By Atlantic Reports

The Jennifer Etuh Foundation (JEF) has distributed cash, wrappers and food items to widows in Nasarawa State through an outreach intended to reach about 1,000 women.

The programme, held on Sunday at the Peace House Tent in Lafia, also honoured two foundation team members, Josiah Musa and Alfred Arome, who died in 2025.

JEF Programme Manager, Joe Otu, said beneficiaries were drawn from communities across different local government areas in the state.

He described the intervention as an effort to ease hardship and remind widows that they were valued.

“We usually reach out to widows to see how we can support them, show them care and love, and let them know that they are valued,” he said.

The account did not specify the cash amount given to each beneficiary, the total value of the assistance or the selection criteria.

Outreach Honours Two Team Members

Otu said Musa and Arome had served on the foundation’s evangelical team and participated actively in its medical outreaches.

According to him, both men had worked in Nasarawa and wanted similar interventions extended to communities there. The foundation chose to begin its activities in the state with support for widows before proceeding to a medical outreach.

Rita Arome, widow of Alfred Arome, said the programme honoured the lives and service of the two men.

She expressed gratitude that the foundation had fulfilled their desire to support widows, describing the intervention as a reflection of their compassion and commitment to others.

Medical Services Planned for Akwanga

Otu said a five-day free medical outreach would take place at the Specialist Hospital, Akwanga, with nearly 80 medical volunteers expected to participate.

Planned services include general and specialised consultations, surgery, dental treatment and eye care, with attention to conditions including cataracts and fibroids.

Working with Pro-Health International, Peace House Mission and the Nasarawa State Government, the foundation hopes to assist between 3,000 and 3,500 people. Those figures are targets for the planned programme, rather than completed treatments.

Otu said JEF focused on women and girls through education, healthcare and economic empowerment. He also said the foundation operated six hospitals across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, mostly serving hard-to-reach communities.

‘This Makes Me Feel That I Belong’

One beneficiary, Patience Dauda-Osah, said the support had reassured her that widows had not been forgotten.

“Sometimes we feel forgotten, but this makes me feel that I belong. It means God has not forgotten us and has raised people to remember us,” she said.

Dauda-Osah, who said her husband died in September 2025, expressed hope that the foundation could expand its humanitarian work.

During a sermon at the event, Pastor Elisha Kure encouraged the women to remain steadfast in their faith. Citing Psalm 68:5, he spoke of God’s care for widows and children who had lost their fathers.

The Lafia outreach provided immediate material assistance and encouragement. The next planned intervention is the medical programme in Akwanga, where the foundation and its partners aim to extend support to a wider group of residents.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.