By Juliet Ugah
June 23rd was the international widow’s day which was celebrated all over the world but Hephzibah Sisters Foundation chose to celebrate the day on June 27th with the widows in Asaba.
Hephzibah Sisters Foundation is a young registered non-governmental organization that was founded earlier this year, February 2021 by Mrs. Ebiere Eyinsan Gilo. The foundation is widow focused. It is aimed at encouraging widows to take up vocational skills or get involved in petty trading
The celebration which took place at Delta State Vocational Education Center welcomed about 40 widows and three guest speakers. The founder said that the foundation will always observe this celebration annually apart from their weekly meetings.
The theme for this year’s programme is “Invisible women, Invisible problems”, sub themed “Making widows visible”. The founder, Mrs. Ebiere Gilo, in her speech revealed the inhumane treatment widows are subjected to by the society.
She said that widows are vulnerable to societal maltreatment, abuse, ostracized and their children are vulnerable to abuse also.
Mrs Gilo added that widowhood is a dreaded phenomenon that no one wishes to experience but then death is inevitable.
She said that having gone through the pain of widowhood for over 11 years, it is important she helps others pass through this condition and that is why she came up with this widow focused foundation.
Mrs. Gilo said that the primary aim of this foundation is to push for laws that will protect the right of the widows and save them from the societal maltreatment they face on daily basis, encourage them spiritually and emotionally, provide opportunity for those who are willing to learn general crafts.
The founder in her speech also mentioned that the foundation solicits financial help from the government and private bodies to enable them reach most of their goals. “After acquiring the skills the widows will need capital to start” she said.
One of the guest speakers, Pastor Mrs. Alero Omo-Okoroh, who also happens to be a widow encouraged the widows not to live a life of pity, noting that they should be focused and not allow widowhood to reduce their potentials.
Another guest speaker, Mrs. Caroline Iyeke, yet another widow identified two types of widows in the society; the working class widows and the widows who are not working.
She said that one of the aims for this foundation is to teach women how to be self-reliant. She told the widows not to lose hope, that they should not succumb to the view of the society who sees windows as irrelevant. Mrs. Iyeke encouraged the windows to always uphold their dignity.
The last guest speaker, Mr. Oyinkro Timbuodo, a sociologist, in his speech defined widowhood as a socio-natural process that many people will pass through someday, so it’s always important that we prepare our minds to face this reality.
He also mentioned that the society is not friendly with widows and some of these hates are triggered by traditions. Mr Oyinkro encouraged the widows to live above self pity.
