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Akinsola Omidire
Succour came the way of 100 widows recently in Lagos when a group, Vocaskill International, organised a workshop and empowerment seminar for them, tagged WINOWID 2019.
It was held in conjunction with the Lagos State Ministry for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
That day, widows from across the state converged on the Women Development Centre, Agege-Ogba, to partake in the programme. Facilitators and instructors were on hand to educate participants in various vocational skills. There were theory and practical sessions. Canopies and chairs were provided at the back of the auditorium with materials in place. Various vocational skills like cake making, soap, insecticide and perfume production, among others, were taught.
Speaking at the event, chairman of Vocaskill International, Dr. Matthias Ajose, affirmed that what started as a dream and passion was being transformed into reality.
Ajose said: “The first gathering of widows by Vocaskill International is our vital first-step contribution to the promotion, protection and respect for their rights across all facets of life.”
He reiterated that the day was an occasion to call attention to the challenges women in the country face on the death of their husbands, irrespective of their age, and with young children to raise as a single parent while also coping with grief.
He said the event was a forum to appreciate women for the work they do in communities across the state. He assured the women of Vocaskill’s commitment to advancing opportunities for widows, increase their access to education and employment opportunities as well as lives free of gender-based violence.
Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Lola Akande, who was represented by the director of women affairs, Mrs. Falana, said her ministry’s partnership with the organisation would produce a firm synergy that the widows could leverage on and turn their lives around.
Director, Vocaskill Widows Forum, Mrs. Olubunmi Allen, said what played out at the event was a tip of the iceberg. She said there were other programmes in the offing that would benefit widows, including monthly meetings where widows would get follow-up on the skills they had learnt and given further assistance.
“Most of them are old, that is why we need to monitor them,” she said, explaining that the women would be divided into groups to do monthly joint savings that would be picked by one individual each month.
Representative of the Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Adenike Ademowo, said the programme was all about women, widows that need help. Ademowo opined that, with the training and skills received by the women, they were being empowered to live a better life.
Her words: “You don’t need to depend on people all the time. With N1,000, you can produce liquid soap and sell in small portions like N50 or N100. You don’t even need a shop; just put it in front of your house and people will buy, because everybody needs soap.”
Some of the guests at the programme included Mrs. Tolulope Omitosin, Mrs. Olayinka Bamgbose and Pastor Dotun Adefowokan.
