120 Widows Get Boost From Wellness & Empowerment Program

According to Ireporter Online, the Empower a Street Child Initiative (ESCI), through its Young Widows Wellness and Empowerment Project, has provided significant support to more than 120 widows aged 35 and below in Samonda, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Each beneficiary received over 10 kilograms of food palliatives, while seven widows were awarded N200,000 each in business grants. Additionally, 50 widows received free business name registrations, and 10 were provided with scholarships to support their children’s education.

Founder Oluwadara Olunaike-Talabi explained that the project was launched in celebration of her mother’s 60th birthday. She described her mother as “a woman whose life mirrors the realities faced by many beneficiaries,” highlighting that her mother was widowed at 31 and raised three children alone for 13 years before remarrying. Olunaike-Talabi said the initiative aims to transform her mother’s personal story into hope and resilience for others.

The program is designed to break cycles of vulnerability that often push widowed families further into poverty, while offering support to single mothers struggling under economic and emotional pressure. Olunaike-Talabi also emphasized the need for more women-focused outreach programs to safeguard children and foster an inclusive society, noting, “When we invest in widows, we protect their children from the streets. This is how we build a more inclusive Nigeria, one woman, one family, one future at a time.”

The initiative featured a panel session titled “Rising After Loss,” where speakers, including Dr. Gbonjubola Owolabi, Idowu-Agida, and Miss Mojolaoluwa Olunaike, discussed grief, emotional triggers, and the challenges of single parenting.

A beneficiary who received a business grant to revive her plantain trade expressed gratitude, explaining, “For six years, my business stopped because I had no capital. This is the first time anyone has truly seen me. Now I can provide again for my children.”