The Ladies of St. Mulumba (LSM) Nigeria has empowered 100 indigent women. The third phase of the empowerment initiative tagged ‘Touch Life One-on-One’ took place at the opening ceremony of LSM 46th Annual National Convention penultimate Friday in Abuja. The 20 women chosen from the nine Metropolitan Councils across Nigeria were presented cheques valued N100,000 each. Noble President of LSM Nigeria, Lady Anthonia Ngozi Obah in her address reemphasised her leadership’s commitment to championing the cause of indigent women, widows and youths to enable them reach their full potential.
According to her, the ‘Touch Life One-on-One’ initiative was specifically designed to assist the indigent women revive their businesses and contribute meaningfully to their families. She said, “During the 2023 Annual LSM National Convention in Warri, Delta State, the project was unveiled by the Worthy Supreme Knight, Sir Engr. (Dr.) Charles Mbelede. This is the pet project of this present administration, and we started it at the last convention in Warri with 17 persons, and in March 2024, we took up the next batch of 35 persons, totalling 52 individuals empowered. Today, we are on it again to empower a hundred indigent women, widows and youths from all corners of Nigeria to help them stay alive.”
The theme of 46th edition of LSM Annual National Convention was, “Women taking responsibility for the future: The role of LSM as Christian Women.” Lady Obah noted that the theme is a clarion call for all women to look to the future with a determination backed by hard work to assume duties that will make the future better. “It calls for attention to take up responsibilities to surmount hardship, hunger, poverty, ill health, unhealthy politics, dismantle schism, destroy evil at all levels and conquer lack of progress in all sectors of life. “
It is a call for us to rise to the challenges and difficulties of life around us; it calls for a new discovery, charting a new course to things and standing up to achieving our goals to arrest the future. “The future that Nigeria today depicts is not only unstable, but scary and unpredictable. It is a call for LSM to take up roles that will guarantee our growth and survival, together with that of our families, the Church, our immediate society, and the nation at large. We call for a proper scrutiny of our efforts, activities and re-channelling them to arrest the future.” The Noble President enjoined the Ladies of St. Mulumba to be affectionate to their husbands and team up with them to train their children and build strong families.
“We are called to dedicatedly inculcate the right training in our children, support our brothers and families; establish the right morals in children, encourage entrepreneurship and skill acquisition in our children and the youths around us, and emphasise the agrarian life style. Let us encourage our families and friends to go back and explore our lands for diverse purposes, for the environment is a strong factor. She further urged the ladies to enhance their commitment to the service of the Church. Hear her, “The family is the micro Church; the quality of family life defines the macro Church. Let us revive and renew our commitment to service in the Church.
Let us strive to live out the word of God we hear and be committed to our basic obligations in the Church. Let us be conscious that we are co-heirs in the kingdom and selflessly assume duties as we should in the house of our fathers.” Speaking on LSM and the Society, she charged the ladies to assume positions of transformation that will make their works visible as she also implored them to lend their voices, stand for the truth, and shun evil. “Participate in and build the educational sector, our economy, politics and environment for the future. Contribute your meaningful quota in those spaces,” the Noble President stressed. On a final note, Lady Obah charged the Metropolitan and Sub-Council presidents to selflessly build formidable and future-proof Sub Councils and Metropolitan Councils.
“We are all leaders in different capacities. Rise and take up responsibility for the future by building up your Sub Councils and Metro Councils through human and material capacities. Do not come to LSM to enrich yourself; do not be in your Metro or Sub Council to divert funds and make money; try and emphasise spirituality, charity and sisterhood. Let us divest ourselves of inordinate ambitions, divisions, bitterness, back biting and over exertion of power.”
Also speaking at the Convention, Sir (Dr.) Charles Mbelede, Supreme Knight, Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) Nigeria, on behalf of the Supreme Executive Board commended the LSM for its iconic charity programme. He said, “I am aware that as part of the itinerary of this convention the LSM will embark on an empowerment programme with 100 needy drawn from within and outside the Order, as the beneficiaries. This is very commendable, especially at this period of intense hardship in the country. This gesture is coming on the heels of your programme of building houses for widows across the country.
“The hardship in the country impels all well-meaning Nigerians, to be more charity conscious and in tandem with Pope Francis admonition to mankind to listen always to the cry of suffering people all over the world. The charity programmes of LSM had won several accolades and endorsements from several quarters, including a cross-section of our Bishops. I urge you not to relent and be assured that the Order is indeed very proud of you.”
