Borno State First Lady, Nana Kashim Shettima on Saturday distributed Ramadan food items to 200 widows and orphans affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
The distribution was performed under her pet project, Support for Widows, Orphans and Tsangaya, SOWT, Foundation.
The Chairman of the foundation, Mohammed Bello said out of the 200 widows and orphans, 50 widows were families of slained Civilian JTF, and each of the beneficiaries was given a 25 kg bag of rice and a 25 kg bag of sugar in addition to N5000 cash as transport money.
Mr Bello called on wealthy individuals and organizations to emulate the governor’s wife while commending the First Lady for her support and assistance to the widows, orphans and the vulnerable in the state.
He advised the beneficiaries to make proper use of the gesture and engage in self-reliant occupations rather than begging.
The foundation’ chairman also appealed to the beneficiaries to pray for the founder of the NGO and governments at both the state and federal levels while thanking all those that supported and assisted the foundation in kind and cash..
The Borno State House of Assembly member representing MMC constituency, Abubakar Tijani donated N1.2 million to the SWOT Foundation while the Chairman of ALGON in Borno State and MMC Chairman, Garba Saje pledged that all the 27 LGAs in the state will support the foundation with N2.7 million.
Borno State Commissioners Forum pledged N100,000 each to the NGO while the state Commissioner for Urban and Rural Water Supply, Zainab Gimba pledged Eid-el- Fitri Sallar dresses to all the 200 widows and orphans as well as the 15 orphans schooling at El Kanem College of Theology, Maiduguri being sponsored by SWOT Foundation.
The Director of the College, Mohammed Sani Al Bature also announced additional sponsorship of 10 widows every year on free education or studies to the present 15 orphans schooling free of charge in the school while additional 5 orphans will be enrolled this year to bring the total to 20 orphans on sponsorship.
The governor’s wife, Nana Shettima, thanked the El Kanem College of Theology Maiduguri for the partnership and sponsorship of the widows and orphans free of charge.
