As part of activities marking its 53rd anniversary, the Naval Officers Wives Association (NOWA) yesterday empowered over 200 widows and orphans with skills and start-up funds.
The beneficiaries were said to be wives and children of slain naval personnel, especially those who died in active service.
NOWA President Mrs. Theresa Ibas handed over the money to the beneficiaries at the Navy Town in Ojo, Lagos, including 100 earlier trained on skills acquisition sponsored by wife of Vice President Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo.
The event, with the theme: Sailing Against the Tides, was chaired by Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Lola Akinde.
Mrs. Ibas said widows and orphans were finding life difficult, adding that the association had graduated from giving handouts to widows to empowering them.
She said: “A Day Out with Widows and Orphans was initiated by my predecessor, Mrs. Vivian Ezeoba in 2013.
“Permit me to say that these are difficult times for the widows and orphans. Consequently, we have fashioned out a more enduring and long-lasting way to see that you are not only empowered to stand but also to help others find their footing.
“In January this year, Mrs. Osinbajo catered for the training of 100 navy widows in Abuja. I make bold to announce that the NOWA Skills Acquisition Centre in Navy Town (Lagos) has kicked off and about 200 more women are being prepared for training.
“This centre has a capacity for 500 people and we are planning to begin training for 200 people today. Asides that, we also plan to partner the Bank of Industry (BoI) so that those who can obtain loans after their training will do so.
“We have various departments here, such as agricultural, ICT, bead making, tailoring, soap and fragrance production, among others. We have people who do these and they train their children in the university.
“It is not good to sit back as a widow and wait for alms. That is why in this centre, we teach them both theories and practical. We do not want to encourage a situation where they come back every year to receive handouts. We want them to be established so they can cater for themselves and their families.”
Mrs. Akande praised NOWA for putting smiles on the faces of widows and orphans, adding that widowhood is among the challenges women face in the society.
“These are not God-ordained or supported by any scriptures but created by man through the barbaric culture nurtured by anachronistic tradition to exploit women.
“Today, the widows in our society bear the brunt of economic deprivation, denial of rights, social and economic neglect, disempowerment and lack of access to shelter, health and other basic of life,” said the commissioner, who was represented by Mrs. Olusola Falana.
The commissioner said the Lagos State government had created 17 tuition-free skills and vocational training centres in the state.
She added: “The objective is to train women and adult in various skills and vocations for the purpose of economic empowerment and lifting of their status from the state of dependency to self-reliance.
“In the same vein, the state is fully committed to the protection, growth and development of women and widow.”
The event was attended by the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Rear Admiral George Eyo, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Vic Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.
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