Support for Widows Day 2017
Our Dearly Beloved Helper, Be the Miracle! May, 2017
RE: SUPPORT FOR WORLD WIDOWS DAY 2017: “NIGERIA’S REFLECTION”
Over 3,847,000 widows in Nigeria; often hungry, disadvantaged, insecure and living in filthy apartments NEED YOUR HELP. Their over 8 million fatherless children are seriously affected too by the trauma of their mother’s widowhood stigma. Boldness becomes a spirit they must acquire not to walk away from their pain. They seek all the help they can get from people like you and I…will your heart be moved to be their M-I-R-A-C-L-E?
SERENDIPITY HOUSE & GODS WIVES INTERNATIONAL (GWI) MANDATE:
Every Tuesday each week, third (3rd) Saturdays of every month and 4 BIG EVENTS yearly namely – February 14 tagged “Valentine’s Day Caring Hearts”; April Easter Picnic/Retreat tagged “Recovery Time”; June 23rd tagged “WORLD WIDOWS DAY” and December 13th tagged “End of Year Party” GWI fulfills its mandate to all widows under our canopy and other such organizations in Nigeria caring for widows.
The 1st World Agenda on Widowhood Development in Africa 2017 – Tuesday 4th of April
WIDOWHOOD:
There are 258 Million Widows and 584 Million fatherless children in the world over.
Nigeria has an estimated 3,531,682 Million Widows according to the 2015 World Widows Report by the Loomba Foundation. In Nigeria, there are about 3.650,000 (three million, six hundred and fifty million). The numbers keep rising by the minute. More widows are dying for lack of support to continue, leaving their children orphaned, homeless, uneducated and without adequate security.
Worst affected by conflict and insurgency are widows in Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Syria, northeast Nigeria, southeast Niger, west Chad and north Cameroon. In Sub-Saharan Africa the worst conditions are faced by evicted and abandoned widows with dependants and by those caught up in Ebola areas, exacerbated by traditional ‘cleansing’ rituals.
Widows with only female children and child widows aged between 10 and 17 face severe discrimination in many developing countries. Social norms around sexual behavior remain counterproductive with extreme poverty as a driver of ‘exchange sex’ and ‘survival sex’ relationships and poor quality healthcare.
Widows in developed countries are also affected by welfare cuts and increased insecurity.
About Us
Dr Mrs Maggie Ibru has been working with Serendipity House for 15 years, since 2001. She has fed, given her hall for use till 2011 when Chief OLANIYAN: Chairman, Victory High School took over.
By God’s design, a wife is to be the special object of her husband’s love and care. As “a weaker vessel” (1 Pet. 3:7), she is under his authority and protection.
But if a woman loses her husband, she is often left without any means of financial support. Such women are under God’s special care. The psalmist said the Lord is “a defender
of widows” (Ps. 68:5, NIV; cf. Deut. 10:18). God’s compassion goes out to them because of their difficult situation. And Scripture reveals that has always been God’s attitude toward widows.
God’s Wives (by Serendipity)is organized to minister to the needs of widows and to assist churches in helping widows of all ages, races, and religious backgrounds to overcome problems in their life’s journey.
Our Mission
To ease the burdens of widows and their children.
To provide support for widows through the grieving process and beyond
To provide life transition resources and immediate connection which will facilitate the healing process
To enlighten communities by creating awareness to foster the rebuilding of the lives of these widows
To encourage communities to embrace and we uplift the widows as they try to pick up the pieces of their lives
Our Vision: Equipping Communities with necessary information to cater, encourage and advance the cause of widows
To provide a strong network of widows.
Empowering widows by encouraging the sharing of experiences.
To open the door of a safe haven for widows
To provide short term sheltering
To engage them in living and loving again…
To ensure they do not go through their experience alone, but with life-long connections and lasting support.
To provide counsel, guidance and an avenue for good rapport
To show understanding, offer a listening ear and provide an enabling environment in which widows can freely express themselves
To provide emotional, physical, spiritual, emotional and financial support for the widows