In most African marriages, the man is considered the head of the home. A role which certainly comes with a lot of responsibilities and in the sad event that the man passes on, the wife takes over that role with immediate effect. However, this transition is mostly never smooth especially in countries like Nigeria. The women face lots of challenges ranging from false accusations by in-laws about the nature/cause of the man’s death, to issues regarding claims of money from his bank and place of work, then also fights over property et cetera

Evidence abounds showing that in the southeast:

1. The family of a deceased husband tends to grab everything left by the husband even when there is a will because they know the legal system does not protect the widow.
2. Most men never plan for the future and therefore do not write wills
3. Even when they write a will, they do not share this information with anybody. Consequently, chaos consumes the family upon his death
4. There is usually no life insurance policy to help the bereaved start all over

For these and many more reasons, young widows are a most disadvantaged and tend to go to any length to sustain themselves, especially if they already have a few children. This is why Bastion Foundation, Inc. is particularly interested in assisting this group.

Bastion Foundation Women Empowerment Program started in 2016. Between 2016-2019, BFI has helped, trained and empowered 246 widows to start their own small businesses. The lives of these women have changed tremendously. They are now successfully managing their own small business, supporting their families and healing their self-dignity. BFI hosts workshop for the widows. They are trained on: How to start and run a successful business, the importance of money management and savings, working with mentors, Self-esteem Enhancement. Former graduates of the program are given the opportunity to share their business experiences and successes. The number of widows interested in joining the Bastion Foundation “Food on the Table” business microfinancing program has quadrupled! We currently have hundreds of women waiting to enter our program. We need funds to attend to these widows needs.