South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) strengthens community protection systems through the Sister Guardian Initiative (SGI) in Enugu State.
The model supports women to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and harmful traditional practices within their communities.
As SGI expands into new communities, SSDO is strengthening both the capacity of implementing partners and the practical knowledge needed to sustain the model.
Strengthening the Sister Guardian Initiative
The Sister Guardian Initiative was developed to place women at the centre of community responses to issues affecting women and girls.
Through SGI, respected women become Sister Guardians who provide support, make referrals, engage community and traditional leaders, and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of women and girls.
The initiative has grown from 19 pioneer communities to 34 communities in Enugu State.
SGI III is building on this experience by supporting six new implementing partners to establish and implement the model in additional communities.
This next phase requires partners to understand not only the structure of SGI, but also the practical realities of implementing a community-led approach.
Training New Partners to Implement the Model
As part of SGI III, SSDO conducted a five-day training for six new implementing partners.
The partners included Women Empowerment Education and Peace Building Initiative, Ada Ojiriver, Cassidy and Theresa Foundation, Bridge D Gap Initiative, Women’s Rights and Health Project, and Girl Child Education and Women Health Development Foundation.
The Sister Guardian Initiative training focused on the SGI Implementation Toolkit and Facilitator’s Training Manual.
Partners were introduced to the practical processes required to establish SGI chapters within their communities.
The sessions covered community mobilisation, communication, facilitation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and documentation.
The training provided partners with a common foundation for understanding how the model is structured and implemented.
It also equipped them with practical knowledge to support women to take leadership in addressing issues within their communitie
Peer Learning From Women With Experience
A separate peer-learning component provided an opportunity for experience to be shared across the SGI network.
Experienced Sister Guardians and women from newer SGI communities came together to reflect on their journeys and lessons from implementation.
Their conversations explored what has worked, the challenges they have encountered, and the approaches that have helped them build support within their communities.
Participants also discussed engagement with traditional and community leaders, responding to sensitive issues, and strengthening local ownership.
The new implementing partners joined these conversations and gained practical insights from women who have already worked within the SGI model.
These experiences offered lessons that cannot be fully captured in a training manual.
They also helped the incoming partners better understand the realities they may encounter when establishing SGI in their own communities.
For experienced Sister Guardians, the exchange provided an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and pass practical lessons to others
Connecting Training With Practical Experience
The partner training and peer-learning exchange served different purposes within the five-day activity.
The training provided the structure, tools, and technical knowledge required for implementation.
The peer-learning exchange provided practical experiences from women who have already navigated different community contexts.
Together, they give new partners both a structured framework and a clearer understanding of how the model works in practice.
This approach also creates opportunities for SSDO to document lessons from implementation and use them to strengthen the model as SGI continues to grow.
Building the Next Phase of SGI
Expanding a community-led model requires consistency while allowing room for different community realities.
The SGI Implementation Toolkit and Facilitator’s Training Manual provide a shared structure for new partners.
Peer learning adds the practical knowledge needed to adapt that structure to different communities.
This combination strengthens the foundation for establishing new SGI chapters while maintaining the principles that have shaped the initiative over the years.
As SGI III progresses, SSDO will continue working with its partners to strengthen community-based protection mechanisms for women and girls.
The expansion of the Sister Guardian Initiative reflects SSDO’s commitment to strengthening women-led approaches that improve community responses to gender-based violence, harmful traditional practices, and other issues affecting women and girls.