1. Building Centres

• Building help centres for widows in Kenya help to provide an avenue for widows to go and find a safe home, and to settle-in to prevent homelessness. It could give them bed and shelter, as needed. Also, provide night shelter for anyone in need.
• These building centres could also provide direct communication with other charity housing shelters and refer widows to agencies as needed.
• At these centres they would get an education and receive skills training.
• Centres could help them to find and apply for jobs.
• It could help widows to look after their health and well-being.
• Improve social skills by helping widows to meet new people and broaden their social network.
• Help with finding and facilitating volunteer opportunities.
• The building centres would provide link between needed widows and various services, such as all the service and support centres; the building centre could provide a direct link and be able to vet widows so that those that are more in need get assistance first.
• Facilitate education programmes to provide free education to the widow to help them to grow as individuals and help them lead a better life.

2. Micro loans

Micro loan opportunities help businesses; even small amounts of credit can help to end the cycle of poverty:

• Giving small loans to widows could provide the capital the widows need to start small businesses and raise their children and family out of poverty.
• Micro loans may help to create new opportunities. This could have positive benefits on the local economy.
• Banks will not extend loans to those with little or no assets, and generally they do not engage in the small size of loans typically associated with microfinancing.
• It is usually difficult for widows to get loan since they usually have little or no assets to use as collaterals which banks usually do not grant loan without.
• Widows who micro loans are less likely to keep their children out of school for economic reasons.
• Micro finance loans help to empower women.

3. Generate livelihood

Income generating activities. Expand vocational and business training :

• Buying and renting or selling small lots of land to be used for agriculture.
• Provide widows with farming tools and supplies freely or at cheaper rates than they would otherwise purchase them for.
• Adult literacy programmes to help widows.
• Skills certification in areas such as hairdressing, computer skills, cooking etc.
• Entrepreneurial training.

4. Fundraising

• Fundraising opportunities to help widows such as charity balls, events, lotteries, concerts etc.
• GoFundMe can be set up to raise money to finance various income and educational programmes.

5. Collection drive and Donation programme

• Collection drives can be used to as a way of collecting equipment, clothing, educational materials and tools.
• Collection drives can be set up at schools, businesses and other organisations.
• Some organisations can be collection or drop off points for charities such as ours.
• Encourage donation of unused clothes or those in good condition.

6. Environment Factors

• Programmes to lead to, or facilitate better access to health care, better sanitation and clean drinking water.

The ways in which widows can be supported are many; if you are willing, you could make a profound change to their lives by contributing or participating in this movement.

The post Steps We Can Take to Ensure the Livelihood of Widows and Their Families appeared first on Kee Widows.