Many widows struggle to provide the basic needs of their families when they lose their spouses.

“It becomes a gruesome burden when we take care of children single-handedly. We are old and we can only do little. Beyond one-off charities by benevolent people, we want to see systemic changes that will prioritize old-aged widows and the vulnerable,” said a widow.

The calls were made at an event by private contractor, Emmanuel Aboagye, to extend relief to more than 5,000 widows and vulnerable persons in Kumasi.

With smiles, about 5,000 widows and other vulnerable people received relief items as part of efforts to ease their burden during the festive season and the beginning of the year.

Each beneficiary received a parcel containing a piece of cloth, a five-kilogram bag of rice, cooking oil, tomato paste, and sardines.

Kumasi-based private contractor, Emmanuel Aboagye, popularly known as Aboagye Contractor, who championed the humanitarian exercise, indicated it’s an annual initiative, to give back to society.

He says the intervention, which is in the fifth year, will support people facing economic hardship.

“We are not feeding people; we are giving back to society to make sure widows, the poor, and the needy are taken care of, especially during these festive periods. It is our small way of lessening their burdens. We started small, but the numbers kept increasing. Eventually, we decided to support 5,000 people."

"There is also a biblical inspiration behind it. Jesus fed 5,000 people, so we chose that number. This is something we will do every year. As long as we are alive, we will continue and even increase the numbers to help reduce the burden on widows and people in need,” he said.

The initiative, which expands beyond Kumasi, supported about 1,000 beneficiaries in the Akosombo area in the Eastern Region in 2025.

Commenting on the large turnout and enthusiasm among beneficiaries, mr. Aboagye said it was a clear indication of the level of need within society and a call for collective responsibility.

Calls for social support for widows, vulnerable groups heighten

Calls for greater social support for widows and other vulnerable groups have intensified as many widows say the loss of a spouse comes with a struggle to provide basic needs for their families.

Some embattled widows are pleading with the government to extend regular financial assistance, insurance coverage, and periodic relief items to help cushion them.

The widows commended him for the gesture.

"We are grateful for this gesture. Something we will never forget. At least every year, we have someone we can depend on. And we know he might not be able to shoulder it all, people with God’s blessings should extend their benevolence to us," the widows said.