No fewer than Four thousand widows have benefitted from a grounded foundation which was initiated by Abosede Adelami, the wife of a leading governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Chief Olayide Adelami
The foundation programme was to offer succor to hopeless widows
Abosede in a statement in Owo to mark the 2020 International widow's day said the intervention through the Elizabeth Foundation, an organisation jointly run by her and the husband, was borne out of the need to give widows a sense of belonging as well as make them less dependent on the society.
The Ogun state born school administrator whose husband is popularly known as a 'Oko Opo' (Husband to the Widows) said this year's theme ‘Invisible Women, Invisible Problems’ again brings to the fore the need for society to give better attention to widows.
The London Guildhall University trained lawyer said the 2020 commemoration has also brought to the fore the need for Programmes and policies to end violence against widows and their children, poverty alleviation, education and other support to widows of all ages in the context of action plans to accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals as being championed by the United Nations.
"Our outreach, the Elizabeth Foundation, has over the years empowered over four thousand widows with lifeline on modern Agriculture, local crafts, entrepreneurship and several other life saving endeavours.
She noted that the vulnerability of widows has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why Government at all levels must do more.
"The loss of a partner is devastating, destabilizing and worsened by the struggle for survival afterwards.”
"For us at the Elizabeth foundation, we have prioritize our interventions to target the vulnerable groups including widows and orphans across the country.
"Many widows also benefited from my husband's recent distribution of over 6,000 bags of Rice as COVID-19
palliatives to residents of Ondo state.
"This is just a tip off the iceberg of what we will do for our people when my husband becomes governor in February next year, God willing." She enthused
Mrs Adelami who holds a masters degree in educational leadership and management advocated effective awareness on the Laws prohibiting harmful traditional Practices in Ondo State to prevent all forms of sharp practices against widows.
" Our problem as a nation is not the law but our willingness to subject ourselves to the laws.
"We must begin to do more on awareness of the laws promoting evil practices against our widows."
She charged the state government to devise an inclusive post COVID-19 recovery plan for widows.
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