Onyeka Onwenu, Foundation to drum support for widows at concert

Renowned singer/songwriter and human rights activist, Onyeka Onwenu, has announced the release of Rise Up, a new song written and produced in partnership with the Rose of Sharon Foundation (RoSF).

Onwenu will perform the song live at a widow’s concert in Lagos on November 13, 2022.

The deeply inspiring song, which carries Onwenu’s ever-classic Afro-pop signature style, is intended to draw attention to widows’ plight in Nigeria.

As a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Onwenu has pledged her support for RoSF mission to empower widows and orphans through several programmes that ensure greater self-esteem and ease of socio-economic integration.

Onwenu said: “In my career, I have been privileged and immensely blessed by God to have worked on several projects: in film, television, music and otherwise. However, I must say that not many can compare to the passion I feel for what we are trying to achieve with the Rose of Sharon Foundation.

“My good sister, Apostle Folorunso Alakija, has been moved by God to provide succour to the plights of thousands of Nigerian widows, their children and indeed, orphans, who constitute the greater percentage of the vulnerable in our society. She has been doing this for years, and I am only happy to lend my voice to the cause.

“As such, the song, Rise Up, has been produced free of charge as my donation to the Foundation. Furthermore, all proceeds that are generated from it will go directly to the cause of the Foundation and the good work of providing support for our widows. I encourage all well-meaning Nigerians to ‘Rise Up’ and join us in the fight to mitigate the challenges facing widows and orphans in Nigeria.”

In her remarks, the founder of RoSF, Alakija, said: “Our vision for the Foundation is firmly rooted in the word of God. Since its inception in 2008, we have impacted 6,000 beneficiaries. We are currently servicing 4,262 beneficiaries and we have 1,738 beneficiaries, who have been serviced and have achieved resilience with stable businesses and the ability to care for themselves. Our total number of graduate orphans and widows’ children is 343. However, our vision is to increase these numbers significantly, even as we encourage other Nigerians – corporates and individuals to join us for the official launch of the song through kind donations.

“If we work together, we can surely eliminate the scourge that is now associated with widowhood in our country. We can help reduce, if not completely eliminate, harmful and outdated cultural practices that punish and impoverish our widows.”

RoSF’s Country Manager, Dr Ndudi Bowei, praised Onwenu’s artistry and disclosed that the song was available on all major music streaming platforms. She also informed me that the singer would perform the song live at the concert.

She said: “Simply put, Rise Up is a brilliantly written song that helps portray our widows’ inherent beauty and strength, instilling pride in them, despite all the difficulties they encounter. ”