The Ambassadors Foundation has empowered no fewer than 20 Nigerian widows with cash grant with a promise of engaging them in trade.
The Foundation, based in Jonesboro in Arkansas, United States of America (USA) made the donation in collaboration with New Vision Ministry in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, Tuesday.
The President of the Foundation, Bishop Ani Jacob said the motivation of looking inwardly into the welfare of widows came while remembering what his mother went through when she lost her husband.
Jacobs, the General Overseer of Christ Ambassadors Ministry in the United States, said the foundation is an extension of the Church which has existed over five years empowering widows across continent.
“Empowering widows is part of my calling. My mother lost her husband when we were very young, she took care of all us totalling eight without any assistance from anybody. I saw how she suffered to take care of us and trained me and my siblings in the University.
“It was then that God revealed to me that I have a purpose to take care of widows. We have been doing this for the past five years consistently. My ministry in the United States of America has been supporting widows but it was not known until now.
“What really exposed our Foundation positively was, last year I saw a social media clip of a widow with three children that sat on the highway in Uyo crying because she did not have money to feed her kids. When I saw that clip from the United States, I asked someone to locate her for me, when they found her the Foundation sent her food, rented a descent apartment for her and sponsored her daughter in school. We also gave her money to start a business.
The Cleric said the cash grant was a sort of palliative to cushion the effects of hunger, adding that more empowerments would be coming their way soon to enable them start off businesses.
Also speaking, the General Overseer of New Vision Ministry in Akwa Ibom, Evangelist Tiebet Jacob commended the Ambassador Foundation for coming to the aid of poor widows who barely survived on the mercy of other people.
He said with collaboration of his Ministry, the empowerment would be extended to less privileges, assuring that skill acquisition programme would be organized to enroll young people who do not have means of livelihood.
“Today we partner with international organization called Ambassadors Foundation, an arm of Christ Ambassadors Ministry with Founder, Bishop Ani Jacobs. The Foundation is out to empower widows in Nigeria and so they decided to partner with us.
“We have been able to empower about 20 widows today and we believe that it’s not going to end today more other empowerments are coming. It is going to be extended to the less privilege, people who financially incapacitated in the society.
“We will also go into skill acquisition programme, to train people on different vocational skills. We will create a platform were we can gather those rooming around the street, talk to them and enroll them in any vocational skill of their choice,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ima Eziekel expressed happiness for the kind-hearted gesture the Foundation has shown, asking God to bless and grant them grace to do more.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Grace Jona thanked the Organization for remembering her as a widow who have been suffering for years without help from anybody, praying God to bless and sustain the Foundation.
