WIDOWS AND DISADVANTAGED WOMEN IN FARMING – WIFARM AID PROGRAM
It was the great scientist, Albert Einstein who said that “Men cannot solve problems created by men — no matter how much they believe they can.” Riding on this, I am inclined to believe that relieving widows of the burdens our patriarchal society placed on then requires the methodical empowerment of women and widows by not giving them handouts but by placing in their hands, skills, and tools for economic independence.
This tool is in Agriculture, especially for the widows in the most vulnerable social bracket.
At the very subsistence level, farming has enabled many families survive. And semi-mechanized levels, it has, and it’s still, helping a significant number break the vicious poverty circle to education and then prosperity.
We are aware of the huge potentials that Nigeria has in Agriculture and the roles women have played at family unit levels towards ensuring food sufficiency.
Our new initiative is therefore to leverage and strengthen this already existing model by instituting a Widows In Farming Aid programme (WIFARM-AID) and support it as a platform that will enable widows easily gain access to tools and facilities for commercial Agriculture businesses.
The official launching of WIFARM Aid initiative in Edo state by the wife of the Governor of the state, Mrs Betsy Obasike and other dignitaries.
WIFARM-AID, is a platform to achieve the following:
- Encourage the widows to form groups and clusters for enhanced economy of scale
- Provide fertilizers, improved crop varieties and seedlings and farming tools, manual and mechanized
- Enable irrigation facilities for farms and groups in close clusters
- Soft grant for labor engagement and farm land lease
WIFARM AGRIC SHOW
At the harvest time of each farming season, an Agric show is organized tagged WIFARM AGRIC SHOW where beneficiaries of Wifarm Aid program are given a platform to exhibit their best farm produce as a competition and winning attracts prizes in different categories. The essence of the Agric show is to promote healthy competition amongst beneficiaries which we believe will yield better harvest produce and ultimately, better economic advancement for beneficiaries.
At the launch, farming tools and money were handed over to 74 widows.
“Look beyond yourself”
Felix King helps the vulnerable widows and underprivileged children on the path towards a better life through empowerment schemes, educational support and health services.
