grant competitions to encourage members of the community carry out self-help projects for rapid development.

Declaring the winners of the Self-help project grant finale by the assessment Officers at the award ceremony in Michika, Chairman, State Development Coordination Committee of the Community Development Planning project, Engineer Mohammed Adamu praised the competitiveness of the competition and encouraged people in the conflict affected area to keep up with the spirit of teamwork to sustain the gains achieved.

Chairman, Ward Development Support Committee, and a member of Moda/Dlaka Ward who came first at the grant finale, Baki Ibrahim, expressed determination to consolidate on the gains of the project in restoring the sources of livelihood of Michika Local Government area and therefore encouraged other people of conflict affected communities to carryout Self-help projects through advocacy and lobby so as to attract support from donor partners.

In an interview with Radio Nigeria, Project Manager, OXFAM Nigeria, Enoch Bamaiyi, explained that there is a monitoring mechanism put in place to ensure proper utilization of the grant won by people of the sixteen Wards of Michika Local Government area,  and reiterated OXFAM’s commitment to rebuilding resilience in conflict-affected communities.

Noteworthy, of the self-help projects undertaken by people in the sixteen Wards of Michika Local Government area included donation of torch lights to support efforts of local vigilante group, skills acquisition training, repairs and rehabilitation of roads drainages Schools clinics boreholes Wells as well as recruitment of teachers through advocacy and lobbying.