J.O.I FOUNDATION LAGOS CHAPTER

HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LIFE

STORIES & EMPOWERMENT

THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE HAVE PASSED OUR CRITERIA AND ARE BONAFIDE MEMBERS OF J.O.I FOUNDATION

Must be female
Must be a certified widow or be an ascertained single mum
Must have been empowered by the NGO at least with a starter pack
Must be a regular attendee of the NGO’s entrepreneurial and mentoring conference

YEAR

VICTORIA OGUNDELE

VICTORIA is a widow and a mother of 4 children. When she came to JOI Foundation, she had no regular means of in come and she desire to own a provision shop and that was exactly what JOI Foundation did for her. We are proud that with mentoring, she has been able to grow the business .After a year of doing business ,she now has a deep freezer and a power generator. She also able to return her children back to school after being empowered.

CATHERINE EYO

CATHERINE is a widow and a mother of six Children. She was homeless when she called. Having ascertained her claims, we found her living living in a shop with her aged mother, elder brother and his family, making a total of eleven people in the shop. She was quickly given a self-contain accommodation and she later started an estate agency business.

VICTORY OGBECHIE

VICTORY is a single Mum with five children. She was directed to our office in 2016 as she and her children were homeless sleeping in a school compound and later she and her children also lived with sheep and goat herders in Lagos when she could not renew her rent. Although she had the minimum wage paying job, as a teacher, it could only take care of their feeding. She therefore needed an apartment and an additional source of income. She was given an apartment and also acquired a skill in pastry. Today, she has an apartment and her children are in school.

ONYEKEZIRI IFEOMA

IFEOMA is a widow with four children. She is into the business of recycling of cartons which gives her little profit. Consequently she could not renew her rent. Currently, her annual rent have been paid.

ONYEKEZIRI IFEOMA

IFEOMA is a widow with four children. She is into the business of recycling of cartons which gives her little profit. In line with our policy of each widow having two sources of income, we have just unveiled an indomie mini eatery to increase her income.

JANET FAYEMI

JANET is a widow and a mother of four children. She came to Joifoundation after her business of selling first grade fairly used bags before her husband’s demise crumbled as her resources dwindled due to her late husband’s medical bills. She needed accommodation and a fresh start for her business.

She was therefore empowered with fresh funds to resuscitate the business. While she was selling and attending mentoring seminars, she acquired the skill of bag making in line with our policy of every member having two sources of income.

PATIENCE UWODE

PATIENCE is a widow with 8. children and a second hand clothing retailer. She was introduced to the NGO at her ‘low time’ having lost all her goods to thieves.

She was given a starter pack and asked to attend entrepreneurial mentoring sessions and seminars. In one month after the unveiling of the business, She came to our office exited testifying of her business flourishing.

Patience was the BEST ROSE ( WIDOW) OF THE YEAR 2018 AWARD recipient.

QUEEN NWODIA

QUEEN is a widow and a mother of 3 children. When she came to Joifoundation she had no means of livelihood. She had a free business space in her house she wanted to set up a raw soup ingredients kitchen. This was exactly what our NGO did with her starter pack in 2018.

CHINYERE DONATUS IBECHIUZOR

CHINYERE is a widow and a mother of 5 children. She is a vegetable farmer who came to us in 2018 for assistance as she was being overwhelmed by serous lack and need for accommodation (she and her children were living behind the altar of her church) and funds to buy seedlings for the new farming season.

After her claims were ascertained by our field officers, Joifoundation quickly ask her to get and we paid for a large room space for her family.

CHINYERE IDAM

IDAM is a widow and a mother of 3 children. She is a scavenger and desired to quit the business due to it’s health hazard. She came Joifoundation seeking assistance to start a mini soup kitchen shop.

This was immediately granted and she was asked to start attending mentoring seminars to enable her overcome some other challenges.

GRACE OBAZEE

Grace is a single Mum of two children. She was working as a Matron with a sister NGO , unfortunately she lost her job and her shelter that came with the job as the NGO packed up in 2017

She had to relocate her children to live with a friend while her properties were kept in an incomplete building.

Having worked with Rev. Harriet some years back, her claims were ascertained.

JOIFoundation paid an annual rent for an apartment for her family.

She was recently given a starter pack cheque to start her own business.

In line with our NGO policy of having two sources of income, Grace just got engaged in rendering catering services to a restaurant. Our field officers hope to go and unveil her business soon.

UZORWURU CHRISTIANA

CHRISTIANA is a widow and a mother of 3 children. She came to Joifoundation seeking to be empowered in her business. She fries ground – nuts for sale but she wanted to own a shop and enlarge her business and consequently her profit margin by setting up a mini soup kitchen shop. Joifoundation made her dream come true as seen from the pictures.

FLORENCE ADEKOYA

FLORENCE is a widow and a mother of three children.She came into our office in tears because all Tenants in her accommodation had been asked to vacate their apartment after the landlord died.Being a handy woman whose only source of income was cleaning ( sweeping), she couldn’t afford to rent a new apartment immediately.

The BOG had to swing into action in getting her a new apartment and also giving her a starter pack to start a business of her choice once she settles down. Our field officers reported on her business plan and findings. Her business empowerment was unveiled few months later and joy was boundless.

JOSEPHINE OLUKAYODE

JOSEPHINE is a widow with five children. She came to our office with two challenges

First, She needed to renew her rent but did not have the funds .Our officer were mandated to go and ascertain her claims. When they got to her house, it was discovered that her present house was waterlogged and not habitable. We then got her a better accommodation of her choice.

Secondly, she also desired to set up a small scale business of selling bean pastry ( moi – moi) which is currently on course because equipments for the business have been purchased.

JOY IWEGBUSIGBO

JOY is a widow and a mother of five children. She was directed to our NGO as soon as she came back to Lagos after mourning her husband death. She came back to her business of selling soup ingredients but had nothing in her shop for obvious reasons as we found out.
She was given a starter pack to commence business.
Months later Joy had accommodate issues as she was asked to vacate her one – room because she could not renew her rent. She also had serious health issues.
JOI Foundation had to pay her medical bill, renew her rent arrears and upfront. Also fresh funds had to be injected into business to keep it afloat.
We thank God that today Joy is well and her business is doing very well . She won the JOI FOUNDATION 2019 AWARD OF THE BEST WIDOW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR.

VICTORY OGBECHIE

JANET FAYEMI

She was therefore empowered with a new accomodation.

QUEEN NWODIA

In 2019, Queen desired to start mass production and supply of plantain chips as a second source of income. Her finisher pack was approved for her and her plantain chips business was birthed. Today her children who had dropped out of school are pursuing their higher education.

CHINYERE DONATUS IBECHIUZOR

In 2019, vegetable seedlings were purchased for Chinyere to start farming.

She was mentored to get a monthly paying job as her second source of income.

Today, Chinyere and her family are doing well with all her children in school.

RITA ALI

RITA is a widow and a mother of 4 children. She is a vegetable Farmer. She came to Joifoundation seeking financial help to buy vegetable seedlings for some new plots of land that she just acquired. After her claims were ascertained. She was financially empowered in the last farming season.

By our audit, it was a very successful farming season for Rita because she has just been given another cheque for this 2020 farming. We are proud and happy for Rita.

ONU CHINYERE

CHINYERE is a widow and a mother of 2 chidren. She came dire need of help to jump start her once thriving business that collapsed due to hospital bills from her late husband’s protracted illness.

The field officer ascertained her claims and a starter pack was immediately released to start her business. We’re hopeful that the extra needed help in the area of purchasing a gas cylinder and an industrial gas burner ( currently rented) will soon be given to her once funds are available. But we’re happy that Chinyere is happy to have commenced business.

ADIUKWU OGEMDINACHI

OGE is a Single mum with a child. She is a graduate teacher but came to Joifoundation for assistance to start a Day-Care which has been her dream. Apart from this, she needed to increase her income in order to be financially stable. She needed an operational office.

Our President – Rev. Harriet, who is a retired school teacher personal to time out in mentoring Oge to ensure that all Lagos State policies are followed through in establishing the day Care.

Payment have been made for the rented office space and preparation was in top gear to unveil the Day Care when the lock down of COVID19 took effect.

EDITH EZE

EDITH is a widow and mother of 3 children. She is pastry snack hawker. She came to JOI Foundation in dire need of accommodate because she and other tenants had been given the quit notice with only 5 days left. She was immediately asked to look for a shelter which our NGO immediately paid for. Her joy knew no bounds. She was then counselled on the need to get a second source of income to enable save to renew her rent and pay her bills. This she has done because she is currently working as a house keeper on a monthly salary. Edith is content and happy.

GLORY EBONG

Glory is a Single Mother, she came to JOI Foundation in March 2020 in need of means of livelihood to sustain her family. Her desire is to start a mini restaurant. Her empowerment was delayed because of lack of funds , so her request was pending for availablility of Funds

Fortunately, when Stanbic Ibtc Bank came requesting for list of Roses they can empower, her name was shortlisted and approved by the Bank.

Consequently, JOI Foundation gave her a Starter Pack to enable her buy the needed foodstuffs for her restaurant.
As usual, our Field Officer was on ground to ensure all she needs were bought and payment for the space made. Her business was planted and she commenced sales on the 20th of November,2020.

Once again our profound thanks goes to Stanbic IBTC and our Donors for making this possible.

ALISABATU DAUDA

ALISABATU Dauda is a widow and mother of 4 Children who lost everything she had to the Kaduna crisis where her house was burnt and she narrowly escaped death. She returned to Lagos to see how she can pick up the pieces of her life; where came in contact with JOI Foundation through her friend.

Through our widow’s empowerment program, she was empowered to restart up her Kunu & Zobo soft drink business and also to repair her Grinding machine for business. She has since started her business and is doing well.

GEORGINA ORIAKU

GEORGINA is a widow with four children who has been having financial challenges ever since the passing on of her husband. JOI Foundation empowered her money to restart her Seafood/crayfish sales business and she has been doing well in the business and has payed back her loan to grant which was given to her by JOI Foundation and has also received back the fund as our Sweetener package for her business.

BLESSING NWAOBIA

Blessing Nwaobia is a widow with 3 children who lost her husband to illness and has singlehandedly been taking care of her children’s education and wellbeing. She is a farmer but, also does menial jobs like working in the poultry farm and clearing other people’s farm in other to meet up with the family needs in terms of feeding and school fees etc.

She was empowered with money (starter pack) by JOI Foundation to buy vegetable seeds and fertilizer for the ongoing farming season. She has also planted the crops and applied the fertilizer and eager for a better harvest in this year farming season as the pictures speak for themselves:

JOI Foundation is thankful to GOD for the opportunity to serve humanity as we positively touch lives.

RUTH PETER UBANI

RUTH is a widow with 4 children who lost her husband 10 years ago (around September 2013). She used to be a hairdresser but switched to farming business so as to meet up with her family bills. This has helped her greatly.

After her interview and her claims ascertained by the field officer, she was given loan to grant empowerment cheque to enable her buy vegetable pumpkin leaf (ugu) seedlings for this year farming season.

Ruth joy knew no bounds as the video and pictures speaks for themselves.

BLESSING NWAOBIA

BLESSING was first empowered on the 17th June 2022 with a loan to grant empowerment fund. She faithfully paid her loan and in line with the NGO policy, she has just been issued a cheque for her to buy seedlings for this year farming season.

She has since bought the seedlings and planted the vegetables for this year duly supervised by her field officer. The cheque was handed over to her by our President during our quarterly conference.

NDIDI ALO

Rose Ndidi Alo is a young widow whose husband passed on May 2022 leaving her to catering and raising four children alone.

She is farmer and also a Daycare worker at a local private school in order to make ends meet.

She has been a very committed and regular in attendance at our JOIF Women conference since December 2023, when she was invited to our Christmas benevolence party. JOI Team decided to give her a cheque in empowering her with a starter pack (loan to grant) to buy vegetable seedlings for her farming business in this year 2024 farming season.

Listen to her tell her story in the video and pictures. To God be the glory. Visit our website and social media handles. Join us in this noble work to humanity.

Ruth joy knew no bounds as the video and pictures speaks for themselves.

CHARITY OJUKWU

Charity Ojukwu is widow and a mother of 6 children who had to cope with the burden of raising her children alone.

She is a vegetable farmer and vegetable trader. She has also been attending our JOIF women Conference since December 2023, when she was invited to our Christmas benevolence party.

JOI Team decided to empower her with a cheque of our starter pack (loan to grant) to buy vegetable seedlings so as to help boost her farming business in the year 2024 farming season.

Listen to her tell her story in the video and pictures. To God be the glory. Visit our website and social media handles. Join us in this noble work to humanity.

RUTH UBANI

A sweetener pack cheque was presented to one of our widows (Roses), RUTH UBANI during our Christmas party after she had successfully passed the due process enabling her to be given a grant for her next farming season the our President . We give God the glory.

GLORY IKPEME EBONG

Glory Ebong is a widow empowered by JOI Foundation with a loan to grant empowerment fund (starter pack) 4years ago to start her Food selling business.

She has now received her grant empowerment fund (sweetener pack) having paid back her previous loan to grant empowerment fund. She now operates a soup kitchen. Thanks to God who enabled JOI Foundation.

J.O.I FOUNDATION LAGOS CHAPTER

HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LIFE

STORIES & EMPOWERMENT

YEAR

LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCES

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