A little helping hand

They were all gathered at one of the meeting rooms at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, for a cause, widowhood. It was the launch of Chinwe Bode-Akinwande (CBA) Foundation named after its founder.

While giving the opening remark, Chinwe Bode-Akinwande said CBA was established to empower widows and their vulnerable children.

The foundation has a five-point agenda for widows – capacity building, self-employment schemes, health interventions, nutrition and basic education for children, she explained.

“One of my hearty passions in life is to see needy widows filled with hope despite the demise of their partners and the vacuum such departure has created. This hope comes from reassurance and empowerment that affords them the opportunity to pick up their lives again and forge ahead. Same applies to their most vulnerable children; offer assistance for them to continue their basic education, protect their dignity, teach them societal values and give them a hope for the future. HOPE, we define as Happiness Of Purpose Embraced,” she said.

In addition, the foundation’s vision is anchored on its belief in sustainable development. “Our programmes aim to give underprivileged widows and their vulnerable children in Nigeria, the support and voice needed to create a better future. Our aim is to support the voice and position of the underprivileged widows and their children in the society through partnerships, empowerment and capacity building,” she said.

Bode-Akinwande said the success of the launch depended on the quality of participation, saying beyond monetary and material donations, CBA would appreciate support from people who are willing to share practical experiences, words of advice and volunteering to facilitate during our workshops.

In her keynote address, Folake Ani-Mumuney, group head, corporate communication and marketing, FirstBank, said culturally, widows had been subjected to all kinds of maltreatment after their husbands’ demise.

“Often, widows lack access to justice due to lack of education. They also suffer from the culture of silence. It is imperative that government facilitate education for children, especially children from widows. There is no tool more effective than the development of women,” she said.

FUNKE OSAE-BROWN