The TEKAN Peace Desk’s “Faith for Peace” project, a two-year initiative co-funded by Bread for the World and the European Union, recently concluded its activities in Gombe State, Nigeria, with a strategic meeting focused on sustainability and grassroots advocacy. The project, implemented across six communities in three senatorial zones – Kwami, Billiri, and Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Areas – aimed to deepen interfaith understanding, promote human rights, and bolster peacebuilding efforts at the community level. This final meeting served as a platform to review the project’s achievements, discuss its impact, and chart a course for continued progress in fostering peaceful coexistence within the state.
A key focus of the closing meeting was engaging the wives of Gombe State lawmakers, recognizing their unique influence within both their families and the wider community. Hajiya Maryam Sadam, wife of the Deputy Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, underscored the critical role these women play in advocating for peace and tolerance. She urged them to leverage their close relationships with their husbands, who are key decision-makers in the state, to promote these crucial values within the legislative process. This strategic engagement aimed to ensure that the project’s goals continue to be championed beyond its formal lifespan, integrating peacebuilding and human rights into the very fabric of governance within Gombe State.
The “Faith for Peace” project, despite encountering some implementation delays and operational challenges, achieved significant milestones in its pursuit of peaceful coexistence. Helen Haggai, Coordinator of the TEKAN Peace Desk, attributed these successes to meticulous planning, diligent execution, and steadfast support from the project’s
