Community Development Initiative
Oluwatoyin
Our mission at OCDI is to champion gender equality and holistic community well-being by:
(i).Championing Gender Equality: Advocating for the rights and empowerment of women and girls, addressing intersecting discrimination, and integrating equality into all our practices.
(ii).Enhancing Community Support: Improving education, economic opportunities, and psychosocial support for vulnerable populations.
(iii).Engaging Change Agents: Involving men and boys as active contributors in building a more equitable society.
(iv).Ensuring Justice and Protection: Collaborating with law enforcement, legal institutions, and community partners to secure justice and safeguard individuals.
(v).Innovating and Preventing: Developing innovative strategies that promote equality, repair harm, and prevent violence against all.
(vi).Fostering Sustainable Services: Delivering humanitarian services that improve living conditions and nurture peace and unity.
Our Story
A Cry for Justice, A Call for Hope
Every few hours in Ota, Ogun State, a life is irrevocably altered. Stories like Adetola’s, a 15-year old girl whose laughter was silenced, or Mrs. Aisha’s, battered and financially abused, are not isolated incidents; they represent a city grappling with the relentless weight of systemic gender based violence.
The Rising Storm
Nigeria's SGBV crisis is an epidemic.
In 2024 alone, 133 women and girls were killed in gender based violence (femicide), as reported by Amnesty International, with many falling victim to those they knew, including family. The first six weeks of 2025 saw nearly two dozen more lives lost, sparking urgent calls for a national emergency. Yet, these figures merely scratch the surface of hidden stories—those unreported due to stigma, fear, and a pervasive lack of trust in the Nigerian justice system.
Oluwatoyin