By Ibrahim Sesay
The Jamil and Nyanga Jaward Foundation (JNJF) on Sunday hosted its 2025 Widows’ Fundraising Luncheon at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, bringing together widows, community leaders, partners and supporters in a united effort to strengthen empowerment programmes for vulnerable women, youth and children.
Welcoming guests, the Program Manager of the Jamil and Nyanga Jaward Foundation, John Kingsley Yambasu, described the event as “a celebration of purpose, compassion and collective responsibility.” He noted that since its establishment in 2017, the Foundation has consistently worked to restore dignity and hope to widows, vulnerable women and young people in underserved communities.
“These are not just statistics, these are names, faces, real stories and they matter,” John Kingsley Yambasu said. He emphasized that many widows continue to shoulder overwhelming responsibilities alone, young people are trapped in hopelessness and children still struggle for necessities that should be guaranteed.
He explained that proceeds from this year’s luncheon will support the strengthening of a women’s health centre, expand mental health awareness and help fund interventions aimed at reducing drug abuse, discouraging unsafe migration, preventing teenage pregnancies and promoting entrepreneurship and skills training.
Delivering her remarks, the Marketing Manager of Rokel Commercial Bank, Michaela Macauley, who also identified herself as a widow, shared her personal experience and encouraged widows to remain resilient despite the stigma they often face from in-laws and society.
“Being a widow is not a sickness but an unfortunate situation that can happen to anybody,” Michaela Macauley said. She recounted instances where widows were unfairly blamed for their husbands’ deaths and stressed that widowhood must never push anyone into depression or despair.
She commended the Jamil and Nyanga Jaward Foundation for creating a safe space for widows, describing it as an important but often challenging undertaking. Michaela Macauley also urged widows to stay focused on raising and supporting their children, no matter the obstacles. She further encouraged partners to support the Foundation’s vision and highlighted special financial services Rokel Commercial Bank offers to widows, including the “Kombra Account” and loan facilities for small businesses.
Co-founder of the Foundation, Nyanga Jaward, outlined the organization’s broader vision, stressing the need to tackle rising social challenges such as drug abuse and teenage pregnancy from the roots. She explained that many vulnerable homes fall into those difficulties due to circumstances beyond their control.
“A woman who is well-to-do would not have her children fall into such situations,” Nyanga Jaward said, underscoring the importance of empowering widows with skills, knowledge, mental support and psychological care to help them shift from a mindset of poverty to one of progress. She added that the Foundation aims to ensure widows feel valued, respected and supported by their communities. “The moment a mother knows somebody cares, you can see the change in them,” she stated.
One of the beneficiaries, Agnes Waggay, Chairlady of the Congo Town community, shared how the Foundation has transformed her life. She said she received social income support and rebuilding assistance for her home, while her daughter benefited from vocational training and now works as a trained makeup artist and hairdresser.
“We’ve also acquired basic financial literacy through the Village Savings and Loan Association, which has helped us immensely,” Agnes Waggay said as she encouraged philanthropists to support the Foundation’s work in uplifting vulnerable women.
The luncheon concluded with pledges from partners and renewed optimism for widows seeking stability, dignity and empowerment, affirming the Jamil and Nyanga Jaward Foundation’s ongoing role as a pillar of hope in communities across Sierra Leone.
