US-based philanthropist offers empowerment to 75 Widows in Anambra

A US-based Philanthropist and the wife of the Obosi traditional Prime Minister, Chief Mrs Irene Anigbogwu, has given a fresh breath of life to no fewer than 75 indigent widows of Mmakwum village in Obosi, in Idemili North local government area of Anambra State.

She said that the gesture was part of her activities in supporting her husband the Iyasale Obosi Anibogwu in his humanitarian services to the entire communities.

Anibogwu said that since her husband became a titled High chief in the community as ozo Chiadikaobi in 2015 before finalising the process of being the Traditional Prime Minister of the community in 2016 that she has been exposed to seeing various degrees of hardship people pass through on regular basis.

She said that her heart felts like candle wax on seeing extreme hardship widows pass through to ensure that their children are well cared for and felt that she needs to complement her husband’s philanthropic gestures by putting smiles on faces of the widows in her immediate environments.

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“ My husband Iyasele spends volumes of money yearly in empowering the indigent persons in the community but I choose to narrow my support to widows in my immediate environment so as to touch more lives in a different way

“ Am just complimenting that aspect of community development and empowerment my husbands engage in my own little way, “she said.

“ As a woman I feels its good efforts to provide succor to the needy, especially widows because it is not easy to raise a good home alone it is difficult when the man of the home is around then imagined when the burden is on a shoulder and a woman for that, is not a wish at all, ” she said.

Anibogwu said that she cultivated the habits of giving a soft loan to the widows and edible gifts as well during festivities as a show of love to her fellow co-wives and to encourage them to be strong and devise means of sustaining their lives. “ I choose the period of festivity in sharing the love with my mates because at such moments those who are solely on their own terms to reflect on their past good memories and shed tears of neglects so it is a period of sharing and upliftment as well.”

She said that this gesture has been on for over five years and that she feels happier to celebrate Christmas and new year with her mates in such euphoria and urges other women who are economically blessed to schedule a period to extend hands of fellowship with less blessed in their mist.

Anibogwu disclosed that back in the United States of America where she resides that widows over there mostly Nigerians in their union do enjoy same gesture from her during Yuletide seasons and she feels that same human milk should be extended to her community women.

She said that due to the downturn in the nation’s economy, lots of people especially the widows are battling hard to make ends meets as a way of support and encouragement so this my little support was to less privilege in our mist to celebrate the yuletide with their children.

Anibogwu said that she has no political ambition or ulterior motive in her laudable charity works but stressed that as far as she lives she will continue to maintain the momentum by God’s grace.

Some of the beneficiaries, Mrs Edith Chiemenam, a widow said that Anibogwu has consistently remembered the widow in the village any time she visits home and prayed for God’s blessing upon her family.

Chiemenam said that Anibogwu had shown them great love and oneness without showing off affluence, more importantly, her words of encouragement to them has made them trust more on themselves.

“ As the president of the women union and Otu Ifunanya women dance Obosi I have met lost of wealthy women in the community Anibogwu our stands all with her humility and wiliness to support meaningfully at all times.

Chiemenam said that an award was presented to the philanthropist in recognition of her humanitarian gestures and philanthropic disposition to members of the Union and widowhood.

In a remark, her husband, Iyasele Obosi Chief Austin Collins Anibogwu said the philanthropy of his wife, Irene in the development and empowering of the windows in the community will remain indelible.

He urged other women who are well placed not to live as others do not exist but should emulate his wife bold step in making lives bearable for indigent people around them as posterity would record such kindness for them.