The Girl Child's Sickness is for the Girl Child: Salvaging the Educational Potentials of Vulnerable Young Women, Girls, and Boys in Adamawa ltpgt1. Envelope 1: Under-Funded Sector Area-Based Protection ltbrgtThe project responds to the most urgent life-threatening educational and protection needs of 6,000 vulnerable girls, boys, adolescents, and young women in Gombi and Maiha LGAs of Adamawa State, where GBVS has been implementing educational interventions since 2019, and where Sirri Care is also active. ltbrgt2. EmpowermentltbrgtThe project supports girls and young women, including orphans, those at risk of being married early, those forced or early married, those who have been in contact with the law, those living with disability, teenage mothers, young divorcees, and widows, are precocious with no educational support, and those dealing with stigma.ltbrgt3. InnovationltbrgtThe project is informed by the understanding that the northern Nigeria aphorism that says "Ciwon 'ya mace na 'ya mace ne" (The girl child's sickness is for the girl child) contains traditional wisdom that can inform a bottom-up humanitarian action as it was found to be the widest used proverb among women in Gombi. Vulnerable women and girls are to be enrolled into multi-grade and/or accelerated learning, vocational training, and life skills programs towards preparing them for eventual mainstreaming into the formal school system, linked with further sub-innovative dimensions:ltbrgta. Grandmothers For Girls (G4G): Where paternal grandmothers are brought into the programmingltbrgtb. Dads of Girls Forum (DOGs) Where fathers/community leaders with daughters (hence the motivation to better the future for women) are sensitized about the dangers of leaving the girl child vulnerable. This creates a large cache of indirect beneficiaries and is good for KAP transformationltbrgtc. Re-awake the Retired (RtR): Where retired and senior female educators, social services experts, and health workers in Gombi are linked to girls’ groups for Mentorship by Storytelling (M+S)ltbrgtd. Boys in Girls’ Roles (BGR): Where boys are engaged in dramatic and other creative activities to create early years sensitization on the cultural challenges of being a girl child in the region.ltbrgtSummaryltbrgtThe Ciwon ‘Ya Mace project aims to support 6,000 girls and boys aged 7 to 20 (60% girls). The project supports them improve their learning outcomes through intentional teaching and periodic assessment, and the creation of a support network through the adoption of the proverbial aphorism to guide the mentorship of younger girls and women by older ones. Technological devices shall be utilized, as shall the incorporation of male family and community members into the programming. Following accelerated training using the flexible timing and remoteness-permissible approach (where schooling would not disrupt their lives and family balance), the learners are eventually mainstreamed into higher grades in collaboration with SAME and LEA, the government agencies concerned. The project also involves engaging vulnerable girls and young women in awareness and advocacy initiatives focused on mitigating, preventing, and responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) risks as well as supporting awareness of climate action. The project shall empower these girls and women by providing self-selected vocational and life skills. Other aspects are GBV training for parents/teachers, assigning GBV focal points in schools, sharing of referral pathways in schools, GBV sensitization and awareness in schools, GBV safety audits to safe access to WASH facilities, complaints feedback mechanisms put in place in schools, distribution of dignity kits and MHM supplies in schools, adherence of code of conduct of GBV and PSEA. The GBV components of the project support the target beneficiaries, ensuring that they are safe and able to pursue their dreams like their male counterparts in Gombi and Maiha. Towards this, GBVS shall commemorate International Women's Day, and mark 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, starting Nov 25th.lt/pgt