By Eric Elezuo

A Godsent not-for-profit organisation, the Spring of Joy Foundation for Widows, has unleashed wholesome kindness to humanity as it reached out to 250 widows with its milk of human kindness, in an event tagged Food Pantry and Free Medical Checkup for Widows.

Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation, founded by a quintessential and passionate professional, Mrs. Anastiasia Daniel, is an NGO committed to making a profound difference in the lives of widows, addressing their unique challenges, and ensuring they lead lives of dignity, independence, and purpose.

The Foundation is grounded in a deep sense of compassion, equality, and social justice, with the goal of creating a world where widows are not marginalized, but celebrated for their resilience and strength.

At the well organized event held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Christ Disciples Parish, Surulere, Lagos, which the Resident Pastor, Richard Umoren, graciously gave out for the occasion, the Foundation released diverse and assorted food items to deserving widows, as well as conducted free medical checkups to ascertain the state of their health, using the best of medical personnels, drawn from the Christian Medical and Dental Association, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) chapter.

Originally planned to cater for the welfare of a maximum of 100 widows, the Foundation ended up catering for 250 as women, who needed assistance continued to surge into the arena, and were well catered for.

In her address during the event, the Founder, Spring of Joy Widows Foundation, Mrs. Anastiasia Daniel, who spoke from her base in the United States of America, appreciated the women for turning out in their numbers, and revealed that help has come in the form of the Foundation, to cushion the effects and mitigate every challenge they have been going through.

“I’ll like you to know that you are not alone in this journey as we are here to walk alongside with you every step of the way,” Mrs Daniel assures the widows.

Below is the detailed speech of the Founder, Mrs. Daniel:

“My name is Anastasia Ndidiamaka Daniel, and I am the founder of Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation. I would like to send out a warm welcome to all the widows who have graced us with their presence today at the Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation food pantry and medical checkup. We are deeply honored and humbled by your presence here.

Today marks a special occasion as we gather not only to provide essential support but also to celebrate the strength, resilience and spirit of the incredible women in our community. Your presence here is a testament to your courage and determination in facing life’s challenges with grace and dignity. The Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation is committed to serving and uplifting widows in our community. An event like what we are having today, the food pantry and medical checkup are just one way we strive to fulfil that mission. Through the generosity of our donors, our volunteers and our supporters all over the world, we are able to provide vital resources and services to ensure your well-being and empower you on your journey forward. As you partake in today’s food pantry, medical checkup and also counseling session, i would like to encourage you to not only avail yourselves of the practical assistance provided but to also embrace the sense of community and solidarity that surrounds you. I would like you to know that you are not alone in this journey and we are here to work alongside with you every step of the way. I would like to recognize our dedicated volunteers and staff, If I am permitted I woulike to recognize certain persons too.

I would like to recognize first my dear husband, Pastor Samson Daniel for being a source of strength to me; he has been a backbone and my supporter. I want you to know that I love you and appreciate you. I want to say thank you for standing with me through this journey even the days I was down, I was scared and about to give up, you held my hands and said keep going. From the deepest part of my heart, I say thank you.

I would also like to appreciate my outreach coordinator, Apostle Paul Nwankwo of the Assemblies of God Church, who from the very beginning stood with me; a young lady he just met a couple of years ago, I say thank you.

I would also like to appreciate my personal assistant, Mrs. Elizabeth Adegbite; thank you for your resilience, thank you for running with this vision, thank you for not giving up, thank you for all you have done, I am highly grateful.

I would like to thank Pastor Richard Omoren and Pastor (Mrs.) Richard Umoren for your great support to this food pantry and medical checkup; thank you for opening up the church for us to use. I want to thank the RCCG community for allowing Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation to partake or come in to do this, we are really grateful. Thank you for giving us a platform, we really appreciate you.

I would also like to say a big thank you to the provincial pastor, Pastor Supo Oluwasakin, I am grateful to you for taking out time to come out, and be a part of this food pantry and for being a source of encouragement and strength and support for the widows and everyone there, you have never met me before and you did this; Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation is highly grateful. I will also like to use this opportunity to thank the doctors from LUTH. Thank you for accepting our invitation, thank you for what you are doing today, thank you for taking care of our widows, and ensuring that they are healthy, we are grateful.

I would like to thank the amazing widows that came out today, I want to thank you for leaving your homes and coming here, you could have said you don’t want to come but you came.”

In his sermon at the humanitarian event, the guest Minister, and RCCG Assistant Provicial Pastor, Lagos Province 4 (LP4), Pastor Supo Oluwasakin, took the audience on a journey of the importance of giving, as it breeds returns. He charged everyone present to imbibe the attitude of giving, and always remember the less privileged in the society, who needs daily assistance.

A Nigerian citizen of Enugu extraction, and born in Lagos, Mrs. Daniel is an embodiment of compassion, who has taken it upon herself to contribute to the upliftment of the indigent, using the widows as a starting point.

She strongly believe that the fact that a woman has lost has husband, does not mean that she has lost her purpose, self-will and destiny goal, maintaining that “Every widow is still destined for greatness no matter the circumstances.”

This is the first leg of the food pantry and free medical checkup for Widows as undertaking by the Spring of Joy Foundation, and many more are bound to follow.

Mrs Daniel added further that come August 17, 2024, a formal launch of the Foundation will be held, in addition to a fundraising, at RCCG, Christ Disciples Parish, in Surulere,  Lagos.