A good and detailed preparation pays off. Immediately after approval of the project funds, the project work on site started in April 2015.

The project has since been executed trainings on maternal / child health and on small business entrepreneurship according to plan (such as the most recent training on September 17th, 2020).

The participants of the maternal and child health trainings are educated by medical specialists, e.g. of the “Oyo State Ministry of Health” or the “Adeoyo State Hospital”. It will be explained both concrete basic knowledge for pregnant women (nutrition, risk factors, birth preparation, etc.) as well as the general meaning of family planning. Topics such as vaccinations, malaria prevention and the treatment of childhood diseases are also on the agenda. The seminar has also been visited by representatives of local media, both radio and print media. A recent press article gives a good summary.

The seminars on small business entrepreneurship are held by lecturers from the local microfinance company “SeedVest” in conjunction with the local Rotarians. Here is a focus on practical tips, such as the correct management of a bank account and the separation of private and business resources. The second part deals with more general topics such as innovation and risk in business.

After successfully completing the training, the participants can be accepted into one of eight micro-loan groups, each consisting of 20 women. After successfully completing a training phase in the group, they will receive a microcredit of around 300 US dollars, which they can then use to start their own small business.

Around 870 of the around 1,460 training participants have received a small loan. Almost all of the microloans granted have been repaid 100%.

The on-site project team, led by Past Assistant Governor Stella L., consists of members of the eight local Rotary clubs in Ibadan-West. supported by four past-district governors. As an international partner the Rotary Club Limburgerhof/Vorderpfalz is responsible for the supervision of the project execution.

A detailed (interim)report by the Nigerian project manager, Stella L., can be found here.