Ndukaku (Health is Better than Wealth)

Ndukaku involves community mobilisation, media advocacy, capacity building activities for local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and behaviour change communication across three levels: hamlet level, locality level, and state level. It encourages individual and community action toward the elimination of FGC where it no longer contributes to the family, community, or society well-being.


This multi-channel approach encompasses:

• Hamlet-level (the smallest unit of social organisation), capacity building and community mobilisation efforts to improve the health of women, including the reduction of harmful traditional practices;
• locality- and local government association (LGA)- level communication activities to change social norms and contribute to a more conducive environment for the elimination of FGC; and
• state-level media coverage of activities at the hamlet and LGA levels as the basis for a campaign to engage the public in an ongoing dialogue on the practice of FGC.

The community mobilisation activity at the hamlet level, called the Community Action Cycle (CAC), focuses on strengthening community members' abilities to identify, analyse and address their most pressing health issues. Developed by Save the Children, the CAC uses the community members' perceived reproductive health priorities as an entry point and begins to engage the community in related issues, such as taking a critical look at traditional or cultural practices, household decision-making, and the status of women. Specifically, a core group of community members first identifies and explores health priorities and then leads a process of community-wide planning and action to achieve improvements and meet community needs. The core groups represent a cross-section of the community, including men, women, and youth.

Activities at the LGA level included the viewing of Communicating for Change’s documentary film Uncut - Playing with Life at community gatherings and conducting advocacy visits to traditional leaders. For example, the traditional ruler of Eha Amufu, Igwe Samuel Ede, made a public pronouncement against FGC and banned FGC in his domain, with the annual circumcision ceremony conducted without actual cutting. Organisers say that his pronouncement triggered statewide action, leading to a health bill that included language on the elimination of FGC which was taken to the Enugu State House of Assembly.

One programme partner, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), implemented statewide activities including regular newspaper columns, radio call-in shows, and public forums on FGC.

Gender, Rights, Children.

Specific project objectives are to:

• promote public dialogue on FGC
• increase the number of people who understand the harmful effects of FGC
• reduce the number of commonly held myths and misperceptions about the practice of FGC
• increase the number of traditional, religious, and political leaders who support the elimination of FGC
• increase the number of people who have taken specific steps towards eliminating the practice of FGC