THE Channel For Widows Relief Initiatives (CFWRI), a Non-Governmental Organisation, on Wednesday in Ibadan donated food items and cash to no fewer than 400 widows in Oyo State.

Presenting the items at the 7^th Ramadan programme of CFWRI, Alhaja Fadhilah Balogun, the organisation’s Director, said the aim of the empowerment initiative was to bring succour to the beneficiaries.

Balogun said widows and their children should be given priority in empowerment programmes to enable them earn a living.

The director said at least 15 million widows in Nigeria live in abject poverty with most of their children malnourished and prone to avoidable diseases.

According to her, women empowerment remains crucial to economic growth and development.

Balogun called on government and other stakeholders to give priority to programmes which alleviate the suffering of women and their children.

“CFWRI is carrying out an empowerment project-(Fashion Hub) where widows and non-widows in the community are trained in the act of designing, cutting and sewing cloths with the mission of  empowering   them with sewing machines and other equipment after graduation.

“Today we are witnessing the graduation and empowerment of a widow with sewing machine as part of our programme.

“The first phase of the project started two years ago where six trainees graduated and were empowered with sewing machines and other sewing equipment,’’ Balogun said.

In her remarks, the Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Atinuke Osunkoya, commended CFWRI for its effort in  alleviating the suffering of widows.

Osunkoya, represented by Mrs Christie Popoola, said CFWRI was one of the exemplary NGOs that the government recognises as  proactive.

She urged the widows to utilise the knowledge impacted on them by CFWRI.

In his lecture, Chief Imam of Bodija Islamic Centre, Alhaji AbdulHakeem Afuye, urged Nigerians not to discriminate against widows.

Afuye also called on well-meaning Nigerians to assist the needy in the society.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight  of the occasion was the opening of CFWRI clinic and health talk by Alhaja Rukayat Popoola, an Assistant Director at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. (NAN)

– Jun 6, 2018 @ 17:55 GMT |