FutureNow Development Initiative

🚀 KICK-OFF!

DIGNITY IN ACTION: FDI Launches Cycle and Beyond Implementation!

We are thrilled to announce the official commencement of the Cycle and Beyond Project implementation!

On November 13th, 2025, through our strategic partnership with the Bauchi State Agency for Mass Education (BASAME), we successfully kicked off the foundational component of our work: Menstrual Health Literacy (MHL) Training for out-of-school women and girls.

The Workshop: Building Knowledge, Eradicating Shame
We proudly welcomed 30 women and girls at the Hajiya Dr. Aisha Banks Muhammad Alternative High School For Girls (BASAME) for the intensive workshop.

This MHL training is the essential first step toward achieving Objective 1 of our project: aiming for an 80% improvement in knowledge and hygiene practices among participants.
Participants were immersed in a comprehensive curriculum designed to dismantle stigma and ensure sustainable health:

* Understanding the Cycle: What Menstruation (Period) really is and why it happens (demystifying the process).

* Hygiene Management: The best hygienic products to use during menstruation and practicing good hygiene to prevent infections (RTIs/UTIs).

* Empowerment: How to track their menstrual cycle and proper sanitation/disposal processes.

* Breaking the Silence: Direct discussion and debunking of misconceptions and stigma about Menstruation.


The Impact: Targeting the Most Vulnerable
This launch is a significant victory, as our partnership with BASAME ensures we reach the highly marginalized out-of-school women and girls , providing them with the knowledge and dignity often missed by standard school-based interventions.
The training lays the groundwork for the next phase: skill transfer (Obj 2), which will provide them with lifelong economic freedom from period poverty.

A huge thank you to our dedicated Health Educators, Ms Herferhtooou Abdulahi and Ms Zayum Lois, for leading the session with professionalism and passion.

We are moving closer to a where every girl can manage her cycle with dignity and pride!

FDI-BASAME Partnership Secures Access for 60 Girls.

Following our successful advocacy visit, the partnership between FutureNow Development Initiative (FDI) and the Bauchi State Agency for Mass Education (BASAME) is already in action!

On November 5th, we successfully gained crucial commitments and approval from the Executive Secretary and the agency leadership to educate 60 out-of-school girls in two community centers.

This collaboration allows the Cycle and Beyond Project to commence implementation, delivering essential Menstrual Health Literacy and Skill Transfer aimed at ending period poverty and reducing the impact of non-degradable sanitary pads.

The Executive Secretary graciously welcomed and appreciated the need and importance of a project aimed at ending period poverty for women and girls.

He commended the organization for developing this initiative and expressed willingness to offer maximum cooperation throughout the implementation phase.

Immediate Action:
Immediately following the commitment, our Assistant Program Manager Ms. Alheri, alongside staff from BASAME, visited one of the target communities: Yelwan Mutari.

The participants were so happy!
Our project is actively changing the narrative for both in-school and out-of-school girls, promoting their dignity and curbing misconceptions and stigma related to Menstruation.

Day Three of the Adolescent and Youth Health and Development Policy Review in Azare.

Building strongly on the strategic foundation laid in the previous days, Day Three of the Adolescent and Youth Health and Development Policy Review in Azare was dedicated to operationalizing the framework for effective state implementation.

The day started with focused group work reviewing and consolidating the documents developed on Day Two.

A critical component of this session involved making necessary inputs and corrections to ensure the policy respects and aligns with our local norms and tradition.

Key Highlights of the Technical Session:

Following the policy content review, stakeholders transitioned to exploring the crucial mechanisms for rollout:

* Implementation Framework: We thoroughly reviewed the policy's ex*****on structure, defining the structure and Roles of the Bauchi State Adolescent and Youth Health Development Technical Working Group (BAYHDTWG).

* CSO and Partner Roles: Discussions clarified the vital Roles CSOs and other organizations will play, ensuring a multi-sectoral approach to achieving AYP objectives.

* Accountability and Learning: Stakeholders finalized the robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) strategy that will guide and track the long-term implementation success of the policy.

Day Three was a comprehensive success, ensuring the policy is not only sound in principle but ready for practical, accountable implementation across Bauchi State.

Day Two of the Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Policy Review in Azare.

We are pleased to report on the progress made during Day Two of the critical 4-day Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Policy Review in Azare, Bauchi State.

Following the strategic direction set from the first day, the engagement commenced with a welcome note from the Director Public Health, State Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, setting the collaborative tone for the day.

Day Two Highlights focused on deep policy analysis and prioritization:

Group work continued intensely, where stakeholders provided critical inputs and recommendations to the policy documents.

The objective of this rigorous review was ensuring the Health and Development of Adolescent and Young People is highly prioritized.

Key Documents Reviewed:
* Review of Policy Documents (Situational Analysis)
* Defining Policy Declaration and Guiding Principles
* Finalizing Mission, Vision, Strategic Objective & Key Implementation Strategy
* Prioritizing Programmatic Areas and Targets

Discussions were robust, with some recommendations strongly supported by evidence-based data, while others were recommended for adoption to ensure immediate progress, despite the inviability of accurate data in some areas.

Our Program Manager, Abraham Jeremiah Ritji Kassem, is actively contributing to these discussions alongside representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health and fellow development partners, ensuring policy translates effectively into structural support

Day Two was a major success, demonstrating strong commitment from all stakeholders toward a finalized, comprehensive AYP Policy.

Partnership in Action!
Securing Access for Out of School Girls in Bauchi State.

FutureNow Development Initiative (FDI) is delighted to announce the success of our recent advocacy visit, held on November 4th, 2025, to the Bauchi State Agency for Mass Education (BASAME).

We met with the Executive Secretary and other directors and staff to discuss the implementation of our flagship project, Cycle and Beyond.

Our core objective during the visit was to request the crucial approval of two out-of-school centers to commence project implementation.

This partnership is vital for reaching the highly marginalized out-of-school girls in our target communities, ensuring they benefit from our vocational skill-transfer program (Obj 2) and Menstrual Health Literacy (Obj 1).

The Executive Secretary graciously welcomed and appreciated the need and importance of a project aimed at ending period poverty for women and girls.

He commended the organization for developing this initiative and expressed willingness to offer maximum cooperation throughout the implementation phase.

We had in attendance:
Abraham Jeremiah Kassem, Program Manager, FutureNow Development Initiative
Alheri Habila, Assistant Programs
Ezra Ashoms, Communication Officer

This collaboration marks a significant step toward achieving structural dignity and educational equity in Bauchi State.

Day One of AYP Health and Development Policy Review in Bauchi State.

We are thrilled to announce that our Program Manager, Abraham Jeremiah Ritji Kassem, is currently representing FutureNow Development Initiative (FDI) at the crucial 4-day review on the Adolescents and Young People (AYP) Policy, taking place in Azare, Bauchi State (November 4th–5th, 2025).

Day One Highlights:
This engagement underscores FDI’s unwavering commitment to structural policy change.

We moved from initial stakeholders consultation to this pivotal review alongside representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health and esteemed development partners.

Our presence is focused on ensuring the newly developed AYP Policy effectively secures the rights and structural dignity of young people in the state.

This continuous, high-level policy engagement is the necessary engine for systemic impact.

This Is Your Invitation to Lead!

Are you a young woman in Bauchi (15-35) ready to become a powerful advocate for change?

This is more than a fellowship it’s a launchpad.

Join the "My Period My Pride" Policy & Digital Advocacy Fellowship and let's end period poverty together.

As the advocacy engine of the Cycle and Beyond Project, we’ll give you the skills, mentorship, and platform to make a real-world impact.

As a Fellow, you will:

✨ Become a Policy Shaper: Learn to navigate the halls of power and demand the funds needed to fix the 72% WASH deficit.

💻 Become a Digital Powerhouse: Master advocacy and activism skills to build and lead movements online.

🤝 Be Mentored for Success: Connect directly with successful women leaders who will guide and support you.

🌱 Multiply Your Impact: Drive the core mission of transforming girls into "MHM Peer Champions" for lasting change.

Your passion is your qualification. Your voice is your power. It's time to use it.

Apply Today!

🔗 https://bit.ly/4o34OU4

APPLICATIONS OPEN!

Are you a young woman (Age 15-35) ready to lead the fight against period poverty in Bauchi?

Join the "My Period My Pride" Policy & Digital Advocacy Fellowship!

The dedicated advocacy engine of the Cycle and Beyond Project!
This is a high-impact opportunity to:

* Lead Policy Change: Demand funds to fix the critical 72% WASH deficit.

* Master Digital Skills: Get expert training in advocacy and activism.

* Gain Mentorship: Be mentored by successful women leaders.

* Support Implementation: Drive the core mission of Cycle and Beyond by transforming girls into "MHM Peer Champions" for social sustainability

Turn passion into power!
Apply now! 🔗 https://bit.ly/4o34OU4

FutureNow Development Initiative Was Live at UN at 80!

We were honored to be live at the momentous "80 Years of the United Nations!
80 Years of Building Hope, Peace & Humanity" program on Saturday, October 25th, at the Continental Hotel, Abuja.

Our team joined fellow youth leaders, advocates, and development partners to celebrate the UN's enduring legacy of unity and transformation.

This inspires our commitment to structural equity and building dignity at the local level.

Here's to the new generation ready to build the next 80 years of a peaceful and equitable world!

The Power of Partnership in Action!
FutureNow Development Initiative (FDI) and Young Leaders Network (YLN) Unite for Dignity!

We are thrilled to announce the successful outcome of our advocacy visit to the Young Leaders Network (YLN) on October 23, 2025, for a partnership on our ongoing Cycle and Beyond project.

The meeting confirmed our deeply aligned visions for tackling period poverty in Bauchi State a crisis rooted in both economic hardship and structural failure.
We are excited to share YLN's commitment to formally support this initiative and contribute their expertise toward maximizing our impact.

As an already established partner in youth mobilization, YLN suggested crucial scope and concept refinements that will enhance our girl-led policy advocacy, particularly around demanding dedicated budget lines to fix the critical 72% WASH deficit in Bauchi schools.

This is the power of synergy! By leveraging YLN's robust network and FDI’s sustainable skill-transfer model, we are one step closer to making period dignity a government mandate, not a charitable effort.

Join us in celebrating this commitment and stay tuned for the increased impact this collaboration will generate!