CBA Foundation launched its social enterprise initiative focused on underprivileged widows and their vulnerable children in December 2021 in select communities in Lagos and Anambra.
The Lagos outreach benefitted widows in six communities in Ibeju-Lekki, namely: Badore, Iberekodo, Museyo, Magbon Alade, Okunola Ilado and Magbon Iga.
In all, 165 widows across the six communities of Ibeju-Lekki benefitted on December 4, 2021. The Anambra outreach, on the other hand, benefitted 75 widows from four communities in the Nnewi area of the state on December 24, 2021.
The initiative is aimed at providing comprehensive support, including health interventions, skill acquisition, business set-up, food and drinks, clothes and shoes, and general support for all affected widows.
Founder/CEO of CBA Foundation Chinwe Bode-Akinwande explained the reason for the foundation’s shift to the new initiative.
“We have been doing outreaches and it has been non-stop, but the essence of this Social Enterprise Initiative is for the widows to have something that will sustain them even for a longer period, something that will give them hope, knowing that they have a sustainable source of livelihood and activities that remind them that they need to keep going,” she said.
Continuing, she revealed when the idea for the new initiative began: “When the lockdown came in 2020, we realised that there was a need again to have something sustainable for these women. With the Social Enterprise Initiative, we identify the skills they need to possess, and what they are passionate about, we also empower them with the necessary training and then set them up with all they need for the business. At the end of the day, they won’t have to wait daily for the CBA Foundation to give them food or clothing.”
Mrs Bode-Akinwande also remarked that plans were underway at the foundation to take the skills acquisition training further, beginning with adire-making (tie and dye). She announced that the foundation would have a line of products that would be its adire pattern, displaying its unique signature. When sold, a percentage of the profit would be ploughed back into the foundation as a constant stream of income.
The idea, the Foundation CEO stressed, would inspire the widows who show a keen interest in adire-making as they would be involved and exposed to its value chain which is essential to optimising their execution after their training.
During the initiative, for instance, widows with impaired vision had free consultations with an ophthalmologist, got free eye tests and free reading glasses, courtesy of a partnership between FirstBank and Vision Spring.
The widows also received food, drinks, clothing and other materials that were distributed during the outreach.
The foundation urged all interested in partnering with it on the initiative to send an email to cbafoundationng@gmail.com.
