Bege Foundation on Tuesday 29th November 2022 brought together Wives of Farmers and Herders in Bassa Local Government of Plateau State while rounding off project activities in the community for the year 2022.
The non Governmental Organization in collaboration with Peace Direct held the event themed Munatare Women Cultural feast as part of the effort to bring peace and harmony between the two ethnic groups of Fulani and Irigwe in the various communities.
Highlight of the event include music, comedy, individual and joint dance performances by the Irigwe and fulani women.
Team Lead, Bege Foundation, Mr Kenneth Attah, in his welcoming address, urged all the women to hold dear and put into practice all they have learnt during the course of the peace building project and pass it on to their husbands and children so that peace will completely return to their communities.
Speaking with newsmen Kenneth stated that so far they have engaged in various interventions in the course of this project such as Financial literacy, inter dialogue and solar system installation in some of the house in both communities.
Through this various peace intervention program their has been relative peace between the communities as both the Irigwe and Fulani women are now doing things together and even goes to visit each other, also the Irigwe youths can now go into the Fulani communities to do carpentry works and help fix their light.
However we are still facing some security challenges as their are still attacks every once in awhile in the communities, there’s also the issue of founding, bad roads, and lack of school in the Fulani communities.
Director General Plateau Peace Building Agency Mr Joseph Lengmang represented by the team lead peace education Mr. Elkana Iza in his remarks commended the Bege foundation for mobilizing the initiative as women are one of the key factors in promoting peace.
The program has promoted social collation between both ethnic groups as they can be seen dancing together and going to the market which is very significant to peace building, (adding that) its a thinking that’s in the right direction.
In his message to the women Mr. Elkana urged them to channel their motherly affinity to influence peace to their family and communities at large.
The project officer Remikat Ayuba stated that the project is founded by Peace Direct through LEGASI P4P and the objective is to strengthen the relationship and reconciliation processes between the wives of Herders and Farmers in the Miango communities.
“So far we have been able to conduct an inter-dialogues between the wives of the farmers and inter-dialogue between the wives of the herders before bringing them together to pro-fare commuting solutions that can contribute to lasting peace.
“One of the success of this project is the manatare cooperative the women said the want to create where both the Iregwe and Fulani women can save money and get loan with no interest thereby enhancing there social cohesion. Another achievement is that both groups are now able to sit together and feast together which has not happen in a long while.
“This project is consolidating what the Plateau peace building had done in the past to bring peace to this communities and now they have a strengthened community structure”
While appreciating the effort of the organizers and God almighty the Fulani women leader Rahamatu Abubakar promised to go back to their families to promote peaceful coexistence as the program has really brought about progress between the two ethnic groups.
We where even able to participate in a wedding ceremony in one of the Churches unlike before where some people will simply look the other way when they meet like they are not both women. Holding grudges is not good and there is no gain in fighting as those who are lost can’t come back. No one can say they are happy with the lack of peace between both groups, which is why we are so grateful to the Bege Foundation.”
The national president of Iregwe women Mrs. Caroline Gwedu stated that for long they have been suffering due to the continues attack on both communities but thanks to this project there has been no killing in the Iregwe land for the last five months.
“The Bege foundation went through a lot of effort to bring us together and this particular program has helped us to share our native foods and display our cultural dances. Although there has been destruction of farm lands We are really grateful because at list now we can sleep and move to different places without any hindrance.”
