By Justina Auta
#NigeriaDecides: As Nigeria gets set for the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, an NGO, Seyi and Grace Compassionate Foundation, urged widows to come out en masse and vote for credible, competent and compassionate leaders.
The Founder of the group, Mrs. Grace Garbson, made the call in Abuja on Friday during the official unveiling of the foundation’s empowerment programme for widows, orphans, and vulnerable persons.
Garbson said “I want to talk to every woman out there; the next few hours will tell how our lives as a country and as individuals will be in the next four years.
“Get your Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and go out and vote. If they give you money to buy your vote, please don’t accept it.
“Let’s vote the right candidates.”
She also appealed to government, development partners and other stakeholders to assist orphans, support women, particularly widows to address challenges affecting them.
She said the group was established to take care of some of the needs of widows, with the aim of pulling them out of poverty, adding that the empowerment exercise was part of 2023 strategic plan to engage 100 widows, vulnerable persons, orphans and female heads of households.
She explained that beneficiaries would be empowered through skills acquisition, training, wealth creation, mentorship and micro-financing to harness their potential and transform them.
“We have a lot of women out there that are voiceless, so this foundation is here to give them a voice and we have different departments like the legal that has to do with vulnerable women.
“We also have a segment that handles scholarship, orphans, among others,” she said.
Garbson also added that the foundation would empower at least 40 widows quarterly to enable them to start petty businesses and offer psycho-social and health support to the vulnerable.
Ms. Arih Jalilah, the Spokesperson of the foundation, said the beneficiaries were selected from rural areas within the Federal Capital Territory.
Jalilah added that the women were selected based on their vulnerability, poor financial status and family burden.
Mrs. Dorcas Emmanuel, a widow, thanked the organisation for the support, assuring that the women would utilise the opportunity to improve their financial status.
Emmanuel encouraged women, widows in general to participate in the forthcoming general elections and vote leaders that would help the masses, especially women.
