By Adesina Wahab

The Akin Fadeyi Foundation, AFF, with support from the MacArthur Foundation has carried out a sensitization workshop through The Be Safe Initiative in Bwari, Abuja with the theme: “Empowered to Create Safe Spaces Online and Beyond.”

The Founder and Executive Director, AFF, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, said, “The Be Safe Initiative bears testament to the Akin Fadeyi Foundation’s continued commitment to it’s  Behavioural Change, Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) initiative. It is a journey we have embarked upon to empower students and staff, equipping them with the requisite skills to combat corruption, cyberbullying, sextortion, gender-based violence and other issues of social injustice.

Speaking at the event, Programme Coordinator of AFF, Patience Ismaila, said, “the Be Safe Sensitization Workshop marked a significant milestone in promoting safety awareness among students and staff in the area council”.

The event gathered participants from Government Day Secondary School, Bwari, Government Day Secondary School, Dutsen-Alhaji, and Government Secondary School, Jibi.

The workshop featured highly interactive training sessions, including discussions, role-plays, advocacy drama messages (Corruption Not In My Country) and activities that reinforced the concepts taught.

Participants were equipped to serve as Champions of Be Safe, empowered to conduct step-down training sessions for their peers. Each participant received workshop materials, including jotters, pens, and the Be Safe manual, designed to support ongoing learning and serve as reference materials.

During the interactive session, a student asked why is it that despite the warning many people still have the urge to be corrupt.

The AFF Project Coordinator responded to him as she explained that “corruption is a learned behaviour, and thus, the urge to engage in it is also learned.” She emphasized that while the urge may come and go, what truly matters is how one responds to it, highlighting the importance of adopting the mindset that change begins with oneself.

The workshop equipped students and staff with essential knowledge and skills to address and combat critical safety issues.