From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
In the spirit of Christmas, the Excellent Care Foundation has showered gift items on 250 widows in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The widows who were given wrappers and tubers of yam during the annual conference of the foundation in Onitsha, were charged to remain steadfast with God who is their author and finisher of their faith.
The conference attracted women of God such as the President of Brethren Gathering Ministry, Obosi; Bishop Elisha Ezenekwe, the Bishop of Showers of Blessing International Ministry, Dr Glory Chy Abugh, the Founder/Vision Coordinator of Women the Trail Blazer Outreach, Pastor (Dr.) Sandra Eseka, Deputy Chief Registrar, Customary Court of Appeal Anambra state, Genevieve C. Osakwe, as well as a gospel singer, Sister Amakwa Chukwu Abraham.
Initiator of the programme, Rev. Zeal Festus said the annual conference was a time the foundation empowers widows tagged “Joy for the widows” and a time to talk about saving and keeping good homes and families.
“The programme started seven years ago. In this year’s programme, we are empowering 250 widows and over 750 widows had been empowered over the years.
“It was a passionate calling from God that motivated me for doing the programme. I want the widows to be happy, I want them to be fulfilled despite that their physical husbands were no longer there, let them know that there is superiority which is God who is still taking care of them.
“I started this programme with my husband, we are the chief sponsor of the programme and we are looking for other sponsors. I’m calling on government to see what I’m doing, like I said it is a vision with passion, I need others to grab the passion so that we can stretch it up and make it bigger.
“Most of the times, I organize skill acquisition programmes and after the training I empower them with sewing machines which is also done every year apart from this conference and Christmas gifts. We train them in tailoring, catering and cooking, cosmetology etc. We bring people that are specialists in different felids to train the widows for between three to six months after which they start their own to earn a living. I want the government to come and partner with the foundation in this direction to make the widows self-reliants,” Festus demanded.
She noted that the impact and influence of woman in building a happy home cannot be overemphasized, saying that to a great extent women play significant role in building a happy home.
She said that to build a home, a woman should bear in mind the purpose for which she was created and set for herself definite goals to fulfill that purpose, saying that a wise woman builds her home while the foolish woman pulls it down.
“A lot of homes are in shambles with husband and the wife going in different directions on issues relating to the family. Many wayward and morally disgruntled children are products of the family these days. Tragically, in today’s society, poor value is placed on the family, and this seems an unimportant obligation to some. In the most extreme cases, where relationship in the homes is not well managed, breakdown of the homes arises leading to divorce cases.
“In recent times, our society continual focus on material wealth has been a key factor influencing many women in becoming freed from their status as homemakers. The rising need to be a career woman has made many women to accept jobs in the corporate world. For lots of women, who cannot manage both the home front and the job without one affecting the other, this decision has denied many of happy homes,” Festus said.
She said that the foundation during the conference organized its annual beauty queen contest otherwise known as Excellent Queen where Miss Miracle Edem from Awka Ibom State emerged winner, saying that the contest was to catch the young girls early for Christ in order to use their beauty to propagate and promote the gospel of God.
In his sermon, Apostle Christian Offor admonished the widows and other women to carry themselves like Deborah in the Bible by living a righteous life and keeping their body holy as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Some of the widows, Fidelia Izuogu, Udo Ezerem, Margaret Ezenwa expressed happiness over the gift items and prayed God to continue to bless Rev. Festus.
“This woman of God has been putting smiles onto our faces for many years. It is due to her large heart and her spirit of given not because of her richness, there are other wealthy people in the society that cannot help anybody, but Rev. Festus with the little she has always provide for us and remember the widows every year. We pray God to keep her alive and always provide for her and her family for providing for the widows.”
The winner of Excellent Queen, Miss Edem, an 18-year-old girl, said that nine persons contested and she emerged the winner, promising to live a passionate life and to touch other people’s life.