Layal Jade Tinubu hosted twenty young widows for her second widow’s empowerment event on Wednesday 17th July 2024, in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.
The event was held in partnership with the Stephen Purple Heart Foundation for Widows, aiming to support and encourage these women through what might be considered one of the most challenging and devastating periods of their lives.
In a deeply moving moment, all guests present listened intently as Oluwaseun Joan Stephen, Founder of the Stephen Purple Heart Foundation for Widows, along with a number of select young widows, courageously, through tears, shared their journeys into widowhood and the challenges they have faced. The widows found strength and inspiration in each other’s stories, encouraging and celebrating one another.
The highlight of the event was the encouragement sessions, featuring speakers such as Layal Jade Tinubu, CEO of Tots Toys and Co-Founder of the Noella Foundation; Bunmi George, Founder and CEO of ShredderGang; and Bukie Akinmade of The Kitchen Muse. These speakers, all mothers themselves, shared their personal stories of encouragement and hope, celebrating the strengths and resilience of the young widows present.
The atmosphere became charged with emotion as Layal Jade Tinubu and Bunmi George passionately spoke about their own experiences of loss, while Bukie Akinmade highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong community. Together, they assured the widows that they were seen and valued, urging them to hold onto hope and continue being the resilient and strong women they already are.
With spirits high, the young widows participated in a dancing competition. Seven of the widows took to the dance floor while the rest watched and cheered. The joyous moment culminated in the emergence of two winners, each receiving cash prizes.
To further support and encourage all the widows present at the event, each widow was provided with over a month’s worth of groceries, ensuring their families had access to essential raw food supplies. Making a more significant impact in each widow’s life, Noella Foundation, awarded a scholarship for the upcoming school year to one child within each widow’s family.
