Hunger: Widow, 22, Feeds Children with Poultry Feed
In Akwa Ibom State, a 22-year-old widow, Grace Udeme Emmanuel, fed her four children with chicken and fish feed from a poultry farm where she works, sparking public concern and intervention.
The story, shared on Instagram by Queen Praise Uzoma, the daughter of the farm owner, drew attention, including from the state’s First Lady, Mrs. Patience Umo Eno.
Grace has been provided with furnished accommodation, kitchen utensils, and food supplies for three months. There are plans to enroll her in skills and business management training and to help her complete her secondary education.
“We are mindful that this is a girl that is still a child, doesn’t have a bank account, no phone,” Mrs. Uduak Ekong, Chief Press Secretary to the First Lady, stated, emphasizing Grace’s vulnerability. “You don’t raise money and give it to her in bulk… People will come under the guise of love and deceive her.”
Grace’s salary at the poultry farm has been increased from N15,000 to N35,000, with N20,000 being supplemented by external support. The First Lady has also directed that Grace undergo counseling and a mental evaluation.
“What caught Her Excellency’s attention, first, was what would propel any human being to consider feeding her children chicken feeds?” Ekong said, adding that after the mental evaluation, Grace will be supported with skills acquisition and mentorship on managing her finances.
“There are plans to take her back to school and for her children’s school too,” Ekong confirmed.