Tapestry Project Trains 150 Grassroots Activists and Community Health Workers on Eliminating Unsafe Abortion in Imo
By Kelechi Ugo
No fewer than 150 community health workers drawn from the three senatorial zones of Imo State—Orlu, Owerri, and Okigwe—have been trained on strategies to eliminate unsafe abortion through a capacity-building programme organized by a non-governmental organization, Tapestry Project.
The training, which held in Owerri, brought together Grassroots Activists and health workers selected from various communities across the state, with a focus on reproductive justice, access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information, and community-based advocacy.
Speaking with journalists at the event, the Chief Executive Officer Awaka Go Forward International Center For Community Youth and Women Development and Project Coordinator of Tapestry Project, Evangelist Peter Chima, said the organization has been actively mobilizing communities through issue-based campaigns aimed at promoting safer reproductive health practices.
According to him, the NGO works to involve communities in adopting better approaches to reproductive justice by providing accurate information and resources on reproductive health and rights, while also supporting individuals—especially women and young people—to make informed decisions about their bodies.
Resource persons at the training emphasized the importance of contraception and family planning, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that access to medical abortion services and reliable reproductive health information remains critical.
They explained that consistent and correct use of condoms helps prevent unintended pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. They also noted that effective contraception reduces the strain on already overstretched health systems by preventing unplanned pregnancies and related complications.
The facilitators further provided participants with an overview of menstruation and fertility. They explained that menstruation begins when a young woman reaches puberty and starts ovulating—the process by which an egg is released from the ovaries. Pregnancy occurs when sperm fertilizes the egg during sexual intercourse.
They noted that a woman is most fertile a few days before, during, and shortly after ovulation, though pregnancy can occur at any time during the menstrual cycle. Menstruation happens when the lining of the uterus is shed through the vagina if fertilization does not occur, usually about 14 days after ovulation.
The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, although cycles may range from as short as 23 days to as long as 35 days. Factors such as stress, strenuous physical activity, and diet, the facilitators explained, can affect the onset and regularity of menstruation.
The training concluded with a call on participants to take the knowledge gained back to their communities in order to promote safe reproductive health practices and reduce cases of unsafe abortion across Imo State.
