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In July 2025, a good friend of mine who works for an international NGO contacted me with an exciting lead. Our organizations had been successfully collaborating for over three years, so he knew our strengths well.
“There is an expression of interest (EOI) right now,” he told me. “I really think you and your team should give it a try. You can leverage the strong media presence and visibility we’ve built together over the years.”
This was incredibly encouraging news. My team and I didn’t waste a moment and went into action. The deadline was tight – we only had a week – but that didn’t give me any respite. What really caught my attention was the name of the project: Faith and Cultural Champions (FCC). It seemed tailor-made for our mission.
But as I dove into the project’s goals, I hit an obstacle. One specific component stood out: distancing between children.
While maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) was simple and posed no problems, “Child Spacing” – often called family planning in other circles – raised immediate and genuine concerns for me as a Catholic priest. I found myself wondering: how will our faithful receive it? Will it be embraced or will it cause division?
To clarify my doubts, I went back to the books, delving into what the Church actually teaches about family planning. I realized that, in the context of the FCC project, the focus was really on child birth spacing, a concept rooted in family health, dignity and well-being.
The turning point: from skepticism to commitment
Overcoming that internal obstacle was only the first step. Soon after, we were selected as one of the Implementation of Faith and Culture Champions (IFCC). That’s when the real work began.
Later in 2025, I attended a co-creation meeting in Kano. It was a defining moment for me. Sitting with other faith leaders to help develop social and behavioral change (SBC) materials in the field, I felt a profound personal transformation. I saw myself go from skepticism to trust, from fear to facts and from worry to absolute commitment.
These last few months have been a masterclass in learning and unlearning. My team and I went into the fields, speaking to tens of thousands of people at masses and various parish gatherings.
Today I am completely confident in communicating the fundamental messages of the FCC project to my fellow priests, pastors and lay people.
One of the most satisfying stages of this journey was securing the support of His Excellency, Most Rev. Matthew Man’Oso Ndagoso, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Kaduna and President of the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Nigeria.
She has kindly recorded a powerful video message in support of marital communication, which is at the heart of everything we do.
It has truly been a journey from inner confidence to active and bold communication.
What we are working to change
Our goals are clear, humane and deeply necessary. We want to see adolescent girls and young married women with confidence:
Speak Out: Openly discuss the number of children they want to raise and feel equipped to care for.
Give birth safely: give birth in adequate healthcare facilities.
Breaking Barriers: Overcoming harmful cultural norms and stigmas associated with child spacing and MNCH.
We also want to ensure that our religious and traditional leaders, who hold immense trust, influence and power (TrIP), actively use their platforms to support these causes.
As a project coordinator and active IFCC, I am using my platform, hosting conversations on health issues via Radio Maria 90.1 FM Kaduna and interacting directly with people on the ground.
A note of gratitude
I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the CCSI Executive Director and his incredible and dedicated team for their extraordinary work. My sincere appreciation also goes to our donors for making this life-changing initiative possible.
This is a collective mission. I invite you to join us. Let’s spread the word, protect the lives of mothers and children, and eliminate preventable mortality so every family can thrive.
P. Onuh Ladi, PhD is the project coordinator, FCC, JDPC, Kafanchan.
