Widows Get Free Medicare, Grants, Empowerment Kits In Onitsha-North 2 Constituency 

Raymond Ozoji, Awka

Widows from various quarters in Onitsha-North 2 State Constituency have benefitted from the free medical services, financial assistance and empowerment schemes being provided by Hon. Edward Ibuzo Widows’ Foundation.

The women who thronged Christ Church Onitsha in their numbers were apparently elated over the kind gestures saying that it was the first time such level of magnanimity crossed their path since their husbands died.

They recounted their ordeals in single-handedly raising their families as well as grappling with the vicissitudes of life. Some of the widows whose husbands passed away few years after marriage said getting help from people for the upkeep of their families was like a Camel trying to force itself through the needle’s eye but Hon. Edward Ibuzo’s Widows’ Foundation according to them was a saving grace because some of them have been able to sustain their families through the grants and aids they received from the foundation.

Mrs. Ifeanyi Egbunike, 70, said the lawmaker’s intervention in widows’ plight had been very instrumental to the upkeep of her family expressing profound gratitude that the benefactor’s humane disposition was unprecedented.

Also Mrs. Matilda Okoli, 65, said she was happy that the lawmaker remembered widows because widows according to her faced excruciating experiences raising their families. She said since her husband died in 2015, it has not been rosy and fending for her family has been a great burden to her. She however noted that Hon. Edward Ibuzo Widows Foundation and Poverty Alleviation Programmes have been her source of help and hope in coping with the harsh realities of widowhood.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Nneka Achebe, woman leader of ward 11 Onitsha-North 2 constituency said the lawmaker’s compassion for widows knows no bounds because he has been empowering them with means of livelihood and sustenance before his election into the state assembly.

Mrs. Achebe emphasised that the lawmaker’s social welfare schemes for widows were not political but intended to enhance their  living conditions noting that Hon. Edward Ibuzo Widows Foundation has established businesses for widows and women in general in  the area . To this end , she said she would mobilize other women for the lawmaker’s re-election .

On his part, the benefactor and member representing Onitsha-North 2 state constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly Hon.Edward Obiefuna Ibuzo recalled how he lost his father at the tender age of 14 and how his mother passed through the murkey waters of life to fend for the family .

Ibuzo said he understands the blight cast on them as a result of their widowhood status but assured them that he would continue to intervene in the their situations to put smiles on their faces .

The lawmaker said he started empowering widows and women in his constituency with sewing machines , grinding machines and a host of other means of livelihood  long before he won his election into the 6th Anambra House of Assembly stressing that he knew what his mother went through as a widow .

He however emphasised that he was prepared to sponsor transport schemes as well as other empowerment schemes for widows in the constituency to ensure that none gnashed her teeth due to lack of funds and resources to fend for their families and loved ones pointing out that his welfare programmes for widows and women in general have no political undertone as it was borne out of his experiences in life and desire to give back to humanity.