Scores of young widows from three local government areas of Ekwusigo, Ihiala and Ogbaru, Anambra State on Friday received mentorship from WHAIAfrica to kickstart Global Mentoring Walk.
The programme which was part of the celebration of 2024 International Women’s Day was sponsored by Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF), in partnership with WHAIAfrica, a non governmental organization.
The event featured lectures on types of gender-based violence which includes physical, psychological, sexual and socio-economic violence, according to the resource person, Miss Chidimma Oramalu.
The participants were encouraged to report any of such gender-based violence to the appropriate quarters through an app made available to them for necessary action.
Addressing journalists, the executive director of the WHAIAfrica, Miss Nkechi Udegbuka said the inclusion of the young widows in the programme was born out of the desire to mentor them to grow their individual businesses and careers.
“We decided to inspire the widows and people living with disabilities. We selected young widows who are still struggling in their businesses. And we established women leaders not just in Anambra but nationwide and globally, some in Canada, USA and Nigeria.
“We mentor these young widows on how to grow their businesses and careers in the areas they have challenges. They need to receive proper mentorship to accelerate the growth of their businesses.
“These mentees are given proper orientation and they are guided to set up a one-year action plan, what they would like to achieve in the next one year and the kind of success they want to achieve.
“The mentor gives advice based on the action plan of the mentee.
“We partner with Sir Emeka Offor Foundation which provides the logistics for these people.
“We also have the Vital Voices in global partnership with headquarters in Washington DC and the initiator of Global Mentoring Walk founded by US former First Lady, Larry Clinton, “she disclosed.
The Coordinator of SEOF, Hon Tony Umeh in a short speech told the participants to see the programme as an opportunity to help themselves in their various businesses and other endeavours.
Some of the participants, Mrs Ezebuike Edith; Ogochukwu Igbokwe; Oraebosim Ngozi, among others in unison lauded the programme. They said they were able to learn new things in the mentorship session which they noted would help them to do better in their business activities.
They commended SEOF and the organizers of the event for remembering them.
