By Blessing Odega
The Scarlet Cord Initiative (SCI), a non-governmental organisation, has empowered 82 widows in Kachia Local Government Area (LGA) of Southern Kaduna with skills, grants and trauma counselling.
SCI Patron, Prof. Sunday Agang, made the disclosure in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Jos.
He said the gesture was aimed at helping the widows rebuild their lives following the deaths of their husbands in violent attacks.
Agang noted that healing was paramount, adding that the NGO conducted a free trauma counselling session because “trauma freezes and makes the future scary” for the widows.
He stressed that sustainable recovery for the region depended on holistic support for its most vulnerable and called for expanded partnerships to increase humanitarian presence.
Similarly, Ms Mercy Anku, a facilitator at the event, explained that women who are still counting their losses cannot focus on business profits, which is why the session commenced with trauma counselling.
She added that participants were also trained in financial literacy, business management and transforming skills into viable products.
The Executive Director of SCI, Mrs Esther Badung, appealed for partnerships, noting that traditional aid is often insufficient.
“Aid is like a painkiller. Real empowerment is the cure,” she said, adding that major aid programmes often bypass remote communities.
She called for collaboration with other charities, faith-based organisations and government agencies to provide sustained support, startup capital and educational opportunities.
Badung said participants developed detailed plans for specific enterprises such as food processing, poultry farming or nursery gardening. The two-day training commenced on Jan. 30 and ended on Jan. 31. (NAN)
Edited by Peter Amine
