Kabati Baba Tokara is a seasoned professional with experience in gender-transformative programming with a broad and demonstrated skill set in development communication. Kabati has over 15 years’ experience in community development, safeguarding, public health services and advocacy as well as programme management at all levels.
Kabati is available for work in Nigeria and other English-speaking African countries. She works in English and Hausa. Find out more about Kabati here.
Safeguarding Consultants Directory
The Safeguarding Consultants Directory is an online database of organisations and individuals that you can contract to support your safeguarding. The consultants featured on our Directory have experience from all over the world, rooted in the contexts that we work in. Between them, they speak 40 languages, and can offer services from policy development to investigation. Note that the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub cannot cover the costs of contracting these consultants.
In this RSH blog series, we introduce some of our consultants to you. Feel free to ask questions related to the posts in the Comment box below!
RSH: What interests you most about safeguarding?
The fact that it creates a healthy and safe environment for people to work. Safeguarding is about creating an environment where people are not only safe from harm, abuse, and exploitation but also where they have choice, control, and information to protect themselves from harm.
I am experienced in gender-transformative programming and male engagement in achieving project results. This is an approach used to prompt men and fathers to discuss traditional harmful practices that affect the health of women and children, and proffer solutions on how to stop or reduce such harmful practices.
This helps them to understand their individual and collective roles as men and decision makers in improving sexual reproductive health outcomes.
We do this for example through creating a men's club where they meet weekly to discuss harmful practices and discuss solutions. They usually have a facilitator who is trained to host such discussions.
RSH: What are some recurring safeguarding questions/topics in your region?
- How do you deal with safeguarding issues in school?
- How do you handle a case of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harm (SEAH) where the survivor/victim is not willing to follow through with the case?
- How do you handle cases where the survivors/victims are persons with special needs, and you do not have the capacity/skills to handle persons with special needs?
RSH: How do you approach these topics?
I approach these topics through effective engagement of the participants. It is about understanding your participants, working with what they know and building upon it, this is a mutual way of learning and allowing both parties to develop transferable skills to add to their respective experiences.
RSH: What key skills and experience do you bring to safeguarding?
The most important skill I bring to safeguarding is capacity building and training of civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders. Some of my other skills include organisational development through development of policies, review of HR structures, organisational audit, and mentoring and coaching.
RSH: What languages do you work in?
I speak and write fluently in English and Hausa. I work in Nigeria and can also work in other African countries where English is spoken.