Written By Bernard Otu Assim-ita
In many communities across Kaduna State, conversations about family planning remain difficult, limited by myths, stigma, and a lack of youth-centred information. Yet, improving access to modern contraceptives among young married couples remains essential to safeguarding health, well-being, and informed decision-making.
With support from Girl Effect, Education as a Vaccine (EVA) has launched a targeted intervention aimed at strengthening community-led advocacy for contraceptive uptake through the “Tailors as Agents of Change” project. The initiative focuses on equipping female health workers and community-based male champions with the skills, tools, and knowledge they need to support married couples who are tailors aged 18–24 with accurate, culturally sensitive information about family planning.
Tailors are uniquely positioned in the social and economic structure of many northern communities, often engaging with clients across gender and age groups in informal, trust-based settings. By engaging them as champions of change and pairing them with trained female health workers, the project builds on existing social trust to promote dialogue in a way that feels familiar and accessible to AGYW.
This strategy also addresses the limited reach of traditional health messaging by anchoring reproductive health information in community spaces. Over time, these sustained conversations can contribute to gradual but meaningful shifts in how contraception is perceived and accessed by young couples.
As part of the project’s foundational activities, EVA conducted a four-day training workshop for 40 female health workers and 40 male champions from 10 local government areas, which include Jaba, Igabi, Kachia, Sabon Gari, Sanga, Kaduna South, Chikun, Kaduna North, Giwa, and Jema’a in Kaduna. The training covered:
- Modern contraceptive options and how they work
- Communication skills for discussing sensitive topics
- Strategies to engage married tailors and challenge common myths
- Tools for community mobilization and linkage with nearby health facilities
Following the training, each champion and health worker began leading weekly small-group sessions with 15 married peers over six weeks, focused on contraceptive education, open discussion, and referrals where needed.
“The training has helped me feel more confident in addressing the questions I used to avoid. I now have better ways to explain contraceptives clearly, without judgment,” said one female health worker from Sabon Gari.
One of the cohort members from the male sessions, who is a pastor, saThe project does more than raise awareness—it strengthens the relationship between communities and health facilities. Champions are encouraged to refer interested couples to nearby clinics and continue supporting them as they navigate choices around contraceptive use.id, “I enjoyed the first session I attended, I will undoubtedly include this teaching in my sermon next week’
This form of peer-supported referral contributes to more positive service experiences and helps bridge the gap between demand generation and service delivery. It also ensures that conversations do not end with awareness but are connected to access and follow-up.
Kaduna State has a contraceptive prevalence rate of approximately 12.2% among married women, according to NDHS 2018 data. Among younger couples, uptake remains low due to a mix of access issues, socio-cultural dynamics, and misinformation.
While this initiative alone cannot shift these statistics overnight, it represents a meaningful investment in community capacity and a model that can be built upon. EVA is documenting participant feedback, session reports, and early outcomes to inform future phases and refine strategies based on lived experience.
Sustainability is a key focus of the project. EVA plans to: Provide virtual refresher training for health workers and champions. Facilitate continued mentorship and knowledge sharing. Explore integration with existing community health and outreach programs. Share learnings with policymakers and stakeholders for broader uptake
As the initiative progresses, the goal is to continue strengthening community-driven responses that respect local contexts while advancing reproductive health and rights. With consistent engagement, evidence use, and partnership, efforts like these can support long-term improvements in contraceptive awareness and access—especially among those too often left out of public health narratives.