Image
participants out of the shadows online workshop

Recently, representatives from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Christian Council of Nigeria met to evaluate work done during phase one of the Out of Shadows campaign, which started in 2019 in Abuja.

“Three primary outcomes resulted from the 2019 capacity-building workshop: the development of a national Out of the Shadows kit, the development of a spiritual booklet, and the drafting of an action plan for churches by participants at the workshop,” said Rev. Dr Wushishi Ibrahim Yusuf, WCC programme executive for Peace Building in the African Region, who brought greetings from the WCC. "I hope that this meeting will facilitate adaptation, ownership and usability of the Out of the Shadows resources by churches in protecting the Nigerian children from sexual abuse and all other forms of violence.”

The virtual meeting brought several testimonies from various members of the Christian Council of Nigeria. One of the champions of the training in 2019, Elder Dr Uzoaku Williams noted that the event in 2019 was an eye-opener. She stressed the need for an umbrella body like the Christian Council of Nigeria to take the message of this awareness campaign deep down to the grassroots.

Following the unanimous agreement by the Christian Council of Nigeria members present in the virtual meeting, Christian Council of Nigeria president Rev. Dr Benebo Fubara-Manuel formally adopted the Out of the Shadows resources as working and guiding documents to protect Nigerian children from all forms of sexual violence.  

Learn more about the Out of the Shadows campaign here

Churches' Commitments to Children 

Churches' Commitments to Children Online Platform