According to (UNFPA, 2011), “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.”  

The aforementioned text speaks volumes of the day-to-day challenges experienced by widows.  In most areas in Africa, widowhood is characterized with many deficiencies such as  the withdrawal of  their children from school, since  majority of the widows find themselves unable to meet the costs associated with their children’s education as they cannot afford to buy a pair of uniforms or other school supplies for their children.
These children are withdrawn from school also because they are supposed to help their mother to earn an income through various activities ranging from street vending to working in neighbours farms for a very little pay.

One of the  main objectives of  the Chenwi’s Smile Foundation is to change the living condition of widows and orphans and their dependence, through  skill-based education in the manufacture of a variety of products, with a goal to provide basic knowledge in the process of transforming and educating the widows in various strategies in sustainability and transparency to use the available resources within their environment. These training and capacity building sessions shall help the widows in achieving independence and acquiring financial autonomy.