On the 23rd of June, International Widows’ Day, a day dedicated to highlighting widows’ challenges and injustices worldwide, advocating for policy changes and societal support, Lagos Food Bank Initiative marked the observation by supporting widows and beneficiaries of the Temporary Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) with an outreach, distributing nutritious food and personal care items to sustain their households.
Taking place at the food bank warehouse, the outreach was done in a timely fashion, kickstarting with a health talk on cholera prevention, and the importance of good personal hygiene for healthy living in the wake of an outbreak of the disease. Directly impacting the lives of widows in dire need of care and support during a period of harsh economic realities faced by millions of households surviving below the poverty line in low-income communities, the distribution delivered renewed hope in the lives of the beneficiaries who expressed their heartfelt gratitude and shared testimonials.
Highlighting her painful struggles faced since the death of her husband, a beneficiary of the distribution, Mrs. Olabisi, appreciated the food bank for their kindness to widows during such perilous times, emphasizing on the impact of helping them with their basic needs, as this has been a major challenge in recent times.
In his speech prior to the distribution exercise, the Executive Director/Founder of the food bank, Dr. Michael Sunbola, encouraged the widows present to remain resilient regardless of the economic situation of the nation, and assured them of the food bank’s commitment in supporting their various households, especially during times of difficulty.
The outreach was a huge success, putting priceless smiles on the faces of the widows, as they received their boxes of hope, a package capable of sustaining a family of 4 to 5 for 3 to 4 weeks.