A non-governmental organisation, Nikki Udezue Foundation Widow’s Smile, has empowered close to 50 widows in Jiwa community of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) with foodstuffs and cash grants to start up small-scale businesses.
The founder of the organisation, Nkiruka Udezue, during the presentation of the foodstuffs and grants to the women, said the gesture was a way of putting smiles on the faces of the widows and making them self-reliant as 2023 is just beginning.
According to her the plight of widows and the less privileged in society is an issue that called for concern from all stakeholders, including government and non-governmental organisations.
Udezue, who called on well-meaning individuals to use their wealth to impact more vulnerable Nigerians, urged the beneficiaries to utilise the cash and food items wisely.
“Our foundation’s vision is primarily to empower the underprivileged, marginalised group, especially the widows, the orphans, and the downtrodden in society.
“By empowering the widows, the orphans, women, the girl child, which is our focus, is for us to be able to give them a voice, give them encouragement and a sense of belonging in the society.
“We are giving the widows N25,000 each for them to start small scale businesses with it, hopefully, Widow’s Smile will be able to do more as we get more funding in future,” she said.
The representative of the district head of the Jiwa community, Mr Tanko Nuhu while calling for more support for widows and other vulnerable individuals advised the beneficiaries to invest what they got in their small businesses.
Some of the widows who recounted how their lives have been without their breadwinners appreciated the kind gesture and promised to make good use of the items and cash donations.
The items donated include bags of rice, cartons of noodles, cartons of vegetable oil, yams, condiments, and N25,000 each to almost 50 widows in the first batch.
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