Okhahlamba Local Municipality, in partnership with the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (Ukhahlamba Circuit 820), hosted a successful ‘Widows Celebration’ on August 18.
The event took place at the Bergville Sports Complex and saw over 500 women gathering to offer support to each other.
The theme was ‘restoring the dignity of a widow’.
The stakeholders that formed part of the event included governmental departments, non-profit organisations (NPOs), the Master of the High Court, and the South African Human Rights Commission.
A number of widows shared testimonials detailing some of the struggles and challenges they faced after losing their spouses.
The programme saw a number of key informative areas wherein messages of support and encouragement were offered. These included: ‘What does the Bible say about a widow’; ‘Traditions, cultures and widows’; ‘Strengthening the mental health of a widow’; ‘Human rights and widows’; ‘Master of the High Court: processes following the death of a spouse’; ‘Moral regeneration’; and ‘NPO support’.
After being approached by the Methodist Church of Southern Africa to host an event celebrating widows, the municipality agreed to enter into a partnership.
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The premise for the event was to establish a psychosocial support system for widows who face a multitude of challenges across our community.
It is an empowerment programme that is hoped will encourage widows to self-organise, with the long-term goal of establishing a forum for ongoing support.
In essence, this event was a conversation- and relationship-starter to build meaningful, impactful relationships between widows who need psychosocial support, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, governmental departments, NPOs and the municipality.
Thank you to the sponsors who contributed to the success of the event, and the community for the enthusiasm and support displayed throughout the day.
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