CS-SUNN has paid an advocacy visit to the First Lady of Nasarawa State, Her Excellency, Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule to present the CS-SUNN First 1000 Days Video. The team visited the Governor’s wife on the 25th of January, 2022 at Government House, Lafia. Hajiya Salifat alongside first ladies of Kaduna (Aisha Ummi Garba El–Rufai) and Enugu (Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi) states are featured in CS-SUNN’s role play video titled “1000 Days”. The video portrays an analogy (using a squeezed paper) of a stunted child whose condition cannot be reversed but only managed for life. Please watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfrTmciN5Hc&t=119s
Leading the CS-SUNN delegation, the Nasarawa State Chapter Coordinator, Mercy Asso said the visit was to present the 1000 days video for her viewing and to solicit the continued support of the First Lady to ensure increased awareness on the importance of the first 1000 days as a window that can be harnessed to give a child the best start in life.
According to Mercy “The Nasarawa State Chapter of CS-SUNN has identified that non adherence to adequate nutrition in the first 1000 days of life, that is, from the period of conception through the age of 2 years will predispose children to many ailments during the early developmental stages. The first 1000 days is a unique period of opportunity when the foundations for optimal health and development across the lifespan are established. The right nutrition and care during the 1000 days window will determine child survival as well as his or her ability to grow, learn and rise out of poverty”. She added that with the support of the Governor’s wife, Nasarawa State will move towards prevention of malnutrition and spend less on curing ailments relating to malnutrition.
She presented the following requests to the Nasarawa First Lady;
- Support the capacity building initiative and sensitization campaigns of CS-SUNN on exclusive breastfeeding in Nasarawa State, particularly through the media such that the 1000 days video is aired regularly in all state media houses.
- Mobilize wives of Local Government Chairmen to be sensitized by CS-SUNN to support the First 1000 days of Life campaign in Nasarawa State
- Engage in advocacy to the Nasarawa State House of Assembly to support approval of 6 months’ maternity leave
- Coordinate the formation of Men Champions on Nutrition in Nasarawa State.
The Nasarawa State First Lady pledged her commitment to collaborate with CS-SUNN on sensitization of Nasarawa residents on the importance of adequate nutrition in the first 1000 days of life.
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