The Challenge Initiative (TCI) has concluded it's  one day non-residential meeting on Coaching in Anambra state.

The meeting which took place on 27th September 2024 was hosted at the Anambra state ministry of health Hall.

Designed for stakeholders in family planning and others, the meeting met it's  objectives which include to understand the roles and responsibilities of coaches within the TCI approach, strengthen the state coaches' skills and capacity to ensure quality family planning services/programs, discuss TCI university resources and how to utilise the platform effectively and support coaching in implementing and sustaining FP and AYSRH HIIs/HIPs and continuous monitoring of FP service delivery post-graduation.

In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Anambra state Ministry of Health, Dr Obiageli Uchebo thanked TCI for their continued dedication in improving the knowledge based of health workers in the state especially in the area of family planning, advocacy on reproductive health, others.

She assured them of Anambra state government's support to ensure optimal delivery of family planning services in the state which had been the major focus since they came to Anambra state.

The permanent secretary enjoined participants to take advantage of the coaching and fertilize their knowledge base.
The TCI Project Director, Dr Taiwo Johnson and Technical Support Lead, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Folusho Oyewole took turns to take the participants on the coaching journey.

Participants were exposed to the overview of TCI, Understanding the Roles of a Coach, Who is a coach, Introduction to TCI University, The Role of coaches in Sustaining FP/AYSRH HIIs/HIPs amongst others.

Speaking to Newspathfinder one of the participants, the Chairman, Advocacy on Reproductive Health Initiative Anambra state, Mr Emmanuel Okekearu said the coaching has made him more knowledgeable on the best practices of TCI, more about their university and opportunities available.

"It has also opened my eyes to coaching and it's implications in enhancing health sectors and how best to unitize their platform", he said.

Also speaking, Ms Chibuzo Assumpta Nwafor of the Planning Unit, Anambra state ministry of health said the coaching meeting has helped scale up her capacity on mentoring other health workers on family planning services and program.

"As a trained coach, l have known my role and responsibilities in line with TCI approach. The training has given me a knowledge about TCI university and l am grateful to be part of the training in Anambra state ".

For Okonkwo Mary,  a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in Onitsha North LGA, the Coaching meeting provided her the opportunity to learn and become a coach who will transfer the knowledge to her subordinates in her facility on family planning.