Over 200 poverty-stricken widows in five districts of the Northern Region are crying for help.
This year’s severe floods have destroyed Their farmlands and houses.
They are in Savelugu, Nanton, Sagnarigu, Kumbungu and Tolon.
Their economic mainstay is subsistence farming and Shea butter processing.
As single mothers whose spouses have died, the disruption of their marriage is a source of great emotional pain and stress.
They are unable to cope with widowhood for which reason they are crying for help.
Some of them have as many as six, seven, eight and nine children and cannot cater for the family’s needs.
Majority of them are at Yongduuni, a farming community in the Sagnarigu Municipality.
One of them, Meeli Issahaku told Citi News that her husband died eleven years ago leaving nine children out of which four are twins.
She said all of them lived in a small room which was recently destroyed by the floods.
“I am living in a small room with my nine children. This year’s severe rains affected our room, and we have nowhere to go.”
“Now I don’t know what to do. Myself and the nine children have nowhere to go because my parents are also dead.”
“We are appealing to Philanthropists to help us.”
Another, Fatima Braimah said she was struggling to take care of her six children after her husbands demise.
“Three out of my six children are going to school, and I am finding it difficult to take care of them. I am appealing to the government to help me take care of the children.”
She stressed that “I don’t have a mother, I don’t have a father to support me to take care of the children. They have to eat, they have to go to school, and there is money.”
“Government should support we the widows to take care of our children to be responsible citizens.”
Also, Monica Amina Yakubu recounted her husband’s death seven years ago which she said caused three of their children’s school dropout at Junior High School level.
A civil society organisation, Northern Widows Agricultural Network galvanised the widows to form a network.
Without donor support, the organisation is supporting the widows in the areas of agriculture, health, environment, leadership and microfinance.
The organisation’s project Executive Director, Iddrisu Issah bemoaned the widow’s predicament and called for and government’s support.
He said the organisation was established to mobilize support to improve their well-being.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citinewsroom.com/Ghana