Bode-Akinwande Foundation to support widows)))

 

Founder of the Chinwe Bode-Akinwande Foundation, Mrs. Chinwe Bode-Akinwande, has said that the need to assist underprivileged widows led to its formation.

The foundation was recently inaugurated at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, where several dignitaries commended the founder and pledged support.

Among them was the Group Head, Corporate Communication and Marketing, First Bank Plc, Folake Ani-Mumuney, who gave a keynote address.

According to Bode-Akinwande, CBA was established to empower widows and their vulnerable children.

She noted that the foundation had a five-point agenda for widows, including capacity building, self-employment schemes, health interventions, nutrition and basic education for children.

She said, “One of my passions in life is to see needy widows filled with hope despite the demise of their partners and the vacuum such departure has created. This hope comes from reassurance and empowerment that afford them the opportunity to pick up their lives again and forge ahead. The same applies to their most vulnerable children. We will offer them assistance to continue their basic education, protect their dignity, teach them societal values and give them a hope for the future. This is the HOPE we define as Happiness of Purpose Embraced.”

She added that the foundation’s vision was anchored on its belief in sustainable development.

Ani-Mumuney explained that culturally, widows had been subjected to all kinds of maltreatment after their husbands’ demise.

She said, “Often, widows lack access to justice due to lack of education. They also suffer from the culture of silence. It is imperative that government facilitates education for children, especially children from widows. There is no tool more effective than the development of women.”