President/CEO Widows Lifeline, Prof. Uche Azikiwe has lifted the hope of
44 widows in Onitsha through her Widows Lifeline Project.The event took place at the Mother Benedette Anyaogu Memorial Technical
and Vocational Institute premises on Ibekwe Street by Awka Road Onitsha.
Prof. Azikiwe in collaboration with the Institute concluded a six months
training for 44 widows on skills acquisition and self sustainable
programme.
The beneficiaries, who were indigenes and non indigenes of Onitsha
successfully, completed the training on Bread and Confectionery, Soap
making, Bead making, Gele and Hat making.
According to Prof. Azikiwe, Widows Lifeline (WILL) is a non-profit, non
Governmental Organisation (NGO), which started on Dec. 22, 2001 with
widows, the girl child, orphans as their target.
The aim was to enable them to meaningfully and effectively participate
in the sustenance of their lives.
The NGO also desired to become a strong platform, addressing the plight
of their target group.
The director explained that her burning desire to help mankind through
charity work started after attending Women Conference organised by the
Diocese on the Niger, Anglican Communion Awka in 2001.
“We are urged to grant encouragement to each other and keep on
strengthening one another.
“Empowering other people is a way of testifying to God’s abundant
blessings in my life, which I will continue to do always.”
She noted that the programme started in Nsukka in 2001, granting free
interest loan to women and providing healthcare programmes like cancer
and HIV free screening.
The group also organises health talks and vocational get together party
for widows in order to lift their spirits.
According to her, Onitsha chapter started in 2015 and the present group
is the 5th set she has empowered.
Prof. Azikiwe while handing over a startup capital and certificate to
the beneficiaries advised them to make good use of the empowerment
opportunity in order that her aim would be actualised.
“The training will enable you to be economically independent. The
profit you will make from the business will help you to solve your basic
needs.”
She urged mothers to educate their girl child, saying that when you
educate a woman you educate a nation.
She emphasised that investing on a girl child was a wise investment with
reference to herself.
According to her, it is education and her career as a lecturer at
University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) that enabled her to survive after the
death of her husband.
The coordinator of the school Rev. Sr. Mary Benedict S Obasi commended
the effort of Widows lifeline director in partnering with the school to
ameliorate the plight of women.
Sr. Obasi described Prof. Azikiwe as a humble, practicing Christian, who
believed that religious denomination was of no consequence in charity,
hence her organising the program in a Catholic Institute.
The Sr. coordinator, then, called on other good spirited individuals to
emulate Prof. Azikiwe in alleviating problems of the poor.
Onitsha Chapter Coordinator, Lily Franca Osaka enjoined the women to
start up the business immediately to fend for themselves and families,
venturing into things that are worthwhile and morally justifiable.
She praised Zik’s wife for assisting the women in her capacity.
One of the beneficiaries Nkemdilim Aniezue, a civil servant from Enugwu
Agidi said that she needed the skills in addition to her salary to
enable her to train her children without depending on people.
She praised Prof. Azikiwe for dedicating herself to caring for the
widows and ensuring their well-being, promising to start off
immediately.
Another beneficiary Mrs Victoria Azikiwe, a widow for 22 years expressed
joy in the help rendered to her by her co-wife.
She affirmed that she had made some sales from her handiwork during her
period in training.
One of the teachers, Mrs Gloria Neto, who taught the women bead making,
confirmed the ability of the women in creating good designs with beads
and their interest in the hand craft.
She appraised them never to relent in bead making.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Henrietta Aneke, on behalf of all the
participants thanked God for Prof. Azikiwe, who always announced the
goodness of God in her lifestyle and actions.
Aneke also praised the coordinator of the Institute for her efforts in
actualising the dreams of the initiator of the programme.
She urged her colleagues to appreciate the widow’s lifeline by
practicing all that they had learnt from the training.
Exhibition of all their handiwork that Prof. Azikiwe and group inspected
and confirmed satisfactory was part of the event.