The Widows and Orphans Development Foundation (WODF) was established in November 2020 in the Netherlands with the aim of empowering the disadvantaged widows and orphans socially and economically in Tanzania so as to alleviate extreme poverty amongst them, address socio-cultural issues that violate their human rights, and help them live a resilient life. 

Why widow empowerment?

"When widows are denied the right to access, own, control or inherit property and the land they live on, it is a violation of their rights. When these women and their children are evicted from their homes because their husbands have died, it is a violation of their rights. When a lack of savings means a lack of health care for themselves and education for their children and grandchildren, it is a violation of their rights. And enduring traditional practices directed at widows, which are inhumane and degrading, is a serious violation of their human rights." UNFPA.

The main objectives of WODF are:

- To empower widows economically by providing entrepreneurial skills and seed funding, enabling them to start small income-generating projects, and to sensitize them about their human rights.

- To mobilize financial and material support to enable orphaned children living in extreme poverty to access education.

- To conduct research, raise awareness about issues affecting widows, and advocate against harmful cultural practices, discrimination, and other prejudices that perpetuate injustice against widows.

Widows and Orphans Development Foundation

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