NSIT IBOM
Women especially widows have been advised not to literary die with their husbands or see the death of their husbands as the end of the world. The village head, Oboetim Nsit in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area, Eteidung Imobong Duff Akpan gave the charge recently in a goodwill message he delivered at the African Heritage Women in Education and Empowerment, AHWEE programme held at Noah Udo Inyang Junction, Oboetim Ikot Ekong to mark the 2024 International Women’s Day Celebrations. The theme of the event, ‘invest in women: accelerate progress’, which aligns with the United Nations theme for the 2024 celebration marks AHWEE’s 4th edition of the celebration in Nigeria. AHWEE is a United States based nongovernmental organisation, NGO with special accreditation from the United Nations Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC. Its main goal is to empower women and families and create positive change in the society. Eteidung Duff specifically commended the progenitor of the AHWEE foundation for her foresight in providing for widows in the area and beyond even as he commended the matriarch of the Noah Inyang family, Deaconess Affiong Noah Inyang for her steadfastness after the death of her husband many years ago. The result of her uncommon steadfastness the royal father said was the reason the community gathers yearly to celebrate women and motherhood nothing that if she was not a God fearing woman she would have scattered her children so that she could pursue worldly pleasures at the expense of her children’s’ proper upbringing. Also speaking , the chairman, village council, Obotim Ikot Ekong , Isaiah Frank Akpan used the occasion to warn families in the area to discard the idea of disposing widows of their husbands properties in the name of tradition stressing that the culture was not only unscriptural and archaic but also very retrogressive. Akpan, a retired police officer urged children from the area to emulate what the children of the late Noah Inyang Udoh was doing in the community by coming back home to touch the lives of their people. He pleaded with the state governor and his wife to support what AHWEE was doing to sustain and expand it for the glory of the state. In her goodwill message, the wife of a former governor of the state, Deaconess Mosunsola Nkanga had commended AHWEE for her noble act of empowering hardworking widows through the flagging off of the 2024 planting season and farmland allocation. Nkanga, an indigene of the area said the celebration was in consonant with the theme of the 2024 international women’s day celebration and that of Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE AGENDA which is aimed at propelling the state’s socio economic growth and transformation of the lives of the citizensG Speaking, Mrs Elsie Udofia of Redemption FM, Abak said the day was a very big day for women all over the world as it was set aside by the United Nations to celebrate women in all strata of life in the society. Udofia, who was the chairman on the occasion, commended the president of the foundation, Mrs Etop Okokon for the farm and the medical centre that AHWEE has so far provided for women in the community believing that more was coming as the organisation was poised to do more for the society. The ace broadcaster, who is the national president of Adiaha Obong Secondary School Old Girls Association thanked God for making Mrs Okokon a woman saying that women were God’s special creations who are given to positive impacts in their environment. She challenged the girl child to make use of all legitimate opportunities open to them. In her speech on the occasion, the president and founder of AHWEE, Mrs Etop Victor Okokon said the event was the 4th edition in Nigeria averring that the body was going from strength to strength in using the platform to advocate for a better treatment of women in accordance with United Nations Commission on the Status of Women with the focus this year being on our ‘hardworking widows’. The latest data from the UN Women she said shows that the number of widows was increasing and with that comes more suffering. “Widows still face an uphill struggle for their voice to be heard and for justice and fairness in their lives. “Widows endure daily obstacles and are at the forefront of gender discrimination as they face double discrimination “Their properties like land, houses and more are taken away “They suffer sexual abuse and rape” Many cultural practices according to her blame widows for their husband’s death and are stigmatised by their communities. “Issues affecting widows are still widespread even though there are laws that are meant to protect them. “ There is no doubt that most of you here have recognised or experienced the inhumane behaviour towards widows and their children in our society but I tell you that I am a living testimony of the plight of a widow as I was raised by one . “At this very soil designated as part of the WIDOWs Farmers Depot was my mother physically beaten and many times verbally and emotionally humiliated but by God’s grace she pulled through. “My siblings and I are the product of her resilience. ‘Mma Inyang sosongo’, we love and celebrate you and all the widows today and always. You are phenomenal” Today’s event , she reiterated symbolises hope somewhere in one corner of state and beyond insisting that for the wife of the governor to celebrate widows gives them hope and comfort in this very challenging time. Many organisations she pointed out are fighting to help widows lead a better life and AHWEE she said is proud to be one of them emphasizing that these organisations though they are making inroads needs more assistance from the government, public, and private entities for improved legislation, access to funding and supportive programmes in order to effect the change that would better the lives of our widows and children for sustainable communities. The president of AHWEE, Etop Okokon is a strong advocate of gender equity and believes that women have a crucial role to play in leadership and making the world a better place. She encourages women to take on influential roles and empowers them through health, educational and economic initiatives Highpoints of the event was the inspection farm produce harvested by widows from the AHWEE farm and the allocation of farmlands to new beneficiaries.
Mrs Elsie Udofia inspecting farm produce from the AHWEE Widows’ farm during the 2024 International Women’s Day Celebration held by the foundation in Obotim Ikot Ekong, Nsit Ibom local government area recently.
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