More than 700 widows on Wednesday met at a church in Kangaru, Embu County marking the start of the widows and orphans program under the office of the spouse of the Deputy President (OSDP) in the area.
The Christian Foundation Fellowship church hall was colourful, with the widows donning different coloured head scarfs, lesos, and their faces beaming with hope for the work ahead.
Some were young, and others old and looked into the distance, thoughtful about their lives.
The spouse of the Deputy President Pastor Dorcas Rigathi on January 16 2024 met with widows in Embu during her three-day working stay in the county.
During the meeting, Pastor Dorcas and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire promised the widows that they would initiate programs from their empowerment.
During this Wednesday meeting, Pauline Gichovi, Director of Social Development in Embu County spoke to the hundreds of widows on how they would organize themselves into groups and work towards improving their lives and families.
A team from the OSDP, led by the Director of Widows and Orphans Program, Esther Waiganjo was also present and shared with the widows of the OSDP touching on the lives of the widows and orphans.
Waiganjo guided the widows in the formation of groups, which cut across different parts of the county, through which different seminars, and programs would be rolled out.
“We shall have sessions for capacity building, social development, and economic empowerment,” said Ms Waiganjo.
Bishop Harrison Kingangi hosted the meeting and encouraged the widows to remain strong and steadfast for the development of their lives, and families.
The OSDP has widows programs in Nairobi, Nakuru, and Narok Counties. In Nairobi, the widows are establishing a tree nursery of approximately 300,000 trees.
In Kajiado, the widows also have a tree nursery and months ago sold seedlings worth Sh500,000.
Pastor Dorcas, who was raised by a widow, is passionate about working with widows and started working with them since her days at the university.
The vision of her office is ‘A Dignified Future for Vulnerable Populations’ with the pillars of boy child, widows and orphans, people with disabilities, and established on the foundation of Chaplaincy, Outreach and Family Values.
