By Uzair Adam Imam
In Kano State, three community groups have emerged winners of the Rising Awareness Driving Action (RADA) pitch competition, each receiving a grant of N100,000 to implement advocacy programs in their respective communities.
The competition, organized by Blue Sapphire Hub, a leading non-governmental organization, was supported by the MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
The competition followed a 12-week radio program that aimed to raise citizens’ awareness about the roles and responsibilities of political office holders, from councilors to the president.
The program, aired on Arewa Radio every Sunday, included a question-and-answer session, allowing listeners to participate and ask questions.
The radio program was followed by a two-month training session for over 100 participants who applied.
The three winning groups will use the grants to advocate for community development and health, with a focus on inclusive political activities for people with hearing impairments.
Babangida Zama, leader of the first-place group, expressed gratitude to the organizers and pledged to use the grant to advocate for inclusive political activities for people with hearing impairments.
Abdullahi Mustapha Rabi’u, leader of the second-place group, expressed his gratitude to Allah and stated that the grant serves as a motivation to kickstart impactful projects in their community.
Engineer Sulaiman Bala Sani, the Executive Supervisor of the Hub, stated that the program aimed to educate citizens about their rights and the responsibilities of political office holders, and to advocate for good policies that benefit the community.
Abubakar Ibrahim Machika, the Community Coordinator of the Hub, emphasized the importance of the initiative, noting that most people are unaware of their rights and the roles and responsibilities of their leaders, making this move crucial for society.