Widows Day: SIL Foundation Empowers 46 in FCT

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

SIL Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering positive change and sustainable development in Nigeria, Tuesday, doled out grants assistance to 46 widows living in the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Abuja.

Speaking to THISDAY on the significance of the event, Chief Executive Officer of SIL Foundation, Mrs. Ubile Charity Lawson, said the organisation decided to observe the International Widows Day which came up last Sunday and to use the opportunity to empower some widows in the FCT.

She explained that over the years, SIL Foundation has provided support to about 2,800 individuals, offering them capacity building, counselling, peer support, livelihood grants and skills development programmes.

According to her, the Foundation holds the empowerment outreach biannually and sometimes three times yearly.

She said the event provides opportunity to assist widows in dire need of funds to start small businesses that will make their lives better.

Lawson said that SIL Foundation usually provides grants ranging from N50,000 to N300,000 to the widows based on assessment of individual needs.

Her words: “We usually look at the individuals, assess them. Some of them may not give the true picture of things, some may have children that cares for them but we seek for are those who are really in need of assistance.

“This year, we are reaching out to about 46 widows mostly from the Gwagwalada Area Council in the FCT. About 36 of the widows are from the Gwagwalada area while 10 were drawn from Area Councils in Abuja metropolis.”

In addition to those that received the grants yesterday, Lawson said there were other widows who were assisted to obtain loans for their businesses as well.

Lawson who hails from Abonema, a Kalabari community in Rivers State, said that she and her husband started the organisation by reaching out to widows and the less privileged in their town.

She said that Foundation’s major area of focus is addressing the pressing social challenges of women and the girl child in Nigeria.

When asked if the foundation is partnering government or any group in carrying out the humanitarian services, Lawson said that for now SIL is relying funds provided by her family.

She also said that until recently, they have avoided publicity while doing its charity work.

THISDAY spoke to one of the beneficiaries and the leader of Gwagwalada Area Council Widows association, Mrs. Lucy Samuel, who expressed gratitude to the foundation for the humanitarian assistance.

When asked to explain the level of assistance they were getting from the foundation, she said: “We have gained a lot of things. This foundation has put smiles on our faces, it has wiped away years from the faces of widows.

“We and our children, all of us are better for it. Through the assistance given by the foundation, most of the widows were able to do businesses, pay their children’s school fees and hospital bills”.