The Founder and CEO of the Chayil Foundation, Eileen Oduraa Ninson, has revealed that after providing a group of widows with soft loans to help expand and grow their businesses, a later research study conducted by her and her team disclosed that the women needed an additional source of income to sustain themselves and their dependents.
According to her, this initiative stems from a deep understanding of the economic hardships widows face, particularly those who have been abandoned by both their families and their late spouses’ families.
“And now we are focusing on skills training for them because we believe that these women need financial independence. Our initial research showed that they would need an additional source of income because they have been abandoned by their families and their late spouses’ families. Some of them were literally left with nothing, so they have to fend for themselves,” Mrs. Ninson explained.
“Looking at the challenges we are facing in the economy and even globally, there was a need for this intervention to help them. We are piloting this initiative to measure its impact over time, ensuring that the foundation’s mission is achieved and that these women regain their self-esteem,” she added.
She disclosed that during their visit last September, the foundation focused on training the widows in five to six skill areas, including bead-making, fascinators, soap-making (commonly known as Azuma blows), hair cream production, and batik tie-and-dye.
From that experience, the foundation identified the need to refine the approach by piloting these skills in a more structured manner. This, according to Chayil Foundation’s CEO would help create a cooperative society where teamwork is fostered, enabling the women to collaborate, produce, sell, and generate income collectively.
She emphasized that this marks the first phase of the foundation’s financial independence scheme.
Mrs. Ninson made these remarks to The Sikaman Times on Sunday, March 9, 2025, during the team’s visit to the Rising Star Orphanage Home in Dodowa, marking the end of a three-day training and capacity-building project.
Together with some executives of the Chayil Foundation, she donated an undisclosed amount of money to the Rising Star Foundation, along with slightly used clothes received from church members in Tema, Greater Accra Region.
Expressing gratitude on behalf of the Dodowa Widows Association, the group’s secretary, Madam Helena Botwe, thanked the Chayil Foundation for its continuous support and the soft loans they had previously received. She noted that these loans had helped many of the women thrive in their businesses, and the additional skills training had been invaluable. While acknowledging the relief the loans had brought, she also appealed for more financial support to further empower the widows.
Madam Botwe also took the opportunity to call on well-meaning Ghanaians, individuals, and benevolent organizations to support the Chayil Foundation with financial assistance, commending the foundation for its dedication to widows and the less privileged in society.
Mrs. Richlove Avor, founder of the Richlove Avor Foundation, led the skills training sessions. Having worked with the group on three consecutive occasions, she expressed confidence that the widows could apply their newly acquired skills effectively to make a lasting impact on their lives and families.
