DHI, ANPA California Empower Widows, Girls in Nigeria with New Skills and Health Training

Rebecca Ejifoma

Non-profit organisations such as the Doctors Health Initiative (DHI) and the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), Southern California among others have been at the forefront of women’s and girl-child development.

Their noble works have been their specialty in giving back to society, changing the stories of many vulnerable women and girls in society annually.

To make an impact this year, DHI joined forces with the ANPA Southern California to empower 50 widows including 20 girls in some Southeastern states in Nigeria, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to women and girl-child development.

The women have been trained in sewing and received a sewing machine each as a start-up for small businesses. They were also enlightened on personal hygiene and the significance of ovulation.

Among the beneficiaries is Mrs Anastasia Okonkwo from Enugu State. She became a widow in 2022 while pregnant with baby number seven.

At age 30, Okonkwo has no formal education although does petty trading. With a rather frail baby in her arms during the training, Okonkwo was excited to learn skills that would support her family.

Mrs. Chinelo Achebe, a widow, from Anambra state is another beneficiary with a true tale of woe. She was left with four children after losing her husband to the cold hands of death.

As a nanny and seasonal farmer, Achebe continued to struggle to provide for herself and her children. But with the financial support DHI is offering, she feels a deep sigh of relief.

These two widows and others have grappled with raising their children, a reality that has been further flamed by the current economic situation of Nigeria.

To allay their situations, the President of DHI, Dr Nkechi Asogwa, expressed the aim of the project to mitigate the impact of some diseases and poverty on widows by providing them with a sustainable means of livelihood.

“We teach them sewing and provide them with the initial sewing machine,” outlining their hope that this project would be “sustainable and set the recipients on the path to economic development and financial independence”.

According to Asogwa, this empowerment will, in turn, contribute to reducing the diseases of poverty associated with poor widows.

Asogwa’s concerns stem from research showing diseases that contribute to the burden in low-income countries are tightly linked to the debilitating conditions of poverty.

Some of these include a lack of access to proper sanitation, health education, safe drinking water, poor nutrition, and indoor air pollution.

In her view, diseases of poverty are often easily avoidable, preventable, or treatable by alleviating poverty and providing sustainable medical interventions.

Some of the diseases include HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Parasitic diseases, and other tropical diseases like dengue, yellow fever, Buruli ulcer, and leptospirosis).

Others are treatable childhood diseases (e.g., Polio, Measles, Pertussis), respiratory infections (e.g., Pneumonia), diarrhoeal diseases, nutritional deficiencies, other perinatal and maternal conditions

In her presentation, Mrs. Uche Asogwa, the Fertility Education and Medical Management (FEMM) app user, emphasised the importance of ovulation as a sign of health.

She explained that “the presence of ovulation indicates that the woman is in good health”.

Ovulation is indeed a vital sign of a woman’s health, and women need to be able to recognise it.

Ovulation monitoring is a key aspect of fertility awareness, allowing women to identify their fertile and infertile periods and providing valuable information about their ovarian function.

“We use biomarkers to assess these cycles and ensure a woman’s health, similar to how vital signs like blood pressure are measured during a hospital checkup.”

While describing ovulation as a vital sign of a woman’s health, Uche cautioned that if an adult woman doesn’t ovulate, it should be rectified.

Hence, she underscored DHI’s commitment to the overall well-being of underprivileged women and girls.

Meanwhile, the organisation is promoting the well-being of women and girls by offering training in sewing and financial skills, and reproductive health through FEMM.

A financial expert and procurement officer of DHI, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Iwunze was present at the training to share her expertise with the participants.

She urged them to begin saving money as a means to achieve financial independence, emphasising that they were being equipped with skills and would receive sewing machines to facilitate prompt income generation.

“But it is important you start learning financial responsibility by saving money. You can decide to save as little as N2,000 monthly,” she added.

The beneficiaries of the programme received more than just sewing and financial skills, sewing machines, and health awareness exercises. They also had access to free cancer screening to prevent late diagnosis.

This initiative aimed to raise awareness, encourage people to get screened and support cancer research.

The free cancer screening was part of the effort to raise breast cancer awareness and promote early detection.

This comprehensive support highlights the programme’s commitment to the well-being of its beneficiaries, addressing both practical skills and healthcare needs.