The House of Representatives Members Wives Association, HORMWA on Saturday, December 4,2021 celebrated its annual end of year programme at the instance of members from Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom States.
The event which held at No 7 Lachlan close in Maitama, Abuja was well attended with members cut across the six states of the South South.
In attendance also were less privileged women and children from the Queens Kampe Shelter,an NGO located at the Federal Housing Estate,Lugbe in the Federal Capital Territory FCT Abuja.
In her address to the gathering, President of the Association,Mrs Blessing Mutu thanked members for their unwavering commitment to the mission statement despite challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mutu charged them also to continue with the good work of sisterhood, prayerfulness and making impact on their families and constituencies while wishing everyone the best of the season and a prosperous new year.
HORMWA end of year programme featured talks on values and culture which sees the training of the girl child and food as essential.
In her remarks,one of the resource persons,Mrs Offiong Archibong Anyanwu stated the importance of wives of Public office holders to engage in enterprises that add value to their families and change lives as such ventures could be the springboard upon which their future lies.
Speaking on the subject Akwa clause, popularly referred to as” Fathening room” a traditional imperative for young women in Efik and Ibibio origin, Mrs Joyce Bassey an Entrepreneur stressed highlighted the need for young girls to undergo the process as she said that the flattening room not only nourish the body of participants through good food but that they are trained for different skills including cooking, managing their homes , businesses and finances.
Other areas of training she said are public speaking, personal hygiene and etiquette
She however said that for the benefit of those who are unable to participate in the fattening room training in the traditional setting, they could donesticate it in their homes to enable their female children to get the basic training required to enable them mentally and physically fit for tasks ahead.
For Esther Adams, food is an integral part of the culture of the people as she gave a lecture on how different dishes of the area are prepared.
They include Edikankong,Ikpang uko ,Afang and white soup.
According to her ,the use of natural ingredients such as crayfish instead of maggi is not only healthy but makes the food taste good and irresistible.
Other Highlights of the programme were dinner and donation of food items and clothing to the Queens Kampe Shelter by HORMWA.
The items were received by the Matron of the home,Hauwa Goni.
