The National Defence College Officers’ Wives Association (NDCOWA) has encouraged widows of fallen military personnel to look beyond grief and rebuild their lives with courage and purpose.
Coordinator of NDCOWA, Mrs. Isabella Okosun, made the call at an engagement tagged “NDCOWA Celebrates With Our Matriarchs” on Wednesday in Abuja.
The event, themed “Beyond Grief: Restoring Purpose,” aimed to provide support, spark conversations, and share resources to help widows navigate loss.
“We are here for the wives, the mothers, the pillars of hope—the women who hold families together while their heroes answer the call of duty,” Okosun said.
“This is your safe space, a sanctuary for healing, for sharing, and for dreaming again. You are resilience personified.”
She explained that the outreach extends beyond military widows to families within the NDC community who have lost loved ones, offering practical tools for healing and rebuilding.
Nigeria’s foremost psychotherapist, Mrs. Priscilla Ogunu, underscored the importance of seeking help and setting healthy boundaries during grief.
“Grief is hard, but courage and community are light that break through the heavy blanket of loss,” she said, sharing her own experience of bereavement.
Mrs. Naomi Michika, a widow, urged participants to prepare mentally and financially for life after loss.
“You have to move past the initial grief and plan for your future because widowhood requires resilience. Develop self-esteem and avoid self-pity,” she advised.
The programme highlighted the power of community support, encouraging widows to draw strength from shared experiences while building new paths of purpose.