OUR PROGRAMMES

FREE EDUCATION PROGRAMME

In severe economic situation, as we have in Nigeria today, widows are putting down their children education and care due to poverty and some of these children drop out of school and become victims of child labour, human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Our organization provides these children with educational scholarship. On the other hand, this in turn reduces burden of education on the widows. Our educational scholarship has helped children of widows to continue their education and prevented them from dropping out of school.

COUNSELLING FOR WIDOWS

The DePaul Hope Social Center acknowledges that, the widows, having experienced several types of emotional difficulties, need counseling services. The organization assesses each widow and schedules counseling services according to individual needs and preferences.

MICROLOANS FOR WIDOWS

DePaul Social Centre believes in the empowerment of widows for sustainable development, as a result, we offer microloans to widows to enable them make profits from their trading, in order to earn their ways out of poverty. With the incomes, they will be able to send their children to school, receive medical treatments when any of the family members is sick, eat good food and avoid malnutrition. The organization starts up businesses for some widows, and gives others microloans to enable them scale their businesses.

COMPUTER LITERACY PROGRAMME

We are living in a digital age. Most organizations demand that applicants should be computer literates. DePaul Hope Social Centre organizes computer literacy programmes for the widows and their children. At the end, they are issued with certificates to seek job in the labour market. Presently, 18 clients have benefited from our computer literacy Programme.

LEGAL SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY FOR WIDOWS

In some cases, when widows are denied rights to their husbands’ properties, they are unable to assess legal services due to illiteracy and poverty. DePaul Hope Social Center provides them with legal referrals to enable them pursue their cases in the Law Court. We seek collaboration with relevant agencies and organizations like Women Aids Collective (WACOL) and International Federation of Women lawyers (FIDA) in this area.

A FORUM FOR WIDOWS TO NETWORK

Our widows meet monthly in order to share their life’s stories, experiences and how they are adjusting to real life situations. This Forum gives the widows the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences; thereby, helping them to cope better with the challenges of life. We, equally, organize seminars, vocational and entrepreneurial training for these widows to enable them diversify their businesses. The aim is also to enable them learn how to make savings and sustain their businesses.

SKILLS ACQUISITION FOR WIDOWS AND THEIR CHILDREN

We plan to organize various skills training session for widows and children of the widows among us. The skills would range from computer skill to other skills that can help them earn a living.

FREE MEDICAL OUTREACHES FOR THE WIDOWS

In March, 2016, the organization provided a free medical checkup for 32 poor women around Enugu-North Local Government. They were given free examination on diabetic checks, breast and cervical cancer, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. On 8th June, 2017 our organization, in collaboration with the wife of the Enugu state Governor, organized a free medical check-up and treatments on cervical cancer, genital infectious diseases, and malaria, typhoid fever. Six doctors and two nurses attended to our clients. A total of 17 widows and five poor women attended the medical check-up and received treatments.

GOVERNMENT POLICY AND ADVOCACY

In order to involve policy makers in both state and national levels, and to raise their awareness of the problems and challenges of these widows, DePaul Hope Social Center channels the issues of their clients to the government through some Advocacy programmes and events. The organization does this by seeking coalition and collaborations with other organizations with similar goals and objectives such as the Women Aids Collective and the Widows Development Organization.