As part of the New Year celebration, the Chinwe Bode-Akinwande (CBA) Foundation has put smiles on the faces of some widows in Nnewi, Anambra state. The foundation, a non-governmental organization.

The event which held on Wednesday, January 1, witness widows, numbering over 100 excited with food-items, clothing, and free medical treatments.

Speaking at the event, the founder of the NGO, Mrs. Chinwe Bode-Akingbade, said the basis for starting the foundation is driven from the need to impact the lives of women whom ordinarily might have lost hope.

“We give hope to the hopeless. We are driven to support underprivileged widows in having a positive outlook on life, despite the problems they experience by losing their loved one, mostly the breadwinner of the family.

“At the moment, we have over 600 authentic widows on our profile. The successes have been enormous, many women are now business owners and are able to not just fend for their family but employers of labour. Over forty (40) children whom had lost hope in education are back to school, through the payment of school fees as well as stationeries. Twenty-Six (26) underprivileged widows through our medical intervention recovered from stroke.

“One of the widows during our medical outreach last year (2019) at Okun-Ilado , Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos weighed 36kg as a result of malnutrition, today she is well and sound.

“About four (4) underprivileged widows attempted suicide but after our counselling sessions are doing well now and running their businesses.

“We have reached out to over 3,000 underprivileged widows and over 800 children during our International Widow’s Day out reaches since we started with food items, clothing, skill acquisition training, and financial empowerment to some selected and medical outreaches. We can go on and on but time wouldn’t permit me,” she said.

Mrs. Bode-Akingbade added: “We have a long term expansion plan but what matters to us at CBA Foundation is our immediate environment.

“This indeed forms the basis for expanding to our environment beyond Lagos, Ogun and Anambra which we currently cover. We are hopeful that more individuals and organisations will support us to spread across the country and beyond.”

At the Nnewi outreach the widows expressed gratitude to the foundation as some were seen with smile and relief on their faces.

Please correct the title. Widow is different from window.