By Abayomi Elias
At a three day workshop in Lagos, Vision spring Initiative (VSI) in collaboration with Access to Good Health Initiative (AGHI) trained stakeholders through the ‘Free to be me Project’ to uphold empathy, promote and respect the human rights of the vulnerable groups.
Newsconnect reports that the stakeholders who participated in the 3-day sensitisation workshop include Traditional leaders, religious leaders, Civil society organisations and Media practitioners that are familiar with the scope of intervention since inception.
According to the Project Coordinator of the ‘Free To Be Me’ Project, Ngozi Nwosu-Juba, said the project is geared towards changing the entire narrative when it comes to rights of minority and vulnerable persons.
Ngozi said stigmatisation, discrimination, loss of dignity, abuse of persons who do not love the way the society expects every persons to love become prevalent, it is important to train influential stakeholders towards protecting, promoting and respecting the rights of these groups regardless of whose ox is gored.
In an interview with Newsconnect correspondence and Ngozi at the end of the 3-day workshop as it relates to the expected actions from participants going forward, Ngozi said;
“Selected persons who have benefitted in the past , stakeholders who have understood the concept of our intervention and ready to apply them in the society are the participants of this three days workshop.
“Having being part of the training, We expect them to be ambassadors of the ‘Free to be me Project’ where they can lend their voices and demand end to stigma, discrimination, loss of dignity, abuse of persons who do not love the way the society expects every persons to love.
“We want them to be voice for the voiceless, we want them to go on radio programs to speak about acceptance of other human beings, to speak that all human beings are equal, irrespective of sexual orientations or gender identity”
“Minority groups we target include sexual minorities, sex workers, people living with disabilities among others”. She said.
