Mary-Maudlin Uzoamaka Nwifuru: Defender of Women, Children

First Lady Of The Year

As the First Lady of Ebonyi State, Mrs. Mary-Maudlin Uzoamaka Nwifuru is toeing the footpath of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Upon the inauguration of her husband as the governor of the state in 2023, she came up with a definite agenda of bettering the lot of the poor and vulnerable.

Her undying passion to alleviate the plight of the downtrodden, creating awareness to end gender-based violence, advocating for victims oppression, supporting second chance education for indigenes of Ebonyi state, especially those in the rural areas, gave rise to her pet project – Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Persons Foundation, which was launched on November 15, 2023.

With this special purpose vehicle, she has taken the gospel of better life for rural women, children and men, to the nooks and crannies of the state. The landscape of Ebonyi is dotted with her initiatives on healthcare, education, community development, women and youth empowerment, with evidences of rapid response to crisis and relief, cultural preservation and heritage as well as advocacy and awareness creation.

In collaboration with the State Ministry of Health, she has enhanced consciousness on breast and cervical cancer amongst women and girls in the state. She also enrolled 100 sickle cell warriors in the health insurance scheme of the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency, organized de-worming programme where children were given drugs and palliatives; and also officially launched the Severe Acute Malnutrition Centre at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Abakaliki

In a long time to come, the people of Ebonyi will not forget that through her Foundation, Mrs. Nwifuru sponsored surgery for 130 scrotal hernia patients from across the state. Again, in collaboration with the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, she provided free camping and vaccination for Human Papilloma Virus sufferers. Young girls between nine and 15 years benefited from the gesture.

Mrs. Nwifuru is a campaigner against human trafficking, advocate of healthcare access, child welfare and gender balance. She detests any form of abuse and exploitation of children. To amplify this, she facilitated the establishment of children’s parliament in the state.

The Board of Editors chose her as the winner of The Sun First Lady of the Year Award for 2024.