The Support for Women and Teenage Children (SWATCH) is an established non- governmental organization, not-for-profit, non-partisan, non-ethnic and non–political organization that was established in the year 2000 with its headquarters based in Kano, Northern Nigeria. The organization is registered with the corporate affairs commission at the federal level with registration number CAC/IT/No.20797 and also with FIRS TIN registration no. 22453598 – 0001.

SWATCH is a women-led organization that is headed by women and working for women, girls, children and the general population.  SWATCH is a gender sensitive organization that seeks to mainstream gender and social inclusion thereby ensuring that no one is excluded in community participation. Our Equality policy commits us to ensuring that there is no unjustified discrimination in the recruitment, retention, training and development of our staff. 

 

The organization has over 15 years of experience working in the Health sector and its primary aim is to uplift the living standard of Women, Children and Youths to become self-reliant and more dignified members of their communities. SWATCH focuses on the promotion of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing to achieve its mission through advocacy, community mobilization and empowerment, program management, research/evidence-generation, capacity development, outreach programs, monitoring.

 

SWATCH was formed by a group of professional men and women who were concerned with the adverse effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and low-quality Education as a result of falling standard of education, low enrolment of Girls, low transition and completion of schools by the Girl-child. We are concerned about the rate of extreme poverty among disadvantaged women’s groups, distressed Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Substance/drug abuse among youths and the lack of entrepreneurship skills targeting vulnerable population.

 

SWATCH has a 5-member Board of Trustees, a 5-Member Senior Management Team and an Executive Director. The organization also has 9 permanent skilled staffs, 3 temporary staffs and over 80 volunteers. SWATCH organization utilizes both experts who are drawn from diverse professional backgrounds and volunteers who have appropriate skills and experience to manage programs. Their range of skills include: Community mobilization and empowerment, Project Management, advocacy skills, Financial Management, Research activities, Monitoring and Evaluation, Financial Education training skills, Database Management

 

Thematic Areas

• Health
• Education
• Gender & Social Inclusion
• Nutrition / Food Security
• Peace building/ Conflict mitigation
• Democracy and Good Governance
• Empowerment /Entrepreneurship
• WASH

 

Vision: To see a healthy, empowered and poverty free society.

 

Mission: To improve the health and socio-economic status of women, children and youths to maintain good quality of life, to become self-reliant and more dignified members of their communities.

 

SWATCH over the years has implemented series of HIV and OVC programs as follows:

1.The Strategic HIV and AIDS Response Program (SHARP) Task Order 3 project is the most recent and is currently on-going. SWATCH in collaboration with Chemonics International is implementing the SHARP project This is a HIV prevention program and the purpose of the project is to focus on increasing awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS, promoting healthy behaviors including risk avoidance, HIV counselling and testing services and improving referrals and linkages to care and treatment services, thus contributing to the project’s objectives.

1. In 2020, SWATCH in collaboration with the Society for Family Health (SFH)has implemented theIntegrated Child Health and Social Services Award (ICHSSA 3) project. The goal of ICHSSA 3 is to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS on orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) and therefore assist in attaining epidemic control. The project ensures that OVC are cared for and protected by their households, communities, local and state governments. The criteria for the selection and enrolment of Orphans and vulnerable Children are:

 1) Children living with HIV, 2) Children of people living with HIV, 3) HIV exposed infants

 4) Children of key population (KPs). 5) Adolescents at risks, 6) Survivors of GBV

3.In 2019, SWATCH with Funding support from Health Initiatives for Safety and Stability in Africa (HIFASS) was one of the partners that implemented the Local Orphans and Vulnerable Children Partners in Nigeria- Region 3 (LOPIN-3) project. The LOPIN 3 was a Community OVC Care, Support and Protection project in Kano. The Project’s objective was to provide services to improve the quality of life of orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) across 2 LGAs in Kano state. SWATCH was able to enroll and served a total number of 12,083 reactive OVC and their care givers through a comprehensive package of services for OVC and their households.

1. From 2018 to 2019, SWATCH isalso one of the NGOs that participated in the last survey tagged:Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) that took place in Kano. SWATCH has collaborated with about 22 facilities within and outside Kano. SWATCH was able to track and making referrals for linkages for care and support for people living with HIV/ AIDS and for confirmatory HTS
2. From 2014 to 2018 SWATCH has collaborated with Family Health International(FHI/360)to implement the Strengthening Integrated Delivery of HIV/AIDS Services (SIDHAS). The project provided community prevention of HIV/AIDS and mitigation services, which was the integration of both medical and social service programs to mobilize local communities to develop sustainable and community-based intervention to support Orphans and Vulnerable Children and HIV prevention. SWATCH has implemented the SIDHAS Project in 9 LGAs and a total number of 6,420 orphans and vulnerable children have received care and support through the 6+1 OVC support mechanism

6.From 2007 to 2010, SWATCH in collaboration with the Centre for Development and Population Activities(CEDPA) has implemented the Expanded Compassionate Gender Sensitive Care and Support project for People living and Affected by HIV/AIDS/ Care and Support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children(OVC) The project was able to reach over 10,000 OVC in 3 Local Government Areas of Kano.