Some widows in Kaduna State have cried out for help over the rising cost of living in the state as they face hardship daily.
The widows lamented their plights at a seminar organised by an NGO, ‘Wounded Not Broken (WNB) Love Foundation’ on Monday in Kaduna.
The seminar was organised ahead of the International Widow’s Day marked on June 23 annually.
Speaking to journalists in English and Hausa, the widows tasked governments at all levels to mitigate the current hardship in the state.
They called to formulate specific policies and programmes that would support widows and protect their interests and that of their children.
The widows also lamented deprivation, neglect and bullying they had been subjected to by their in-laws, saying they had been left to cater for their children after denying them access to their late husband’s property.
Mrs Elizabeth Samson said that widow’s forum should be formed and supported to enable them to have access to funds for investment and send their children to school.
Samson said that widows’ children should be made to enjoy some special privileges such as reducing school fees and giving statutory recognition as obtained in developed nations.
She said that most widows usually found themselves working as artisans, adding that if supported, widows could do a lot for themselves because of their level of literacy.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the foundation, Mrs Ogeh Nonyelum, said the essence of the seminar and other programmes was to bring them together and make them understand that they were not being neglected or rejected.
She said the programmes were to ensure that the people and government could hear their voices and support them in any way possible to feel a sense of being worthy.
Nonylum said some of their children could not go to school because of their inability to afford school fees, even when feeding was also posing a serious challenge.
According to her, with the necessary support, widows can do so a lot for themselves.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other activities lined up for Widow’s Day celebration include medical check-up for the widows, radio sensitisation programmes, and empowerment. (NAN)
