The Wife of Governor of Anambra State and founder of Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE), Chief (Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obiano (Osodieme), has called on all stakeholders in the community to galvanize support for widows because anybody can be widowed. She stressed that support and protection for widows ensure the enforcement of their full rights and the recognition of their fair share of inheritance and benefits as well as the well-being of their families.

Osodieme who is the founder of Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE), an NGO, made the call over the weekend in a statement signed on her behalf by the Chief Media Officer, Emeka Ozumba, in commemoration of the International Widows’ Day.

Osodieme agrees with the United Nations position that empowering widows to support themselves and their families also means addressing social stigmas that create exclusion, and discriminatory or harmful practices. This is one of the reasons why CAFÉ takes the welfare of widows seriously.
In her words:

“Anyone can be widowed. The loss of a life partner is devastating for any woman, more so, in our part of the world where, the trauma is exacerbated by local prejudices which put her through long-term struggle for basic needs, and the loss of her human rights and dignity.
It is in recognition of the plight and daily struggles of the average widow that my NGO, CAFÉ, embarks on construction of free houses for indigent widows across Anambra State. So far, to the glory of God, we have completed and handed over 22 houses while others are under construction. We also recognize the need for empowerment in the form of training in basic skills. We have trained and equipped over 4, 600 persons majority of who are widows who now earn a living and are able to fend for their families.”

Osodieme also commended the friendly disposition of the Anambra State Government to the welfare and well-being of widows which is manifest in the Governor’s commitment to ensuring that rights of widows as domesticated and enshrined in our laws and statutes are respected.

The International Widows’ Day is a United Nations ratified day of action to address the “poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries.” The day takes place annually on 23 June.

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