Engaging Indigenous Tiv Women in Defence of their Mother Tongue

This project worked with Tiv Women of Nigeria with the aim of preserving and maintaining their indigenous language. The project identified and reached out to 30 Tiv mothers with young children who are in leadership positions in their community. They were mobilized and trained on the importance of preserving their language and culture, and specifically encouraged to speak only the Tiv language with their children at home.

The organization conducted a two-day training, teaching the women about their historical perspectives and context, and encouraging them to value their culture and speak their language. The participants also learned methods to teach the language to their children and studied the fundamental rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

The training thus raised awareness of the fact that learning the mother tongue is a basic right of Indigenous Children. Furthermore, the project included advocacy work on these issues with a variety of stakeholders in academia, government, and the community.