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HEART for Widows International – Self-empowerment programs for widows

Empower Widows, Transform Lives

Meet Hallelujah and Her Mother Mary

In August, we first met Mary at our center. She was the one who made our creams and tried to sell cosmetic products. A tall, slender woman with a striking face, I recognized her from the photos. A few months ago, she was ill, and we were able to help her a little. Mary is talented and can use a sewing machine.

Recently, Mary has been absent from the center. We learned that she was desperately trying to raise money for her daughter’s education. On the day of our shop opening, Mary arrived late, looking utterly despondent. Her eyes were empty, filled with pain and hopelessness. I hugged her, trying to comfort her, but she was rigid with despair.

We asked her to come to the center with her daughter on Monday. My heart was heavy as I watched her leave with the others, walking home because the motorbike taxi, the Okada, was too expensive. I felt helpless, wondering if we were truly making a difference.

On Monday, Mary returned with her daughter. Her name is Hallelujah. She wants to study Computer Science and has passed the entrance exam. Hallelujah speaks clear and beautiful English, and I was immediately drawn to her. For just €200, she can start her studies in January, covering the cost for one year.

How You Can Help

Your donation can change the lives of widows and their children, just like Mary and Hallelujah. By supporting HEART for Widows International, you provide essential resources and hope to those in need.

Donate today and transform lives.

Donate to Project 'Hallelujah'

Meet Mama Florence

Mama Florence, an 82-year-old widow, has always been a beacon of resilience and determination. Despite suffering from arthritis, she used her old sewing machine to create shopping bags from old rice bags, which she sold at the market. This was her only source of income, allowing her to feed herself and maintain a semblance of independence.

One fateful day, while riding a motorbike taxi, Mama Florence fell, and her sewing machine was damaged beyond repair. The motorbike also fell on her legs, exacerbating her arthritis and making it even more difficult for her to walk. Her only means of earning a living was gone, and her situation seemed dire.

But then, a miracle happened. Thanks to the generosity of a kind-hearted donor, we were able to buy a new sewing machine for Mama Florence. Her gratitude is indescribable. With her new machine, she can continue to sew and sell her bags, ensuring she can support herself despite her physical challenges.

How You Can Help

Your donation can make a world of difference for widows like Mama Florence. By supporting HEART for Widows International, you provide essential resources and hope to those in need.

Donate today and transform lives.

Donate to Project 'Florence'

Meet Beatrice

Beatrice’s story is one of resilience and faith in the face of unimaginable hardship. On February 3rd, 2021, her home was demolished with just three hours’ notice. The house, built by her late husband, was a simple yet neat sanctuary where she raised her children. I remember visiting her in Kenya, seeing her modest home, her garden, and the little room of her son.

Beatrice’s home was among hundreds demolished by the railway company for a new project. Despite knowing the risks of building on the railway line, it was the only place they could afford. The sudden eviction left her with barely enough time to save a few belongings. Now, she sits by the fire, unsure of what to do next, with only the windows and tin from her mud hut salvaged.

Beatrice’s deep faith and hospitality have always been a blessing. She welcomed us with open arms, offering what little she had. Her story is a testament to the strength and grace of widows who face life’s toughest challenges.

How You Can Help

Beatrice needs our help to find a new home and make it inhabitable. She requires assistance to buy new furniture and other essentials. Her case is just one example of the numerous widows facing similar hardships.

Donate today and transform lives.

Donate to Project 'Beatrice'

With just one click, you can contribute to an emergency fund for life’s unexpected events. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps.

Empowering Widows in Nigeria

Since 2017, HEART for Widows International has been dedicated to empowering widows in Nigeria through our comprehensive training center. Here, widows acquire valuable skills such as soap making, sewing, baking, cloth dyeing, hairdressing, and more.

Our initiatives include:

Training Center: Widows learn various skills, enabling them to create products like toothpaste, leather bags, school bags, and more.

Community Shop: A platform where widows sell their handmade products and resell food items such as noodles, rice, thyme, chicken, and chicken feed.

Agricultural Production: On our four plots of land, widows cultivate various food and cash crops like corn, cassava, yam, ginger, banana, vegetables, and cocoa. They also sell garri from the cassava production.

Hotel Operations: Widows work at the organization’s hotel, rotating between farm work, shop duties, and hotel tasks. They handle cleaning jobs, shop for kitchen supplies, and assist the chefs with kitchen chores.

Bread Production: Our shop also produces bread buns, providing another source of income.

Through these activities, widows meet regularly, offering each other support, singing, praying, and assisting in times of need.

HEART for Widows International aims to create self-sustaining groups of widows who can work together, support each other, and earn a regular income to feed themselves and their children. Our successful model in Nigeria serves as a prototype that can be adapted and implemented in other countries.

Donate to Project 'Trainingscenter Akure'

Emergency aid Ukraine

Many widows and single mothers with their children have already fled Ukraine or are displaced within Ukraine. Widows are now in urgent need of shelter, blankets, food and drinking water. Please support the life-saving emergency aid with your donation.

HEART for Widows is a 501(c)(3) non governmental organization and is acknowledged for tax exemption by the IRS in the USA.

 


Widows are leaving Ukraine, out of fear and hopelessness to find a place where they feel safe. We help them to find shelter, and as well give them all kinds of support to settle in, finding ways through all the bureaucracy in the new countries and issues related to settlement. Our groups of widows are helping one another with the support of helpers, as it is easier to fight such battles as a group than standing all alone in despairs. Help us to reach many and make a difference.

Let’s stand together.