By Peter Agengre
Widows through the Widows and Orphans Movement in the Upper East Region is appealing to government to design programmes and policies that seek to prioritize the needs of widows and their children.
At a memorial lecture by the Mma Ayara Memorial Institute in Bolgatanga, it came up that mothers are the sole guardians of children in most families, hence the need for them to be supported.
The Mma Ayara Institute memorial lecture was to encourage women and widows to take up the education of their wards seriously.
The story of Mma Ayara revealed how she sacrificed her time and little resources to cater for the needs of her children both in school and at home until she passed on at age eighty-eight. Robert Atampugre on behalf of the Mma Ayara’s family encouraged the widows to put first the education of their children.
“When you prioritize the education of your wards, you stand to reap the benefit for the rest of your life. Mma Ayara’s life is inspiring because she offered lots of sacrifices for her children to be educated. The only asset one can give to his or her children is nothing more but education.”
An Executive Director of Women and Orphans Movement (WOM) in Bolgatanga, Madam Fati Abigail Badulai commended the Mma Ayara Institute for the knowledge shared.
She also appealed to government to introduce policies and programmes that would alleviate the struggle widows and orphans go through, especially in the northern belt.
“When you look at what our women go through here, there is absolutely nothing from government to support them. No better economic programmes that can break the barriers of poverty affecting these women today. A lot needs to still be done to capture every woman along.” She said.
The lecture was on the theme: “The Role of Mothers in the Education of their Children: Lessons from the life of Mma Ayara Atampugre.’’
