NGO empowers 30 widowsA non-governmental organisation, Feed The Vulnerable Families in Nigeria (FTVF) initiative has presented cash and food items to over 30 widows in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Speaking at Bashorun Ojoo High School, Bodija on Sunday, Assistant Team Lead of the initiative, Hamid Olaniyi, explained that the gesture was aimed at assisting vulnerable widows who find it hard to cater for themselves after losing their husbands.
While 30 persons benefitted from the outreach in Ibadan, Olaniyi said about 50 persons each benefitted from the outreach which was held simultaneously in Lagos, Osun, Abuja, Kano, Kwara and Ogun.
At the event, a moment of silence was held in honour of one of the beneficiaries whom Olaniyi pointed out, who recently died recently after registering with the initiative.
Speaking further, he said: “For our empowerment initiative not to have any mix-ups, we centralised the system by separating all beneficiaries under six relationship officers. Each officer would have to cater for their members’ benefits and jobs. We have five beneficiaries per relationship officer.
“We are not politicians, we are a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, our goal is to provide help and support for those who require it the most. We would never ask you for any benefit in return for whatever help and support we render to you.
“This month’s program is strictly for widows and our organisation is not meant for the Muslims alone, we have few Christians among the volunteers and the beneficiaries.”
He added that the initiative will be back to the community again to train beneficiaries in different skills, entrepreneurship, and business enterprises.
He noted that: “Feed The Vulnerable Families in Nigeria (FTVF) is a clan of young and upwardly mobile individuals who are committed to solving problems locally and globally.
“We intend to move to more states. At the moment, our organisation is in 27 states, we have volunteers in the North, South-West and we are currently working to reach the South-South and the South-East where we presently lack presence at the moment.”
One of the relationship officers, Shukuralillah Yusuf, in her opening remarks said FVTF has held monthly empowerment programmes since 2014 including ‘peptic ulcer aid’, ‘urgent medical care,’ ‘give them water’, ‘no child sleeps hungry’, ‘visits to individuals with special needs, Ramadan feeding projects, Sadaqat jariyah, ’emergency/disaster response,’ ‘widow empowerment,’ ‘free vocational training,’ ‘educational needs (Educare),’ among others.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Moturayo Adekunle, a tailor who resides at Moniya, appreciated and prayed for members of the organisation for the gesture.
