By Bridget Ikyado
The Nikki Udezue Foundation on Monday, unveiled a project targeted at supporting widows andf out-of-school children in the country.
The founder, Mrs Nkiru Udezue, said in Abuja that she was inspired to begin the project by her experience during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“It was born out of genuine concern for Nigerians after going through the 2020 COVID ordeal, of which my husband and I were caught up in the pandemic.
“While in isolation, taking care of my husband who was in a very critical condition, i thought to myself that some of us still think this pandemic was a joke and some people died because we weren’t first truthful to ourselves.
“We needed to learn how to show love to our neighbours; I felt reassured that I was on the right path.
“As I turn 40 years today, I will like history to remember me with the lives I have impacted on”, she said.
Udezue said that the project would provide skills to widows and take back vulnerable and indigent children back to school.
She said widows deserve love and support of the people, because of the “pains after the demise of their husbands with no plan, no friend, no concern, or support from families”.
She said that the foundation would work with individuals and organisations to provide help to people in dire need for assistance.
“We are desirous of making deeper impact in more communities, creating great partnership and continue strengthening the structure of NUF,” she said.
Udezue added that the foundation which was focused on empowering the poor and sending vulnerable children back to school, also planned to assist children in need of critical medical aid.
The founder of NUF said Nigerians needed to make the country better by dealing with inherent challenges rather than thinking of relocating.
“We have to create the change and enabling environment we desire by finding out the issues and tackling them,” she said.
Udezue pledged that the foundation would be transparent, build focused partnership, and be honest and resilient in the discharge of its mandate.
In a keynote address, Mrs Alanyingi Timipre-Sylva, wife of the Minister of State Petroleum, spoke on the topic “Non-Profit organizations: Bridging the gap between the people and the government”.
She said every NGO should consider as critical, the training of development communicators who will translate and propagate its programmes.
“We should be able to convey critical development information and navigate cultural nuances vital to the communities and their families.
” This could be health care, climate change or child development”, she said.
Mrs Sylva also said we should be able to train and equip sizeable number of voluntary development interpreters with the required skills and techniques needed to advance their career .
She added that it would also engage community and other stakeholders differently for sustainable change in any system where policy and action interpreters in family life and community development practices.
Mrs Kenneth-Francis Edoama spoke on the topic: “The Nexus between the SDGs and the Nigerian child,”.
She said NGOs perform a variety of services for social wellbeing either through implementing development projects or through policy advocacy.
“NGOs facilitate government polices to reach remote areas and enhance the overall effectiveness of social welfare schemes.” she said.
The event which had many well wishers and partners in attendance, also presented the foundation’s 2023 strategic plan.