Lagos ministry tasks widows on proper parenting

Executive Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs Funmi Raji, has urged widows to ensure proper upbringing of their children after the demise of their spouses.

Raji gave the advice at the Annual Mega Feast (Christmas party) for Widows organised by the Healing Heart Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, on Wednesday in Lagos.

She said that widows could still bring up children to be responsible citizens irrespective of the absence of their husbands.

Raji urged the widows to ensure that their children undergo any form of skill training for them to be gainfully engaged or employed in future.

According to her, there are different skills acquisition and empowerment programmes being offered by the state government.

She advised the widows to ensure they enroll their children at any of the skills acquisition centres.

She also enjoined the widows to always participate in government activities and not to feel intimidated or inferior.

“Ensure that you render the proper upbringing, education training and skills acquisition to the children.

“It is when you give proper upbringing, training and educational qualification to your children that you can have rest of mind; with the assurance that they will grow to become responsible citizens.

“Hence, you can go to bed with your eyes closed.

“If your husband died that is not the end of the world for you.

“You can still have a purpose to fulfill in life; all you need do is to be focused and rely on God,” she said.

Earlier, the President and founder of the Foundation, Mrs Sophy Mbanisi, said the essence of the programme was to celebrate the widows, while putting joy on their faces.

In her welcome address, Mbanisi said that the foundation on yearly basis, through its programmes, matches its commitments with actions.

She said the organisation for over 20 years had been celebrating the widows at the end of every year.

According to her, the NGO works with widows, the indigent women and schools, especially poor families who may not have the capacity to cater for the educational needs of their children.

She said this was by addressing critical issues being faced by the widows by catering for the needs and encouraging them to live and fulfill their destiny in life after the demise of their husbands.

Mbanisi explained that skills acquisition and empowerment programme were often organised for the widows where they learn different skills and minimal capital were given to them to start petty businesses that were not capital intensive.

“For today’s programme, we are marking our Annual Mega Feast (Christmas party), through which we extend hand of fellowship to the widows.

“So, we will be distributing food items comprising packs spaghetti, macaroni, semolina and seasonings among others to not less than 600 windows today,” Mbanisi said.

Mbanisi, however, called on well-meaning Nigerians, philanthropists, organisations and churches to extend their helping hands to the widows and the needy in the society.

According to her, just as one can adopt a child, one can also adopt a widow, catering for her and providing for her daily needs.