LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT REFUNDS 145 FORMER SUBSCRIBERS OF EGAN HOUSING ESTATE
admin The DOHS Care for Vulnerable Women and Children Foundation has lifted about 100 widows with medical outreach and free gifts to celebrate the 2024 International Widow’s Day.
The outreach, themed ‘Wholesome Widows’, was done in conjunction with the Godly Widow Initiative and Ezra House.
Founder of DOHS Ololade Ajayi described the International Widow’s Day as one set aside to call attention to the challenges that widows face, such as deprivation of their rights and others.
She said: “This ‘Wholesome Widows’ event was organised to give a holistic package to widows. They were sensitised about their rights, taking into cognizance the challenges they face, letting them know things that contribute harmful practices to widows and which they should not be part of.
“We also listened to their challenges, and especially provided legal aid for those with disinheritance issues. We provided them with medical checks, especially cervical cancer screening, as well as digital literacy.”
Ms. Ajayi said DOHS will continue to advocate for the rights of widows and other vulnerable groups. She particularly urged the government to ensure widows are covered in its social protection network so they can live wholesome lives.
She added: “We will continue to advocate and sensitise people on why widows should be protected and not discriminated. We are also compiling a report on the challenges of widows so the government can take action. This is because the government should provide social protection for them.
“We asked them if they have benefitted anything from the government and they said no. So we urge the Lagos State government to do the needful.”
Pastor Funmi Eyeoyibo of Ezra House Church said the church is given to helping vulnerable persons, especially widows, because ‘we believe that the essence of our faith in God is to demonstrate His to humanity’.
She noted: “We know God has a special compassion for widows, orphans, strangers and vulnerable people. So we’ve adopted a widow outreach as our way of giving back to our local community. We have been doing this in the last six years but we decided to go bigger this year by partnering DOHS.
“This was envisioned as a celebration of the International Widow’s Day and we were able to reach widows not on our primary list. There was medical outreach for the widows which they might not have access to because of funds or ignorance. There was mental health awareness, and how to go about it.
““Our aim is to hold this outreach quarterly, as God enables us, so we are pleading with philanthropic organisations, companies and well-meaning Nigerians to help us. But come what may, it must be replicated every June.
Evangelist Judah Obatoba, a partner of the Godly Widow Initiative, said the organisation has been fighting the cause of widows and helping to live wholesome lives. “We started organizing widows to help them live anew. In 2022 and 2023, we helped about 200 widows. But this year we decided to go further and so we partnered DOHS and Ezra House, and the result is what happened today. I am sure the widows are the better for it after this outreach,” she added.
A beneficiary, Mrs. Stella Lawal, thanked the organisers of the outreach and prayed for them. “We were advised on self-care, healthcare and good living. We were also given gifts and got free medical checks. It was indeed life changing. God bless the organisers and increase them,” she said.
