Boko Haram: Catholic Church Rehabilitates Wives Of Slain Victims

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, July 01, (THEWILL) - Over 2,000 women whose husbands were slain by Boko Haram insurgents were Tuesday offered relief and rehabilitation by the Catholic Church at a programme in the Church parishes spread across Borno, Yobe and parts of Adamawa State .

Speaking at a workshop on financial management organised for the first batch of the beneficiaries of the programme, the Bishop of Maiduguri Diocese of the Church, Most Rev. Dr. Oliver Dashe Doeme, said the programme was in line with Christ's teaching that the less-privileged members of the society should be supported.

Maintaining that the beneficiaries needed to be empowered after their harrowing experience, the Bishop said: “The widows suffer a lot once the husbands are gone; they become neglected, most of the family members do not come close to them, let alone to help them.'

Doeme said “We have an obligation to take care of the poor and needy. So we call the widows first for the workshop and then to give them a little assistance that we make them to take care of themselves. We want them to be able to go back to establish small businesses.” According to the Bishop, “Our major target is to help them in taking care of the children, many of them are left with six, seven, 10 children with no work and they need an assistance from somewhere to raise these children.”

He also noted that “Right from the world go, the church has always been taking care of orphans, widows and other less-privileged in the society as that was the reason for our Lord's coming,' adding 'Jesus Christ was doing good and was particular taking care of the poor.'

Doeme stated further that “In my capacity as a leader of the church and a representative of Jesus Christ, the Bishop of Maiduguri Diocese which covers Borno, Yobe and part of Adamawa State, I have to take up the challenge of taking care of the widows in our parishes in the area.”

He said the church was standing in the place of Christ for the widows who have no place to run to and the Church has no choice but to assist them.

He disclosed that the beneficiaries would be given some financial assistance to start their businesses after the workshop. He said those from Borno/Yobe States would be attended to first as those from Adamawa would be attended to at the weekend.

Doeme disclosed that during the next phase of the programme, the widows would be given skills acquisition training to enable them become self-reliant and self-sustaining.