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Tag: widows

  • Succour for Delta’s widows, elderly

    WIDOWSand the elderly usually face tough times.And help rarely comes their way. But such help came the way of widows and the elderly in Delta State from the Christian Resource Centre and the Glory Sanctuary Christian Centre (GSCC), situated in Ogbobagbene, Burutu. They reached out to 2000 aged men and women as well as widows from more than 90 communities.

    It was to mark the fourth anniversary of the Christian Resource Centre. It was tagged “Widows and Aged Day of Honour/Thanksgiving”. To make the people smile, the organisation gave out a goody bag of items containing a bag of rice, a tin of vegetable oil, a packed bag of salt, Hollandes wrapper, Bible and cash.

    The coordinator of the centre, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and governorship hopeful in Delta State, Elder Godsday Orubebe, said the programme was part of a special commission given to him by God. According to him, giving is one of the teachings of the Bible.

    He said: “God said this centre should be taking care of widows, orphans, the aged and the needy. That’s what we do in this centre. We take care of widows, we take care of orphans and we take care of the aged, from 70 years and above. Whatever the centre can do for them, we support them. You have seen the one of the widows now, it’s part of the project that we do from time to time, but this one is a major one with which we mark the anniversary on the 14th of August every year.

    “In what we are doing today, every widow or every aged is going home with a bag of rice, a tin of groundnut oil, a parked bag of salt, a new wrapper, the one they call Hollandes and then we give each one of them a Bible and then we add a little thing for them to use for transport and one or two other things. We are not bothered about the amount, we are only interested in how we can provide the little we can for them. Most of the things that we are doing in this place are donations from people who understand the meaning of giving.”

    The beneficiaries could not hide their joy. Madam Izonbere London, a widow, said: “Na go say make em give us as our husbands don die, em say make we take and eat. We happy for am.”

    Also, Madam Akparakogbopade Adisanfo, another widow, who has seven children, all of whom are still living with her, said: “I don happy now, I come write my name to be part of the owner for this rice. E dey help me, I happy. This one go help us a little.”

     

  • Rivers POWA puts smiles on widows’ faces

    Rivers POWA puts smiles on widows’ faces

    The Rivers State chapter of the Police Officers’ Wives Associtaion (POWA) has put smiles on the faces of widows of dead policemen and the indigent, writes JUDE ISIGUZO 

    THe association has existed for 50 years. But, for many at the event,  never in its history has the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) made widows and indigent members in  Rivers State so happy.

    POWA’s Chairperson, Mrs Chinyere Ogunsakin, on August 8, launched an empowerment scheme for members.

    The scheme is developed to give economic sustenance to wives and widows of policemen.

    About 120 women and youths have received training and empowerment in  various trades like tailoring, cosmetology, bead/hat making and catering/hotel management.

    Some were also trained in events management and general business development. The trainees were presented with a certificate.

    Items, such as industrial grinding machines, were distributed and accommodation was also secured for some widows of fallen policemen.

    Mrs Ogunsakin expressed joy at the success of the pilot scheme of the project, adding that the objective of providing socio-economic support and empowerment to Police officers’ wives and their wards was something worth doing.

    She said: “We want to give a helping hand to our trained women to enable them start on their own journey to fulfilment and financial liberation.”

    She shared her vision of forming a cooperative for the beneficiaries who take the empowerment seriously to obtain loans from corporate organisations.

    The beneficiaries could not contain their joy, as they danced around the chairperson to express how they felt.

    The widows, who were provided with accommodation, could not hold back their tears of joy. They thanked and prayed for their chairperson and her family.

    Mrs Ogunsakin was moved to tears as the widows clustered around her, went on their knees and began proclaiming blessings on her and her family.

    One of the widows Mrs. Theresa Israel, wife of a late Inspector, in tears, commended this initiative as the best attempt at empowerment by any POWA administration.

    She said: “This is the first time we are witnessing this kind of a thing where the widows who have been forgotten are remembered for good and given hope. God must bless our mummy.”

    Mrs. Janet Agoreyo, another beneficiary, said she was so glad that she could comfortably say that the days of begging were over, adding that she had been placed on a pedestal to aid her husband in providing for the family.

    Mrs. Constance Mbajunwa, another beneficiary, recounted how she had been through hard times and thanked Mrs Ogunsakin for striking all the right notes in just seven months of being in Rivers State.

    The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Alkali Shaba, who represented the Commissioner of Police, Tunde Ogunsakin, commended the POWA chairperson and her executive for the initiative, adding that it was a morale booster to the entire Police Force.

    He also said the Rivers State Police command would do everything to support POWA.

  • Abia POWA remembers officers’ widows

    Abia POWA remembers officers’ widows

    It was a day of shedding tears of joy as the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) of the Abia State command for the first time in the history of the association remembered the wives of the fallen police men who died in active service.

    It was the day 64 wives of police officers of the Abia State command who died in active service were empowered by POWA at the Police Officers mess, Umuahia, where several items were given to the women to help them be self-sustaining.

    The empowerment items, which included sewing machines, grinding machines, hair dressing equipments and cash were presented to them by the POWA chairperson in the state, Hajia, Khadija Ibrahim Adamu.

    Speaking at the event, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Adamu, said the gesture was the command’s way of assisting the widows and advised them to make good use of the empowerment items.

    Adamu said the empowerment was a legacy of police to empower POWA and help them uplift the standard of living of their colleagues who lost their husbands in the line of duty so that they would not be begging for help all through their lives.

    He said that this is the first time the empowerment programme is happening in the command, stressing that many of the widows have suffered since the death of their bread winners while serving their father land.

    One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Evelyn Onyike Aja, who was giving a sewing machine, said her husband died in 2012, in active duty. She explained that since her husband’s death taking care of the three children has not been easy for her.

    She said that her the husband died in FMC Umuahia, after he was rushed there from his duty post and since then the husband’s family abandoned her and the children, stressing that it was a great relief to her that the sewing machine was given to her as it will help her to start life anew.

    Mrs. Aja said, she was already sewing before her husband died but did not have her own sewing machine, but with the machine that has been given to me today, I am going to start sewing again with ease.”

    She said that her husband was preparing to buy a sewing machine for her when he died. “Since his death life has been very difficult for us the members of his immediate family, so you can imagine what this sewing machine means to me and my children.”

    Mrs Aja said, “I learnt how to sew before my husband died. He was about to buy machine for me before she died. The sewing machine will help me to earn income and take care of the three children my husband left for me.

    His family abandoned us, so this will help me to take care of the children he left behind, I am grateful to the CP and POWA leadership for including me in the programme our children are in primary school aged between seven to four years, since his death we have been surviving through the help of God.”

  • Succour for police officers’ widows in Anambra

    Succour for police officers’ widows in Anambra

    There was enough relief materials meant for their well-being. Naturally, the mood of the recipients should be aglow. However, the environment was quiet as a grave yard.

    Instead of being happy for the gesture they were to receive, the wives of the police men, who died in active service in Awka, Anambra State were weeping profusely.

    The event was the show of goodwill to the widows of the police men who lost their lives while serving their fatherland by the wife of Anambra State Police Commissioner, Mrs. Asabe Gwary.

    Mrs. Gwary, who could not also control her emotions, said “only God knows why anything happens.”

    Some of the widows came with their children, while some of them who lost their husbands recently, wore all white to the event.

    The event took place at the Awka Area Command premises where items like wrappers, bags of beans, bags of rice and cartons of tomatoes, among others were distributed to them.

    Most of them who could not cry, especially those their husbands died long ago, wore long faces and intermittently, put up smiles on their faces.

    The gesture by Mrs. Gwary was done under the auspices of Police Officer’s Wives Association (POWA) in the state.

    Few of the beneficiaries who spoke with The Nation expressed happiness that such a thing was happening to them after a long wait.

    One of them who spoke to The Nation but did not want her name in print said, such items had been coming to them but those at the helm had been keeping them for their households until Mrs. Gwary came.

    But, for Mrs. Joy Alloysius, who lost the husband about five years ago, commended the wife of the police commissioner for remembering the widows of the police men.

    She said that it was the first time there were being recommended by the association and commended Mrs. Gwary for being what she called a through mother.

    Also, Mrs. Jane Ogbonna, said “this our mummy’s gesture has shown us that individuals are different in this world, we have children and since our husbands died, we have been living from hand to mouth.”

    “I was surprised when I was told that our CP’s wife wanted to see us, initially, I thought whether I have offended anybody to deserve any form of punishment until I summoned courage to come.”

    “This is too much and I have no mouth to thank the wife of our commissioner, all I have to tell her is that she will never encounter any form of problem.”

    “For her to still remember that there are some people like us who are suffering some where, means that human milk flows in her veins and she will not leave to regret her action,“ she said.

    Speaking with The Nation, “Mrs. Asabe Gwary, who was accompanied on the journey by the wife of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of operations, Mrs. Nkiraharami Yakadi, said the action has not concluded.

    According to her, “they should see their plight as not the worst, God giveth and God taketh, as far as we are in this command, they will never lack.”

    She said the fact that they lost their husbands while serving the country was not the end of their lives and that of their children.

    “Some of them have their young families to take care of, while some had lost their husbands long ago, but as far as God continues to give us life, they will not have much to regret.”

    “Yes, it is sad to lose one’s loved one, but only God knows why such things happened when they did, but my assurance to the widows is that God will not forsake them,” she said.

    Furthermore, Mrs. Gwary said it was done to tell the widows that all hopes were not lost despite the fact that their husbands were no longer alive.

    The Nation gathered that some of the widows lost their husbands either in the hands of kidnappers, armed robbers or hired assassins in the state in their cause of crime fighting.

  • Teaching widows how to fish

    Teaching widows how to fish

    IT’S been almost 20 years since the Beijing Conference for women. Activists and a number of women groups have started to count the gains as well as the gaps. Economic empowerment is a major strategy and there is need to go back to the drawing board to see the changes made by increasing the economic, political, social, educational, gender, or spiritual strength acquired over the years.

    As you take a critical look around, you find that there is still a long way to go. “I discovered that out of every ten people that come to me after service, seven had money-related issues. I realised that ordinary prayers won’t solve the problem. For instance, if someone says that ‘I have not eaten,’ then you have to teach him or her how to fish. It pains me to find young people who are graduates without jobs. Their problem is our problem; you can’t put fire on top of the roof and go to sleep,” declares Kola Aladegbuye, an entrepreneur.

    Aladegbuye goes on to explain: ‘As an Information Technology person, I discovered that life is about discovery. It is not everything that you are taught in the university. What you are taught in the university is just the idea. I saw an advert on Forex Trading about five years ago and I went for the training and that exposed me to the opportunities online.”

    Here, Aladegbuye, who says he has an inquisitive mind, discovered that there was nothing you can do offline that you can’t do online. “That brought about my going to the Internet for information, reading journals and surfing the net. I found out that there are different opportunities designed for the citizens. There are some jobs designed for housewives, like email processing, data processing, and articles writing and so on. Others include blogging, online marketing and affiliate marketing.”

    Like Aladegbuye, Abiodun Akinsola is passionate about empowering widows to make a difference in the families left behind by their husbands as well as in the society. “I have been working to help widows to make them know that they are still in the care of God, no matter what they are facing at the moment. What we have here is a multipurpose shop which is being sponsored by individuals and the church.”

    Her passion started shortly after she lost her husband in 2009. “We came from the USA and somehow we just couldn’t go back again. We kept on hoping to go back to our children who we left behind but we had problems with the American Embassy. Along the line, my husband got depressed and he died. When I was crying and lamenting, I got inspired to start a widows’ ministry to empower women who were passing through the same experience.”

    She continues: “The first widow I met was Mrs. Sanjo and she gave me the name of another widow and the three of us started the process. I later got my green card and had to go back to the United States. By the time I left, there were ten widows and today the number has increased to about 70 widows. I continued to fight and get support for these women and their children. I got help from my church, Mount Olivet Baptist Church in North Carolina, and they adopted the widows and their children.”

    More women joined the group and the needs of the group increased. “Then I asked God what to do and he asked me to stop giving them money. Instead, I was advised to do something that would empower them; teach them how to fish and not just give them fish. His Church then gave us 3000 dollars and we started the multipurpose shop.”

    The group is called Naomi and Ruth Foundation, to depict young and old widows who need support. Akinsola goes on to talk about the celebration of a programme tagged widows’ day and plans to make it an annual event. “Last year, a number of my colleagues gave us clothes and donated household items to support them. This is the third time that I would be visiting them since I left and my dream is to change their fortunes and make them independent.”

    Hard work, dedication and perseverance, Akinsola states, are all that is required for the women to forge ahead. “When I saw the faces of some of the new widows, I wasn’t really happy. I saw worry, anxiety, sadness and frustration on their faces. However, I see a bright future for these women and all we need is for all hands to be on deck. As soon as they exhaust their stocks, they would send in their request and we will continue to restock.”

    Rose of Sharon Foundation (ROSF), a non-governmental organisation founded about nine years ago by Mrs Foloronsho Alakija, has been working to alleviate the anguish of widows in some states like Benue State.

    Within the last five years, ROSF has successfully provided micro credits to 973 widows, educational scholarships to 1,366 widows’ children and 88 orphans towards strengthening an enabling environment for widows and orphans in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states.

    As part of its strategic plan to reach out and touch widows across the length and breadth of Nigeria, it conducted a feasibility study in Benue State three years ago and discovered that the state had over 5,000 widows, (the highest in Nigeria), of which two thousand widows were registered. A major area to focus on over the next couple of years includes agriculture, due to the fact that a majority of the widows registered are mainly engaged in subsistence farming, through the subsidisation of fertiliser, introduction of mechanised farming, provision of storage facilities for widows’ farm produce, enterprise development training, and educational support for interested widows, their children, and orphans.

  • Corps member lifts widows, trains youths

    Corps member lifts widows, trains youths

    Residents of Etioro in Akoko South-West of Ondo State have praised Godwin Afiene, a corps, for donating materials to widows in the community.

    Godwin, who is serving at the Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), also organised skills acquisition programme for youths in the community and donated two first-aid boxes and exercise books to indigent pupils.

    Speaking after the presentation of the materials, the community head, Chief P. A. Adewumi, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, said: “Many corps members had served in this community, but this is the first time a corps member has done these remarkable things.  Godwin has impacted on our community positively. We are happy and we appreciate you.”

    He also lauded the skills acquisition programme of the corps member, saying the gesture had encouraged the youth and added value to their lives.

    Godwin thanked God for inspiring him to contribute to the development of the society, expressing determination to continue to make meaningful impact on humanity.

  • 200 widows in Rivers get cash for farming

    200 widows in Rivers get cash for farming

    Over 200 widows of Okori in Eleme, River States have received funds from HRH Appolus Chu Foundation to hire farmlands for cultivation in the season.

    The event was one of the programmes of the Foundation to assist the less-privileged, particularly orphans and widows.

    The widows sang praise songs and  danced as they collected the funds.

    Encomiums were poured on the founder of the Foundation, who is also the paramount ruler of Okori in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chief Appolus Chu Okori, by the widows for the gesture.

    The Coordinator of the foundation, Mr. Ngbala Okpabi, noted that  a piece of farmland in the community costs N5, 000 to rent, adding that each beneficiary will get N20, 000 to enable them to acquire two pieces of farmlands and use the balance for cultivating.

    Okpabi also said the funds were part of the second phase of the foundation’s programme where over 500 youths, women and men were billed to benefit from its various skills and community development schemes.

    He said: “This is a farming season and we want to give them some funds with which they would use in hiring farmlands on which they would engage in farming.

    “It is believed that by so doing, the foundation is not only providing food to Eleme, but also to the entire state and the nation as a whole.”

    About 215 widows  received N20, 000 each to hire and cultivate farmlands.

    The coordinator advised the widows not to misuse the funds nor put it into any other use apart from that which it was given.

    “We expect that beneficiaries of this scheme would involve in farming, produce food crops and enhance food security for not just their immediate families, but also for Eleme people at large and even the neighbouring communities,” he said.

    He called on those who are in the position to help but have not, to reconsider their stand and imbibe the spirit of compassion and love for the less-privileged.

    An elated widow and a women leader in Alode, a community in Okori-Eleme, Mrs. Comfort Saka, said: “Today is a wonderful day for the widows in the Okori community and we are most grateful to the founder of HRH Chief Appolus Chu Foundation, who has done so many things for us. First, he gave me the opportunity to be the women leader in OkoriAlode and then he gave me a power bike. This is apart from so many other things he has done for the entire community and me.  And now he has made me to feel free to carry out my farming business this season without bothering myself with so much thoughts and anxiety,”Saka said.

    She continued: “ In Eleme, if you do not have a husband, nobody gives you a farmland and even when you struggle to get one, you get a fresh farm where you have to look for someone to clear the bush before you could plant your crops and as a widow, this takes a lot of struggles.  But today, I can do my farming confidently, without bothering my head so much on how the work will be carried out. Appolus Chu has made things easy for us and so we have made up our minds not to disappoint him.”

    The President, Widows’ Association of Eleme, Mrs. Elizabeth Mba-Ngei, thanked Chief Appolus for the gesture. “We give God the glory for what He has done through our son, Chief Appolus Chu,”she said.

    She added: “Wealth is from God and it is not a sin, but failure to assist others with your wealth is a sin. Let us show concern and love to everybody that needs our help just like Chief Appolus Chu is doing with his wealth.

    “While alive, let us love and care for one another because we would no longer be able to amend our ways when we are dead. We should learn to render assistance to others no matter how little it may be as long as it is within our reach. This is what our brother and son, Chief Chu, has done with his wealth.

    “I want to assure our brother that what he is doing in this land of Eleme has gone a long way to bring sunshine to the lives of many who would have been dead and gone by now.  He is not the only wealthy man in Eleme but out of love, compassion he did this.”

  • Foundation treats widows, orphans to Easter party

    Foundation treats widows, orphans to Easter party

    It was Easter with a difference for some widows and orphans in Ogun State as they were treated to a fun-filled party on Easter Sunday in Abeokuta, the state capital. ERNEST NWOKOLO  was there.

    •I wish this happens every year, says nine-year-old orphan

    For the orphans and some widows in Ogun State, the recently celebrated Easter was one they would remember for a long time and for good reasons too.

    On Easter Sunday, they were showered with a rare show of love, affection and care and of course food and entertainment with lots of gifts at the Stella Obasanjo Children’s Home at Ibara, Abeok-uta, the state capital by a non-governmental organisation; Labake Illuminant Foundation.

    Thanks to the NGO, hundreds of them drawn from different orphanage homes and similar centres across the state were assembled at the Stella Obasanjo Children’s Home for a fun filled Easter party. Pregnant teenagers who were rescued recently by the Police from baby factories in the state were also catered for.

    Aside the dancing, treat of good food and choreography that lifted their spirit and also gave them a sense of belonging to the larger society, they had, as well as supply of beddings, clothes, food items, toiletries, cash gifts among others from the Foundation.

    The beneficiaries included inmates of the Gideon Children School, Otta, Stella Obasanjo Children’s Home, Abeokuta, Ijamide Children Home, Otta, Juvenile Centre, Asero and two others.

    At least six indigent students on the helpline of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Ijoko-Otta, also got cash gifts from the NGO. Widows were not left out as some got cash gift to start petty trading or re-jig existing ones.

    One of the guests at the occasion, a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Bola Asiru-Balogun, who presented gift items and a cheque to one of the beneficiary homes, on behalf of the Foundation said the gesture served to rekindle hope in Nigeria and also a call on others to uplift the weak and poor members of the society.

    Asiru-Balogun, who represented the Agege State constituency at the Lagos Assembly, noted that though harsh fate brought some of the children into orphanage centres, he expressed the hope that some would in future grow up to become captains of industries, governors and legislators in Nigeria.

    He said: “This outpouring of love and care goes to show that we still have hope in Nigeria, this will inspire us to reach out to othe-rs children. Some of you would be leaders and ministers in Nigeria. Just be focused.”

    Also, the Matron of Stella Obasanjo Children’s Home, Mrs Fadairo Bolanle, lauded the efforts of the Foundation, praying that providence would enrich its pocket.

    Mrs Fadairo said: “You have not done this for man but for God, God will enlarge your coast, you will not lack, God will replenish your purse.”

    Even nine-year-old Ruth, of the Stella Obasanjo Children’s Home, could not hide her joy and wished that there should be such event yearly.

    The Primary Three pupil who had started nursing a dream of becoming a medical doctor in future, said she enjoyed the music provided by the Foundation, while the party lasted and wish to care for others when she becomes an adult and responsible member of the society.

    Ruth said: “I won’t allow the circumstances I find myself to come between me and my future.  I want to be a medical doctor when I grow old, I want to attend to the health challenge of people, I will study hard to become a doctor. That is one area I want to care for my fellow human beings.

    “I feel happy today for the show of love and care bestowed upon us by the Foundation. I enjoyed the music, the food given to us and other items. I would like this to be happening often, I will say a big thanks to Aunty Adenike Coker for her care and may God reward her richly.”

    Labake Coker Illuminant Foundation was established in memory of the late Mrs. Labake Coker, who died on May 5, 2012.  The foundation caters for the needs of widows, orphanage homes, as well as centres for the rehabilitation of the physically and mentally challenged persons across the country.

    The late Mrs. Labake Coker hailed from Ago-Owu, Abeokuta, and married to Coker from the Osun State but she lived all her life in Alagbole, an Ogun border community near Lagos State.

    While alive, she used her little resources and money given to her by her children as upkeep allowance to feed and clothe the less-fortunate members of Alagbole community.

    Her daughter, Adenike Coker, who initiated the NGO, told the beneficiaries that the foundation is not out to run an orphanage home or less-privileged centre, but to support existing ones in meeting the needs of children in their care.

    The United Kingdom-trained finance expert, who had worked for Her Majesty, Customs and Excise (England) and Middlesex University (England), said the project took off last year at Erin-Oke in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State, the home town of her father, and the foundation decided to mark this year’s Easter with inmates of orphanage homes in the Gateway state because, her mother, late Labake Coker, hailed from the state.

    According her, there is no boundary when it comes to reaching out to the less-fortunate and neglected members of the society as the next beneficiaries could be orphanage centres in Port Harcourt (Rivers State) or those in the South East states.

    Adenike said: “The foundation is meant to be supportive. We are not creating our orphanage homes or whatever. We are just there to help other orphanage homes provide things they need. It is specifically for widows, orphans and children with disability. Our aim is to provide for people like the widows.

    “I realise that it takes only little for them to be able to start petty businesses. We don’t intend to baby-feed them. We just want to give them something that would enhance their ability to feed themselves; N20,000 to look after themselves and children.

    According to the mother of three, who runs a Creche and Nursery School in England, she is also desirous of using the Foundation to draw the attention of kind-hearted individuals, institutions and government to the needs and challenges of some needy orphanage homes and rehabilitation centres for possible support.

    She explained that the inspiration to care for the needy came from her late mother, but never knew it would start this early, stressing that educational and enlightenment programmes would be carried out on career path, sex education, HIV and AIDS and teenage pregnancy for Nigerian youths to steer them away from grave risk.

    Adenike said: “It is getting bigger and better because this time around, I was fortunate to have friends and family support unlike last time when we did it ourselves. So, we have about five homes present including the recently rescued pregnant girls (from baby factories), they were catered for too.

    “If I’m around again, I will be celebrating with them often because I’m getting passionate about the ones we have visited. The agenda of the Foundation is to go round and visit different homes in order to know what to do.

    “Last year, we were in Osun, my mother is from Ogun State, that is why I’m doing this one in Ogun State.

    “The next thing we will try to do as well is probably to arrange something and start going to schools and talk to the girls about safe sex, not even about teenage pregnancy alone but also in terms of diseases, HIV/AIDs and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).

    “Hopefully, we should be going to school to help the teenage children, to educate them on what not to do because if they were well informed and enlightened on this matter, they won’t found themselves in the situation they are. We will teach them how to say no to what that can mar their future or derail it so that they won’t get into a mess.”

    Recalling the experience of the girls rescued in baby factories in the state and other parts of the country, she rued the society and lifestyle that is turning the nation’s youth particularly teenage girls into abandoning schools to serve as baby makers for unscrupulous persons ostensibly for commercial purposes, saying pervasive poverty is the precursor.

    Adenike urged government and policy makers to have the youths at heart in what they do as the decisions they make have potentials to hurt them adversely.

    She said: “It touches my heart because I watched the news on NTA international in England, it really touches my heart and it is so funny and ironic that the ladies were around when we came, we brought clothes, shoes and a token cash donation to enable them buy basic things they might need.

    “If you look at the society, it breeds everything. I think it is because of poverty, from the account of the girls, it was by accident they ran into the mess, they lured them to where they went. It was not by choice. If they were not poverty stricken, they would not have gotten into it. But educating the children not to get into a mess is the major thing.

    “Our leaders, the rich people in the country should bear them in mind when they are taking decisions, because every decision they are making are affecting people they don’t know about.

    “If people know what we are doing, they will do something. I’m not going out there begging for money. I want the Foundation to speak for itself. If people see what we are doing and become touched by what the Foundation does, let them partner with it. There is little we can do. The vision will not die.”

  • POWA donates shops to widows

    POWA donates shops to widows

    The Chairperson of Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), River State Command, Mrs. Chinyere Ogunsakin, has donated 36 shops to widows of policemen who died in active service.

    Mrs Ogunsakin, who inspected markets belonging to POWA after the election of new executives, said the essence of POWA is to give succour to members and to encourage the less privileged.

    Mrs. Ogunsakin, during a visit to the POWA Market at Mini Okoro, said the association is committed to give assistance to widows who are into petty trading, adding that the amount charged widows for spaces in the market should be moderate.

    She said the idea to allocate shops to widows is in consonance with her husband’s policy.

    The POWA chairperson said the new executives would collate list of genuine beneficiaries.

    Mrs ogunsakin, who encouraged the women to keep the barracks clean, said: “The market is for you not the executives.”

    She stated that during the 50th anniversary of POWA, she would encourage schools and children to participate in various talent shows which would prepare them for a better future.

    She also urged the POWA Secretariat to ensure they keep their records up to date to guide against corruption as the Commissioner of Police, Tunde Ogunsakin would not accept any excuse from anybody found wanting.

    The POWA election was attended by over 150 members . The affairs of POWA are to be directed by the new executives, which has Ngozi Anaogu as Secretary.

  • Church lifts widows, others

    Over 1000 people, mainly widows and other needy Nigerians, smiled home at the weekend, when the Soul Winning Chapel, Ebute Metta on Lagos Mainland donated food items and clothing materials to them.

    The food items – rice, turkey parts, chicken parts, palm kernel – and clothing materials, it was learnt, were token contributions from the church to maximise beneficiaries’ festive celebration in the Yuletide.

    Noise of joy erupted in the church as beneficiaries took turns to testify to the many ways the church had touched their lives.

    Mother-in-Israel Reverend Mrs Edith Iloh said the initiative is being held every second Saturday of each month.

    The General Overseer of the church, Pastor Moses Iloh, said that the uniqueness of the philanthropic initiative consists in the fact that beneficiaries were mainly residents of the immediate community and not necessarily members of the church.

    The clergyman, who praised his wife for coming up with the initiative, advised other churches to follow suit by not just caring for their members alone, but by also considering the welfare of non-members, especially in their immediate community, irrespective of gender, tribe or religion.

    Another aspect of the social responsibility intervention of the church to the community, according to Iloh is the Hope Kindergarten Nursery School founded and run by her wife.

    “The school is tuition-free, while we give them free uniforms, books and lunch. The Kindergarten’s pupils are mostly children of indigent parents,” Iloh stated.