Sheku’s Visit to Manonkoh
Sheku M. Gassimu, Programs Director, One Village Partners
At One Village Partners, women’s empowerment sits at the heart of our intervention. Through our Nurturing Opportunities for Women (NOW) Program, we run weekly micro workshops intentionally designed to strengthen women’s capacity to manage their household income, businesses, and other broader livelihood activities. Through participatory facilitation approaches, women in our workshops build firsthand practical skills, which help them to address socioeconomic challenges like gender-based violence, support their children’s education and increase their financial freedom.
During a recent visit, our Partnership and Program Director, Sheku Mohamed Gassimu Jr., sat in on one of these workshops while reviewing the Agricultural Calendar and came back moved by what he experienced. Through his interaction with the women, he saw firsthand how a shift in mindset is taking root, one that is beginning to touch everything from education to food security. He was also equally impressed by the OVP staff facilitating the session, who every day work with the women to make sure they are able to apply the concepts learned in the sessions.
Dive into Sheku’s experience to learn what he observed during this visit:
Today I attended a NOW workshop session on reviewing the agricultural calendar and had the privilege of engaging with our women participants in the Manonkoh community.
It was inspiring to hear the women share their life experiences and speak about the real impact of the NOW workshops. I was especially proud of Mary Kamara, one of the participants who has made significant progress toward her first goal: saving enough to cover all the materials needed for her child’s National Primary School Examination (NPSE exams). That goal is now achieved, and both she and the other women are more motivated than ever to pursue their next ones.
The session reflected a clear shift in the confidence and voice of the women in the room. For many, it was the first time learning just how much it matters to understand planting and harvesting seasons, to save a portion of their produce, and to time their sales strategically to maximise profit.
Above all, I was impressed by the team’s fluency and clarity in delivering the session materials. A special shoutout to Hameedatu (NOW Program Supervisor), our superstar.
Every moment in Manonkoh was a reminder of what patient, consistent and determined investment in women looks like: a savings goal being met, a planting season clearly understood, and a woman finding her voice in a room full of her peers. This is the NOW program in action!