… Offer free medical service
By Divine Sam
The plight of women’s molestation in various societies especially widows around the world reveals that there are an estimated number who live in poverty, suffer from social stigmatization and economic deprivation purely because they have lost their husbands; they have been molested, rejected and victimised, the single mothers not equally left behind under this category.
In Nigeria, today, the phenomenon of widowhood is yet to be understood, across different cultures in Nigeria, there exist harmful traditional widowhood practices which have attracted the attention of the global struggle in general on violence against women. Sufficient evidence suggests that widowed women are severely affected financially, psychologically, sexually and socially and these are rooted in cultural and traditional practices as well as the socialization processes that condition women to dependence. These conditions have erected enormous difficulties for women to creatively initiate new robust relationships with both men and women in social and economic spheres upon widowhood. The debilitating conditions of women are worsened by societal factors that instrumentally feed into the situation ranging from loss of livelihood and the fact that widows are less likely to remarry than widowers. Widows rather than sympathized with are more often subjected to near inhuman treatment in traditional ritual rites and practices such as solitary confinement, defacement, disinheritance and a relatively long mourning period of limited socio-economic activities. The most obvious effects are deepening poverty, acute stress, depression, loss of identity and self-esteem. The widowhood conditions expose women to psychological and physical abuse as well as a whole range of health-related problems With these ranges of woes and some more befalling widows, spurred Advocacy for Widows’ Empowerment Foundation. Wounded women network nigeria WWNN come to protect and advocate for human rights cum discovering and nurturing hidden entrepreneurial skills and providing a voice as a platform for action upon the concerns of widows.
As part of efforts to be the voice of the voiceless in the globe, especially orphans, widows among others categories of women who are being devalued and molested in the society during the weekend shades tears of joy. A foundation, a non-profit organisation, known as wounded women network nigeria (WWNN) on Saturday empowered thousands of castigated women with financial supports and free medical treatment in Ekiti State.
Speaking during the empowerment programme at Elim Africa mission Inc in Ado Ekiti , the state facilitator Pst. Funmi Nwosu stated the foundation has explore thematic areas like, Empowerment, Health Care, Enlightenment and Advocacy to ensure that women who are being harassed and troubled in various areas are given financial attention, accommodation, health and safety.
Pst Mrs Nwosu who is the parish minister Elim-Africa Ikere – Ekiti lamented that with poverty being a major obstacle to accessing health care and vocational skills in Nigeria for women under the terrible circumstances, the foundation is also on a mission of building bridges and advancing inclusion for orphans, underprivileged widows and children regardless of their political, religious and cultural backgrounds
According to her, WWNN commitment towards supporting humanity is passionate and the mission is focused to create a brighter future for widows and other categories of molested women by providing modern necessities such as shelter, health care and other humanitarian provisions for their survival
Empowering widows to improve socio-economic status and general well-being in order to have an equal opportunity in the society, is what me and my husband do ” we don’t eat good food, we don’t dressed expensive wears, we denied ourselves palatable juices because we are thinking about the wellbeing and best possible ways how to help this women who are wounded in the society” pst Funmi said
However, Rev. Francis Jumoh of the Redemption House commended the good works of the foundation, he aligned himself with the fact that every believer is expected to obey God’s word by reaching out the needy and less privileged. Therefore what Rev. Dr Frank Freds Nwosu and his beloved wife are doing is a biblical obidence and instruction and is only God that will be their great rewarder.
In his keynote address the international facilitator Rev. Dr. Frank Freds Nwosu, President of the Elim-Africa Mission Inc. said that the foundation’s roles in ensuring an assured life for the widows are in no small measure and that they very well treated and sought after. WWNN also empowers trained widows to establish their own businesses, monitor their progress and also go all the way to celebrate widows who have excelled in their chosen fields.
Another initiative, he gleefully recounted in the FUNDRAISING and CHARITY 4 WIDOWS’ has always been an empowerment event, which comes in annually, solely designed to raise funds for the widows.
The free medical outreach designed to enable widows to know their health status and at the same time issue medical advice that will enhance health and other related issues.
Rev Nwosu emphasized the importance of fending for the downtrodden categories of women in the society which is the driving force of the WWNN.
He said the beneficiaries were selected without recourse to their ethnic or religious affiliations, because the foundation is zealous to intercede and speak up when issues bothering the broken women arises in different societies of the world.
Rev Dr Nwosu said , “Growing up among people that had nothing was very difficult, my other was a widow with 8 children. So, I know exactly how it feels to have nothing. Now that I think God has blessed me, I always try to reach out to other people who are in need most especially the women.
“Nigeria is hard; people are really suffering. So, as an organisation, for us, it’s right that we reach out to those who are suffering the hardship in the land, especially the widows around us.”
” we are not only dealing with widows, because there are some women with their husbands and children but they are the bread winners of the family, some are being molested by families, some are single parents they are the ones catering for their children, so we cut across and do all possible means to reach out to them and make sure we touch their lives positively”
Rev Frank also pointed out that in Nigeria today a lots of women, were subjected to all manner of maltreatment under the various guises and wounded women network nigeria is conceptually working towards rendering helps to protect and make they are safe.
He called for the eradication of such discriminatory practices and stressed that the foundation was set up to help the widows and other women who have been wounded by the society to stand up for their rights.
“We are concerned about this classes of women in the society, we want them to be able to stand out and stand up for themselves in our society; to be able speak out when there are issues bothering them and not wait for anyone to take decisions on their behalf.
Rev Dr Frank Freds Nwosu who also interacted with Newsieevent shortly after the empowerment ceremony said “apart from the fact that my mother was a widow with 8 children what is building my courage to cater for women is what I called need observation ” I observe the crying need for somebody standing in for the widows, not only widows, because there are women that are living with their husbands and children but they are the one catering for the family, not jus the fact that my mother was a widow but an observation that women are suffering, some are being battered from the their husbands, some are the ones feeding their families, some of them are single parents with no husband taking care of their children and themselves we are observing a crying need and somebody have to interven”
I cannot figure out the exact numbers of women that we have interceded for in different countries and states in the world
“We cannot solve all, we are just contributing our own quota, we want to give them a reason to smile because there is too much hardship. This has been going on over a couple of years and it keeps getting better.
After all, said and still actively doing Rev Dr Frank Freds Nwosu said the organisation will never relent in this core service to humanity to bringing the sorrows of widows in his community and beyond six feet beneath
“My message to well meaning Nigerians is that in all our endeavours let’s try and remember the poor and less privileged among us. We are speaking to people who have better opportunities to come on board.”
The Foundation also gave free medical services to the widows from different parts of the Ekiti State capital, food items and cash gifts to cushion the effects of what it called “hardship in the land.”
A vote of appreciation by the executive Secretary of the organisation Princess Deborah Banjo applause the organisation for a job well done, caring and supportive to enhance a better life for the women who are being maltreated in various societies. She appreciate the punctuality of the vulnerable women who came out massively to benefit from the empowerment.