Member Profile: OCEAN Foundation

Established in 2004, Organized Centre for Empowerment and Advocacy in Nigeria (OCEAN Foundation) is a broad based registered charity with a bias for the plight of women and young people. OCEAN and its members are involved in capacity building and grassroots social development work. Ocean’s work on sustainable environment is focused on: environmental governance, advocacy on water, sanitation and hygiene and promoting appropriate and simply water technology for access to safe and clean water. OCEAN's activities are people oriented especially for women groups and are channeled to promote sustainable livelihoods.

• Gender intermediation in Nasarawa state; Capacity building and social learning in water and sanitation. OCEAN conducted a series of capacity building activities for our women groups in Nasarawa State in 2006.
Rapid Gender Assessment (RGA) base line survey for UN Habitat Water for African Cities (WACII) in Jos, Plateau State in collaboration with Rural African Water Development Project (RAWDP) Nigeria. This project generated gender desegregated data which was eventually utilized to mainstream gender into issues of water, environment and sanitation in the on going UN Habitat Water for African cities (WACII) project
.
• OCEAN’ advocacy campaigns and capacity building for OCEAN’s women group and some youths (in and out of school) on the dangers of poor sanitation and consumption of unsafe drinking water. This campaign gave birth to volunteer hygiene and sanitation promotion clubs in project communities and secondary schools in Bauchi and Plateau States, 2007. OCEAN is currently working as a consultant to Plateau state Rural water supply and sanitation agency as part of its WASH capacity building team.

Mission statement; OCEAN is working to promote gender equity by building capacity, advocacy, research, consultancy services and networking for empowerment of individuals, women, institutions and communities.

Vision; to be an efficient self sustaining platform committed to the promotion of advocacy on democratic principles, environmental management practices and gender equity for sustainable development .

Thematic area water: the human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically acessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use. Sadly in several Nigerian communities that's not the case. Due to poor planning and a tellingly lack of water infrastructure several communities have to provide for their water needs. Access to clean and safe water still remains a critical challenge to every day life. Indeed, to many village communities and even urban centers safe water is the difference between life and death. Several of the community water sources are rivers, hand dug wells and streams. These uncertain sources of water supply have resulted in outbreaks of water borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery. OCEAN advocacy and capacity building in water seeks to rise awareness and promote a culture of good sanitary standard as well as securing sources of water. OCEANs methods include lobbying government officials to provide the necessary infrastructure to communities. Capacity building and trainings are usually facilitated through WASH( water and sanitation) committees in communities and the "AFASH" ( ACTION FOR SEXUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE) in secondary schools.