?with community care and support project?
RAKOD Widow Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization is reaching out widows, the less privileged and the fatherless in society through its Strengthening Community Care And Support (SCASO For Widows) project.
The project which has already begun in the Ablekuma District of Accra, is being replicated in Aburi and Asamankese where the organization is acquainting itself with problems Ghanaian widows especially, face as regards their living conditions, health and social status.
The team from RAKOD had interactions with widows in Aburi seeking their views on some pertinent issues which daily affect their standards of living.
According to the Founder and CEO of RAKOD, Randy Danquah, the idea of carrying out the project was in fulfillment of the organization?s vision of assisting widows through its support programs so as to make life more meaningful for them by understanding their needs and concerns.
He also averred that the organization is also serving as a mediator to the deprived and the less privileged in society with much emphasis on widows who have been marginalized for far too long.
Randy Danquah noted that widows across the country have suffered in silence from neglect, discrimination with very little done to support them in areas of health, education, finance, protection among others.
RAKOD CEO mentioned that the organization has decided to engage widows in its programmes considering the level of difficulties, molestations, abuse and discrimination they receive from in-laws and sometimes family members after the death of their husbands.
?We have seen that much attention has not been given to these people and the time has come for us as NGOs to at least, in our small ways, render support to these people to be able to fit well in society. Because of the level of discrimination most of them do not see themselves as part of the larger society hence go through some mental, physical and psychological trauma,? he said.
Randy Danquah also indicated that among all the less privileged groups, widows are considered the poorest since the burden of taking care of the family rests on their shoulders immediately after the death of their husbands.
?They have to take care of the family, their children. Meanwhile these people have not source of regular income to be doing this. When you talk to them you will realize that, majority of them do menial jobs just to keep body and soul together. Their age also does not support the kind of difficult jobs they try to do, that is when we come in to assist,? he added.
He however bemoaned government?s inadequate support for widows adding that much is needed to be done to augment the little efforts NGOs are doing to empower widows and make live more meaningful for them.
On his part, Adu Eric Amos, Coordinator of? RAKOD Widows Foundation who spoke to spyghana on the widows level of vulnerability froma survey the group conducted, he explained that vulnerability? means the degree of exposure to life threatening conditions such as living condition, status, feeding, shelter, hazard and many more.
He said, ?RAKOD Widows foundation is embarking on this project because; the widows in various communities are not given the necessary attention, so we the members of this foundation see it wise to address these challenges to the general public.?
The first phase of the project, he indicated, is Widows level of vulnerability, appealing to other philanthropists, NGOs and the government to support their initiatives.
The widows were advised to form groups which will be recognized, so as to be able to get support for their members.
The organization at the end of the programme, donated bags of rice and gallons of oil to the widows present.
They expressed appreciation to the organization for the kind gesture.
