In the spirit of Christmas, an international non-governmental organisation, Flames Initiative, last week in Lagos, organised the CINTA Project, a widow-empowerment programme.

The memorable event, which was sponsored by Nestle Nigeria and a plethora of other public spirited organisations including GBF, McPeens, Kingsword International Church, Igando, Eltee Production Company, 54 Artistry, Citimax Pharmacy among others, had about 100 widows in attendance with their children and other guests including sponsors, media professionals and vendors.

In addition to a free medical check-up, the widows went home with free drugs, food items, school bags for their children, bags, and other packages that can make their Christmas really memorable. The happy widows did not disappoint on the dance floor as they moved and glided to some melodious tunes.

Guest speaker, Ms Bimpe Oke, encouraged them to keep life going on in spite of the difficult challenges they face as widows.

Emphasising that they are responsible for their children, she charged them not to pass on that responsibility to anyone and to ensure their safety.

“Our children are our responsibility, you can’t hand them over to someone else. Don’t drop your children anywhere because of life challenges,” she said.

During the question and answer session, Ms Oke tackled sexual molestation, emotional pain, child abuse, financial challenges and other issues bothering the widows and their children. She also encouraged the widows to speak out about their challenges and for the organizers to mediate between the widows and human rights groups.

Elated Miss Tolu Oni, one of the event organisers, could not hide her excitement, saying: “I feel fulfilled and I am happy the event was a success. I am glad to give back to the society especially to widows who may be wondering if the society cares about them. I encourage everyone to give back to the society in their own little way. We shouldn’t leave everything to the government.”

The high point of the event was the prayer session when a man of God prayed fervently for the widows.

An attendee acknowledged that this was one of the best moments of the event as the widows “really need those prayers”.

The widows went home full of smiles, thanking Flames Initiative for showing love to them in a practical way.

Flames Initiative is an international NGO committed to social good and to making a difference in local communities in Nigeria and across Africa.

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