BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
A humanitarian non-governmental organisation, Yakwai Human Touch Foundation, has used its 2026 New Year interfaith get-together to promote peace, religious tolerance and social cohesion among communities in Southern Kaduna.
The event, held in Rido community of Chikun Local Government Area, brought together Muslim and Christian women as well as youths for a round-table meal aimed at strengthening mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence in Kaduna State.
Speaking at the gathering, the Founder and Director of the foundation, Madam Elizabeth David Hassan, said the annual New Year programme was designed to unite people of different faiths through shared meals, goodwill messages and collective prayers for peace and development.
According to her, special prayers were offered for stability, unity and socio-economic progress in Kaduna State and Nigeria as the country enters the New Year.
Madam Hassan explained that every New Year’s Day, the foundation convenes Muslim and Christian women and youths to deepen interfaith relationships and strengthen community bonds, noting that the initiative has helped to unite women across religious lines to work collectively for peace and stability.
She added that one of the core objectives of Yakwai Human Touch Foundation is to improve the wellbeing of women, youths and vulnerable children, stressing that the 2026 gathering created a platform for rural women to discuss practical ways of promoting interreligious tolerance, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
Issues of climate change and environmental degradation were also discussed at the meeting, with emphasis on their impact on rural women. The foundation’s founder called on women to support environmental protection efforts by planting more trees to curb flooding and plastic pollution.
She further encouraged rural women to embrace skills acquisition and small-scale economic activities to reduce over-dependence on their husbands and improve household income, stressing that economic empowerment remains key to fighting poverty.
“We organise this annual interfaith round-table meal to strengthen our relationships, promote peace and unity, and pray for a successful year ahead. We are one family under God, and it is important to celebrate the New Year together and pray for a better future,” she said.
One of the participants, Hajiya Halima Haruna from Maraban Rido community, described the gathering as a long-standing tradition sustained by the organisation, noting that women from different communities travel long distances each year to participate and strengthen bonds of friendship.
She said the foundation has trained women on peacebuilding and conflict prevention strategies across various communities, adding that meals such as rice, beans, tuwo and soft drinks were shared as symbols of unity and togetherness.
Hajiya Halima commended the founder of the organisation for her commitment to empowering women as peace ambassadors and promoting interfaith understanding, while wishing participants a peaceful and prosperous 2026.
Also speaking, a project coordinator in Rido community, Honourable Shadrack David Hassan, expressed satisfaction with the critical role women play in peacebuilding efforts in Kaduna State.
He said the organisation has contributed significantly to sensitising rural women on skills acquisition and self-reliance, thanking all the women and youths who participated in the 2026 New Year interfaith lunch and offering prayers for lasting peace and stability in the state and the nation.
