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On Tuesday June 23, a Lagos- based non-governmental organisation, Goldcrest Family Centre (GCFC) empowered no fewer than 2000 widows with cash gifts, Ankara fabrics and other numerous items.
It was at the 2026 edition of the International Widows Day, held at Archbishop Vining Memorial Hall, Ikeja, Lagos.
The programme was entitled:”Widows of Glory”. Many of the widows that gathered at the event came from the GCFC branches in Lagos and Ogun States.
President of Goldcrest Family Centre, Reverend Agatha Chukwura, expressed delight that the NGO had once again fulfilled its aims by putting smiles on the faces of the widows.
The cleric explained also that the efforts of the chairman of the NGO, Mr. Seinde Oladapo Fadeni and Pastor Femi Paul continued to inspire the women.
Reverend Chukwura said the organisation has all it takes to cater to the needs of the widows and the vulnerable children in the society.
According to her, the non-governmental organisation engages in various programmes for widows and the vulnerable children, even as she stated that those programmes have impacted their lives positively.
Part of the programmes, she noted, include the Widows Free Health Initiative that caters to the health needs of widows across Nigeria as well as the Students Educational Programme that was designed to give hope to poor and vulnerable students from primary and secondary schools.
The cleric also urged the widows to make good use of the cash gifts given to them, adding that the management of the NGO would continue to support them in their different endeavours.
“This is what we have been doing for the past 23 years. This year, we scaled up our cash gifts and donations for the widows. We gave each of them the sum of N100,000 to empower them and boost their businesses.
“This gesture is to the glory of God and it all came from the generous soul of our chairman, Mr Seinde Oladapo Fadeni, who has also assured the widows that he would continue to impact their lives as part of his covenant with God.
“More importantly, I want to appeal to the widows to make good use of the money given to them. That is why we brought a business expert that came to advise them on the best way to start a business with a little capital.
“I am sure this year’s International Widows Day would impact the lives of the widows because many of them that were present at the event shared testimonies of how the NGO has helped them to start a new life after the loss of their husbands.
“Since inception, Goldcrest Family Centre has empowered more than 50,000 widows across Nigeria. We will continue to put smiles on their faces”, she said.
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Chairman of the GCFC, Mr Seinde Oladapo Fadeni said he was impressed by the joy expressed on the faces of the widows. He said the turnout was impressive.
According to him, God is always happy when an individual or organisation begins to take off the burden of the widows from them.
“The empowerment is ongoing. We are going to make sure that all the widows under the care of GCFC benefitted from the gesture”, he assured.
Meanwhile, Pastor Femi Paul said he was impressed with the good feedbacks GCFC management got from the widows.
The cleric said no matter the situation in the country, God will still find some people or organisations worthy of blessing the widows.
“What Goldcrest Family Centre is doing with the widow’s programme has a lot of spiritual meaning. God has a way of blessing all those that have contributed in one way or the other to ensure that the widows are happy”.
In her remarks, Reverend Success Oyewole explained further that the widows’ programme actually helped the leadership of the GCFC to know about the welfare of the widows. She advised the widows to engage in businesses that could add value to the society.
“None of you should despise your little beginning. That N100,000 given to you can go a long way in transforming your lives,” she stated.
Mrs. Goody Joseph advised the widows to stay away from living flamboyant lifestyles. She told a story of how she was able to navigate the struggles of life as a young lady.
One of the widows that spoke on behalf of her colleagues, Victoria Ogunkoya, said she had lost hope of a new life after the death of her husband.
According to her, the struggle to cater to the needs of her children ended about four years ago when she joined the Goldcrest Family Centre. And since then, she noted, she has been able to sustain her family through her little business, courtesy of Goldcrest Family Centre.
“I operated a provision store but shortly after the death of my husband, the business folded up because it was the only means of livelihood for the family and it was not enough to cater to our needs.
“So, when my husband died, I faced it all alone with my children that were still growing up. It was very difficult, but I got a little respite four years ago when I joined Goldcrest Family Centre and I have since been rescued from poverty and lack.”
The event was full of testimonies and praises but later became lively with the presentation of cash gift of N100,000 to each of the widows in attendance. Many of them also went home with Ankara fabrics.
