WIDOWS in Odeomu village of Osun State had cause to smile recently when the Senior Pastor of the Kingsway International Christian Centre, Matthew Ashimolowo, feted over 5,000 widows for the 10th anniversary of his yearly reach-out initiative to the widows and less-privileged in his hometown at University Odeomu, Osun State.

With a pass the size of a complimentary card, the widows were served bounteous lunch, given a N1,000 mint note for transport fare and six yards of either Ankara or lace fabrics. Their joy could not be contained as some of them stayed back and continued dancing to the praise and worship songs blaring from the speakers.

On why there were so many widows from Modakeke town alone, Ashimolowo said the reason could be partly because a good number of young people today marry two, three wives. “They ride Okada dangerously and when they get involved in accident and die, they leave three widows behind straight away.”

Giving an insight into what motivated his gesture, Ashimolowo said: “ I started gathering members of my fathers’ household in this town, and because many of that generation had not seen each other for between 20 and 40 years, it was like a homecoming they usually look forward to every year.”