First Lady of Nasarawa state, Hajiya Salifat Abdullahi A. Sule on Monday donated items worth over N5 million to 300 widows and orphans in the state to mark the end of the year 2020.
Speaking at the distribution in Lafia, the state First Lady said the beneficiaries include 150 widows and 150 orphans carefully selected from the 13 Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state.
The First Lady donated the items through her foundation, Salifat Abdullhi Sule (SAS) Hope Foundation which has in the last one year seven months carried out empowerment programmes for youths and women with the aim of making them self reliant through skills acquisitions.
The First Lady explained that the gesture was aimed at cautioning the hardship being faced by widows and orphans as a result of deaths of their bread winners and the economic downturn occasioned by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Salifat also said “Parents should take the education of the girl-child seriously in order to make their lives worthwhile.
The First Lady explained that the era of not sending the girl-child to school has since passed and urged parents to ensure that the education of girl-child is given priority like that of the male child.
She also frowned at the increasing cases of rape and defilement in the society, adding that, “perpetrators should be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.”
The state commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Halima Jabiru, commended the First Lady for the gesture.
She said the gesture by the first lady was part of efforts by the government to deliver on its promises to better the conditions of women and children, especially the vulnerable.
Also speaking separately, Wife of the ALGON Chairman and Chairperson of Local Government Chairmen Wives’ Association in Nasarawa State, Zainab Aminu Muazu Maifata and the Former Secretary to the State Government, Dr Zainab Ahmed both applauded the efforts of the First Lady in empowering youth and women, girl-child education and the fight against Gender Based Violence.
In a keynote address on Gender, the Director Gender Studies, Nasarawa State University Keffi, Dr Hauwa Mainoma called on parents to always support their female wards in their educational pursuit as it is one way of reducing gender based violence.
Highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of food stuffs such as rice and wheat flour, exercise books, bags and wrappers to benefitting widows and orphans.
