Peace Building and Social Cohesion
1. Strengthening Advocacy Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) (January 2022-Date)
Armed banditry and lately kidnapping appear to have overrun Katsina state even as the state government
struggles to overcome the challenge. Katsina State has witnessed frequent bandits’ attacks. Of the
three senatorial districts in the state, Katsina Central and Katsina South are the two greatly
impacted by the influx of violent extremist who had before now operated in the Northeast of Nigeria.
The activities of Violent Extremist groups have daily become more brazen and bolder. To bring succour
to communities experiencing violence, Murna Foundation in partnership with Women Environmental
Programme (WEP) with funding from the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) are
currently working on SAVE project in Katsina on Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE). This project is
focused in 4 LGA’s. That is; Dutsin-ma LG, Musawa LG, Jibia LG and Funtua LG.
The bulk of our intervention focuses on community members at the local level. Our contribution to PVE
at that level is through extensive engagements with community leaders, local administrators, local
security personnel and community members where support to the development of their knowledge, skills,
and capacities on PVE, Peace Building, community policing and neighbourhood watching is provided. We
consistently bring them together for dialogue and engagements that will enable them to discuss their
problems related to violent extremism, security, peace, and other related issues and how they can come
up with solutions to address them. The interventions we provide include, quarterly LG advocacies,
provision of mentorship by SMEDAN to beneficiaries of vocational skills, establishment of women safe
space, training of religious leaders on PVE and peace building, training of traditional and community
leaders on alternative dispute resolution (ADR), LG interfaith dialogues on PVE- security and peace,
capacity development workshop on community policing and human rights. So far these interventions have
reached 2725 beneficiaries (1363 females and 1362 males).
