Government and kind-hearted people in society have been urged to come to the aid of helpless widows and senior citizens in the country.
Speaking at one-day forum organised in Lagos by Touch of Love and Lifting Hands Foundation, a Lagos-based non-governmental organisation, the CEO of the foundation, Atinuke Owolabi described the situation of some widows and senior citizens as pitiable and added that assistance from the government and well meaning Nigerians will go a long way in bringing succor to them.
“One thing is missing in the lives of these special but emotionally disturbed people and that is the absence of government intervention especially local and state governments. These poor widows and abandoned senior citizens felt like they have been marginalised and forgotten by the very institutions of government that is supposed to protect them. Most of these senior citizens are retirees, they gave their best to service of their father land while they were younger, now they are old, receiving their pension has become something difficult, thereby exposing them to untold hardship that is capable of driving them to early grave,” Awolabi added.
While commending the Federal Government for initiating programmes that will benefit the masses, he stressed the need for the government to ensure that such programmes get to those at the grassroots level.
“The Federal Government launched programmes such as the conditional cash transfer, trader and market moni among others, but such never get to the grassroots in some places,” Awolabi noted.
On the idea behind her venturing into caring for the poor widows and senior citizens, she said: “Personal experience made me have a firsthand knowledge on what boredom and loneliness can impact to the mental health of this group of people because, this cannot be observed from the physical being of an individual; it creates a silent killer to millions of widows and senior citizens in Lagos, and other parts of Lagos.”
Highlighting some of their activities at the foundation, she explained that the organisation takes care of the abandoned aged people, widows/widowers, the physically challenged and vulnerable girls in the society by providing them free medical check-ups and drugs; welfare package during festive periods.
However, she expressed interest in partnering with the office of Lagos State Civic Engagement, adding, “More so, we seek to collaborate in areas of policy formulation, capacity building and lobbying in pushing for workable laws and reforms that will protect special people and the aged people in our state wherever they are.”
According to her, “Such collaboration will also bring to the fore and further improve on their delivery of more efficient service to the need in the state.”
In her response, the Special Adviser, Lagos State Office of Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale commended the organisers of the event, saying she was impressed by all the projects that have been executed and still in the fore by the foundation.
In that vein, she announced a partnership between Touch of Love and Lifting Hands Foundation and also assured that she will take the message of the plight of abandoned widows and neglected aged people to the governor and the wife.
Ngozi Okpalakunne
