Felix King Foundation restores hope of widows

The Felix King Foundation has restored the hope of many widows with a grant of N100,000 each in its bid to help them to have sustainable means of livelihood.

Speaking during the Foundation’s COVID-19 Recovery Grant for African widows in Lagos, its founder, Dr. Felix King, said the foundation plans to reach 1,000 widows with the grant this year.

He explained that the programme was being executed in partnership with the Organisation of World Leaders (OWL), U.S. King said: “Our target for the year is 1000 beneficiaries. Today, we have 12 beneficiaries and each of them got N100,000 and three of them got sowing machines in addition.”

On what inspired him to embark on the project, King explained: “I took my little daughter to the hospital years ago and I was to pay N6,000. But unfortunately, I could not afford to pay; it was between life and death for my daughter. When I overcame the situation, I asked myself: If my wife and I could have the experience, what would happen to a woman who does not have support? So, I decided that I must support as many widows as humanly possible. That’s how the journey started.

“We have spent hundreds of millions since we kicked off the project. We set aside a certain percentage of our income in my company for the foundation.

“People send in their list of widows they want us to support every month, and this is the 20th batch we are dealing with. Till this moment, the finance has been 100 per cent Felix King Foundation. But on the recovery programme, we are in partnership with the Organisation of World Leaders, USA to reach out to more people.”

He added: “Our target for the year was to reach 1000 people but I am hoping that we will reach more with this partnership. We look at how to give net rather than fish. So, our beneficiaries must be people who have something doing no matter how little it is. We support their business to grow. We also focus on widows who have responsibilities.”

On her part, Dr. Dee Hawkins, who represented the OWL, said: “This partnership will last forever. I come to Nigeria at least twice a year and with this, I can come more. We are partnering with Dr. King because of his passion for widows. We must be in one accord with to lift the people.”

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Dosumu Olayinka, who is a dry cleaner, said: “I thought the world has come to an end when I lost my husband. My husband died in 2007 and I had to take the full responsibility for my children. I really appreciate this gesture by the Felix King Foundation.”