Nigerian widows face great difficulty in securing resources necessary to survive. Without the protection and provision of a husband, widowed women are generally left destitute and alone. Many widows are also responsible to care for and educate their children. Without assistance, for most widows this simply is not possible. Gilgal Women and Children Ministry desires to see widows supported and empowered. Gilgal schools specifically focus on providing an education to those who would otherwise be unable to attend school (orphans and the children of widows). Gilgal currently supports widows in the Otada and Otukpo areas through minor financial assistance (as resources allow) for medical bills and the costs of supporting their children (some of which are Gilgal students).
In the future we desire to expand the ministry to widows to include:
- housing
- vocational training
- employment opportunities within Gilgal
- micro loans to start up small-scale businesses or farming