The Centre for Defence of
Windows Rights in Nigeria (CEDWIN) and the National Agency for the
Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on Fridaydonated materials to
empower widows Abuja
The gesture was part of
the event organized by CEDWIN to commemorate the 2017 International
Widows Day at Access Park in the nation’s capital.
Over 150
widows, drawn for the six area councils in the territory, benefited from
the items which include clothing materials, bags of rice, as well as
other food items, and Sewing Machines.
The Director General of
CEDWIN, Chinyere Onah, said that there empowerment was necessary to
secure the future of widows and their dependants.
“If you help
and empower a widow, you have actually secured the future of her
children possible vulnerability, including human trafficking.
“We
are actually doing this to commemorate the International Widows Day
which was held on June 23, but because our Muslim widows ere fasting, we
decided to postponed it to today.
“This is our own way of identifying with them and to also remind them that widowhood is a call to responsibility.
“We are celebrating with them and empowering them as well in collaboration with NAPTIP,”she said.
Onah therefore
commended NAPTIP for identifying with her organisation in its quest for
fighting the course of widows across Nigeria.
She noted that the
donation of sewing machines to the widows by NAPTIP was timely and
crucial, as it would assist indigent widows trained in tailoring to
start off their own business.
The Director General of NAPTIP, Mrs
Okah Donli, who handed the Sewing machines to the CEDWIN boss on
behalf of the widows said the agency was committed to the empowerement
of vulnerable women.
“The National Agency for the Prohibition of
Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) is an Agency of the Federal Government
of Nigeria with the mandate to fight trafficking in persons.
“Supporting CEDWIN will go a long way in reducing the vulnerability of widows and their families to human trafficking.
“CEDWIN
has over the years improved the lives of this vulnerable group and it
is our prayer that God will continue to provide and strengthen the work
of your organisation,”she said.
CEDWIN which started in 2012, is
an advocacy NGO which protects the right and welfare of Widows and
vulnerable children across Nigeria.
It empowers widow, and provide legal protection for them against abuse and all forms dehumanizing cultural practices.
The 2017 annual CEDWIN event was attended by women rights activists, volunteers and representatives of similar organizations.