This passed week WOCON had two workshops on the topic HIV and AIDS and Child labour. Child labour is one of the reasons many children are trafficked from villages into Lagos. Ether they are used as so called hawkers (people who walk around in traffic selling things) or they are used as domestic workers.

They are refused education and are often beaten, abused and mistreated in many ways. The issue of under aged domestic workers was new to me, and it was very interesting to attend the workshops and learn more about it and how WOCON wants to prevent it. The target group for these two workshops were market men and women.

On Thursday six of us went to a village outside Lagos, close to the border to Benin Republic. In the village they didn’t used to have a school for the children and WOCON helped them to start one. They now have one teacher for all the children, and he is paid a salary through WOCON. When we visited them, WOCON handed over books and other important school items.

There was also a program set for the adults in the same village. WOCON had arranged a program before where they were trained in how to pattern and colour fabrics that is supposed to be sold for them to make an income. At this visit, they were trained in how to handle their business when they want to sell the fabrics they have made. Most of the women were illiterate, so it was quite a challenge for the teacher. I didn’t understand the lecture since it was kept in the local language, but later I was given a summary.

Bisi is planning to close the office for Christmas on the 15th already, so the time for my internship ended up being much shorter than I had planned for it to be. But as this is Nigeria, you never know what will happen so maybe we will work every day till Christmas!

I like Lagos a lot because everything is to be found here. But the city is very crowded. It is to be seen everywhere, not at least in traffic. I read that in Nigeria, on one death three new babies are born, and the population doubles it size every 25th year. Family planning is well needed here, and I have noticed that it is a topic that is discussed everywhere I go.