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Widows of slain police officers supported by US-based charity

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

In a display of compassion and commitment towards the surviving families of fallen heroes of the Nigeria Police Force, a US-based charity organisation, Kedrick Scribner Foundation has flagged-off the long awaited edition of its Widow’s Mite 3.0 in Lagos, Nigeria.

The grand event, which took place Sunday, January 7, 2024, at the United Church of Christ in Nigeria, A.K.A. HEKAN, Mounted Troops Police Barracks, Ikeja, had widows of the fallen heroes gracing the occasion alongside their children.

These families were carefully selected from different barracks within the Lagos State metropolis, which includes the Mounted Troops Police Barracks, Ikeja, Police Barracks, Obalende, Mopol 20 Police Barracks, Ikeja, Mopol 22, Police Barracks, Alapere, Police Barracks, Idimu and Highway Police Barracks, Ikeja.

Building on the successes of the previous edition of the Widow’s Mite 1.0 and 2.0, this third edition solidifies the foundation’s commitment to supporting the underprivileged.

Past successes of the foundation also include Widow’s Mite 1.0, which provided essential items to over 80 widows. These items include, 25kg of rice, 1 gallon of cooking oil, sauces, spices, dried milk, flour, and canned goods. Additionally, about 1000 people were fed, after the Sunday church service.

Similarly, the Widow’s Mite 2.0, offered a three days of events, featuring medical testing, free medical insurance for 180 Widows of the Fallen Heroes, with 25 fully paid scholarships granted to the children of the widows to study at federal universities in Nigeria, for a period of four-years. During the event, about 2000 people were fed after the Sunday church service.

The third edition of the Widow’s Mite 3.0 witnessed the inauguration of the Kedrick Scribner Vocational Center, a testament to the Foundation’s dedication to widows’ empowerment in Nigeria. The center, promises to offer sewing vocational training and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for the widows and their children.

A 6-month certificate course in sewing, covering pattern cutting, dressmaking, and traditional wears making will be featured in the Vocational Training centre. Trained widows will have access to sewing machines to support their families by crafting clothing for sale. Additionally, a 3-month computer application course will be offered, covering beginner basic computer training to advanced-level skills.

The Chief Executive Officer of Kedrick Scribner Foundation, Dr. Kedrick Scribner, who is a Minister of the gospel and in Law Enforcement in the United States, while expressing delight over the success of the event shared his motivation for supporting families of the falling heroes in Nigeria:

He said: “I grew up in a home, with 4 siblings. My mother was a single parent, we lived in the projects in Baltimore city, which is one of the most dangerous projects in Baltimore city called ‘Murphy Home ‘.

“My mother worked for Social Security Administration for 50 years, and that is where I got my work ethic from.

“So growing up, we were poor, but my mother maintained a good home as where there is food on the table, clothes on our backs and made sure that we went to school.

“This is what has engrained in me to help those that are not as fortunate as myself, because I understand the plight of being poor and I understand what it is like to not be able to have very much and to have your mother go out and slave, just so she could provide something on the table for her children.”

Kedrick Scribner Foundation also provided the sum of two million naira (2,000,000) to HEKAN church, Mounted Troops Police Barracks, to support the education of children of the fallen heroes, and orphans in the HEKAN community. Monies provided were solely for the children’s school uniforms, books and tuition fees at the HEKAN school.

Dr Scribner, speaking to the press in Lagos, called on individuals, organisations and government institutions to contribute towards supporting the Widows of the Fallen Heroes, Orphans and the people living in the Valley.

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