Stephanie Linus Daily

Tag: Extended Hands Foundation

  • Stephanie Linus’ Extended Hands Foundation With Support From Ford Foundation Takes SGBV Awareness To Local Schools & Communities

    Raising more awareness  in our communities  is critical to the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The Extended Hands Foundation with support from Ford Foundation  has recently taken its activism to local schools and communities in Lagos state.

    The community outreach took place in Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA and Shogunle LCDA of Lagos State while the school outreach took place at Greensprings Schools, Lagos  in March and many more to come. Following the events in the schools and communities, advocates were appointed and trained to follow up as watchguards within their communities. They will be responsible for spreading awareness and ensuring people get help when they need it.

    To effectively educate the target audience, the foundation developed awareness-raising materials, including a series of short films and brochures on SGBV. participants were addressed by experts from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency  (DSVA) from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice with the emergency number to call for HELP- 08000333333.

    Actress, director, and UNFPA Ambassador Stephanie Linus, who is also the founder of Extended Hands Foundation was present at these events. She noted that awareness raising is key to spreading a clear message of zero tolerance of all forms of violence within our communities.  “With a rise of domestic violence cases around us, there is urgent need for engaging local communities to address the root causes of SGBV to bring effective behavior and social norms change. We also need to sensitize the younger population, to educate them and tell them consequences of violence. People need to know what to do if they or someone they know are caught in this unfortunate situation.”

    The Extended Hands Foundation is committed to providing accessible information about what gender-based violence is, its different forms, possible remedies, and existing support measures. Our goal is to initiate relevant discussions about the root causes of sexual and gender based-violence and ensure people know how to prevent it.

    Watch the video of the schools and community awareness tour here:

  • Describe Gender Based Violence In One Word

    Violence against women and girls is an unacceptable violation of basic human rights. It is so widespread that ending it must be a global public health priority.

    As a woman and someone blessed to have a platform, I made it my life’s goal to advocate for causes such as this. But the truth is, we all play a key role in standing up against violence, as men and women, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters. No one can tackle it alone. All must reach for shared dignity, mutual respect and a renewed commitment to end violence against women and girls.

    The statistics say that worldwide, an estimated one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime. But it seems like it’s so much more than that! In today’s world, it seems like 2 out of every 3 women have experienced GBV! It knows no social, economic or national boundaries.

    So, as we continue to seek solutions to this scourge, let’s have a discussion about it.

    Have you directly or indirectly experienced GBV? Do you know anyone that has experienced it? How would you describe Gender Based Violence in one word?


  • Hygiene First Campaign Partners With LASPARK For Tree Planting Day 2020

    The Hygiene First campaign, an initiative of the Extended Hands Foundation is excited to announce a partnership with the Lagos State Government (Lagos State Parks & Gardens Agency – LASPARK) to celebrate the Tree Planting Day 2020.

    With the theme ‘Trees For Life‘, we are going to host a series of events to highlight the importance of trees in our environment.

    One activity that is already underway is the Draw, Paint, Write competition for children aged 4-12. Do you have kids in this age range or know someone who does? Encourage them to apply today!

    DETAILS

    The Theme for this year’s Tree Planting Day is “Trees for Life”; and we are planting in honour of Frontline SuperHeroes who are doing everything possible to reduce the spread of the virus.

    🌳 TASK

    Draw, Paint or Write about your interpretation of this Year’s Theme – Trees for Life.

    🌳 RULES

    (1) All entries must be sent to us via email with the subject LAGOS STATE TREES FOR LIFE.

    (2) Attach your Entry to your e-mail – include your Full Name and Age on your work.

    (3) Send your entries in by Sunday July 12th, 2020.

    (3) Participants must be between the ages of 4 and 12 and must live in Lagos.

    Good Luck Friends!

  • My Acting Career & Charity Projects Are Mutually Sustaining

    I recently sat down for an interesting conversation with Arise News on Channels TV where I spoke about my passion for the Hygiene First campaign among other topics.

    My personal goal with this campaign is for people to see proper hygiene as a priority, for us to hold each other accountable and have a conscious awakening about how we care for our environment.

    Asides from Hygiene First, the interview also focused on my advocacy work for the girl child, obstetric fistula, the amazing efforts of the Extended Hands Foundation, the Nigerian movie industry amongst others.

    Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one:

  • #HygieneFirst: 5 Menstrual Hygiene Tips Every Girl & Woman Should Know

    By now, you must have heard about the Hygiene First campaign, an initiative of the Extended Hands Foundation which was launched by myself and my team to enlighten people about the long-term positive impact of hygienic habits and encourage citizen responsibility in practicing such habits.

    Personal hygiene is a key component of this campaign, and so, to mark the Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020 which was observed on May 28, I’ll like to remind us as ladies about important ways to maintain proper hygiene on those special days.

    Poor personal hygiene during your period can often result in some future health issues like infections, irregular cycle, etc that can surely affect your lifestyle.

    Show yourself some extra care while on your period because your body deserves it.

    Here are 5 menstrual hygiene tips every girl and woman should know:

  • Inspiring a National Culture of Personal & Community Hygiene

    I’m a firm believer that the resolve to have a healthier and cleaner environment is a collective responsibility we all share. Our actions, good or bad, affect us all and there is no better time than now to make that conscious decision to do things right.

    It is on this premise that I’m happy to introduce the “Hygiene First – My New Habit” campaign, an initiative of the Extended Hands Foundation which seeks to put hygiene at the center of our national culture.

    Our goal is to inspire a long-term and purposeful lifestyle change among Nigerians which would stimulate personal and community hygiene as a tool for preventing person-to-person transmittable diseases, and improve the sense of pride we feel about our nation.

    For more inquiries and to partner with us, please email info@hygienefirstng.com and follow @hygienefirstng and @myextendedhands for more updates.

    Let’s do this together!

    #HygieneFirst #ExtendedHandsFoundation

  • No woman should die while trying to give birth to life!

    No woman should suffer the indignity of an obstetric fistula… No woman should die while trying to give birth to life!

    This has been my message and my mission since the time I discovered what fistula was and will continue to be until we eradicate fistula in Africa. It is definitely possible! Fistula was eradicated in North America, the UK, and western Europe in the early 1900s. This tells us that the capacity to eradicate the prolonged, obstructed labour that causes obstetric fistula has been in our hands for several generations.

    Tomorrow, May 23rd is the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. This is another time to remind us all of our responsibilities in creating awareness about this tragic childbirth injury.

    To talk more about my work, I had an interview with Plus TV which will be aired tomorrow. I’m also very happy that a highly skilled surgeon and long term partner of the Extended Hands Foundation, Dr Sa’ad Idris was interviewed for this feature.

    Watch the interview tomorrow by 1:30pm on DSTV channel 408.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAfHm-NhI_4/

    Have you watched DRY – the first world-class feature movie to bring Fistula to the big screen? CLICK HERE to get your copy!

  • Taking Fistula Advocacy To The Grassroots

    The vision for me is to end the suffering of girls and women who are left incontinent as a result of fistula in Nigeria.

    This gained some momentum recently when I took this campaign to the nooks and crannies of Sokoto state in northern Nigeria in my capacity as the UNFPA Ambassador for Maternal Health in West & Central Africa and an advocate for girls and women’s rights. 

    This campaign was particularly important as it not only took place in a region with the highest prevalence rate of fistula but also included meetings with traditional rulers, religious leaders, policymakers, women leaders and other stakeholders who are tasked with creating policies and encouraging lifestyles that directly affect their communities.

    To deliver my advocacy message even better, I screened the award-winning movie, Dry, a masterpiece that connects the dots between underage marriage, poor maternal health and fistula.

    The movie which has now been translated into Hausa appealed to the local audience.

    The awareness campaign also included visits to fistula hospitals where I had discussions with various doctors, nurses, fistula patients, and health workers.

    Obstetric fistula is a preventable condition which is prevalent in Nigeria and most poor resource countries of the world.

    An estimated 50,000- 100,000 new cases occur annually in Nigeria, hence it is a major public health problem.

    The UNFPA has been at the forefront in tackling this issue, spearheading several outreach programs and putting its full weight behind campaigns such as this.

    The organization is also credited with ensuring the message of the movie gets to every relevant community.

    Dry has taken on a life of its own and continues to take me around the world.

    The education and awareness it delivers to everyone who watches it inspires me to do more.

    Dry is more than just a movie. It is a movement, and the plight of the girl child is a cause I must continue fighting for. I’m not slowing down anytime soon.

     

  • NNPC/SNEPCo Partners With Extended Hands Foundation To Bring Free Medical Surgery To Women Suffering From Obstetric Fistula In Sokoto

    The Extended Hands Foundation, a non-profit organisation that I formed some years ago, with sponsorship from NNPC/SNEPCo recently gave free medical surgeries to 25 women living with Fistula in Sokoto state. I’m so grateful to NNPC/SNEPCo and the team of Doctors and Nurses who made this pool effort possible. 

    Below is an official press release from the exercise. 

    A total of 25 women formerly living with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) have received free repair surgeries, giving them a chance to live normal lives again. This life-changing event was carried out courtesy of a recent Extended Hands Foundation’s pool effort in Sokoto state sponsored by NNPC/SNEPCo.

    Since its inception, the goal of the Extended Hands Foundation founded by star actress and producer Stephanie Linus, has been to restore hope and put smiles on the faces of women. For some years now, the foundation has been focused on helping women with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) – a serious disability that can be experienced by women after childbirth – and giving them a chance at living normal lives through free repair surgeries.

    With a generous sponsorship from NNPC/SNEPCo, the foundation completed the successful repair of 25 Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) patients at the Maryam Abacha Woman and Children (VVF Hospital) Sultan Bello Rd, Sokoto. All the repairs have been completed successfully and the women are recovering well.

    The team of medical staff was led by Dr Sa’ad Idris, a seasoned VVF Surgeon and former Commissioner for Health in Zamfara State with over 20 years experience in the field. He was assisted by Dr Halima Bello a VVF surgeon, Chief Medical Director Dr Lawal Bello, Chief Matron Hamsai Abdullahi Wisso, and other doctors and nurses at the VVF Center.

    As noted by the medical team, most of the women who were repaired had very complex cases of fistula resulting from botched surgeries carried out on them by inexperienced doctors. Some of the women had damaged wombs and tubes which caused a continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault. These women had been living with this condition for a varying number of years and finally got dry after the surgeries.

    Against the backdrop of her Child Bride and Fistula advocacy movie, DRY, Stephanie Linus has been taking the message of restoration and hope to real women suffering from VVF. This pool effort goes a long way to show that DRY is more than just a movie, but a tool for touching the lives of women actually living with this condition.

    PHOTOS:

  • Stephanie Linus Arrives Italy To Advocate Against Human Trafficking in Partnership with Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontières)

    In the wake of the increased rate of human trafficking being experienced by Nigerians trying to migrate to Europe via Libya, Actress and Producer Stephanie Linus has recently arrived in Italy to give support to rescued people and raise her voice against such human rights violations.

    This timely intervention is in partnership with the world-renowned international medical humanitarian organisation “Doctors Without Borders” (MSF). Over the next few days, Mrs Linus will visit the rescue ship “Aquarius” to witness their activities and operations. Later she will have meetings with some of these vulnerable women; participate in rehabilitation exercises for the rescued women, media parleys and stakeholder meetings with the aim of alleviating their sufferings and preventing more girls and women from falling prey.

    Doctors Without Borders is one of the most impactful humanitarian organisation that rescues thousands of people who faced hazardous conditions trying to enter Europe through the sea yearly. In 2017, the Aquarius (a rescue ship) has rescued 15,078 people.

    Mrs Linus has been at the forefront of advocacy over sensitive issues that affect the rights of women and girls. She has done this through several channels such as her advocacy movie – DRY, her role as UNFPA Ambassador; her charity organisation Extended Hands Foundation and many more.

    An increasing number of women, mainly from Nigeria, are being trafficked to Europe for sexual exploitation. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), there has been an almost 600% increase in the number of potential sex trafficking victims arriving in Italy by Sea since 2014. Many of these women were kidnapped against their will or lured with the promise of greener pastures.

    – Stephanie Linus PR