Our Founder
In Dec 2018, Nkiru’s local community awarded her the title of Ozulu umu ogbenye(She who caters for the poor) in a ceremony which took place in her home town of Obosi in Dec 2018.
About Our Founder
Mrs Roseline Nkiru Ezeagbo (nee Ugona) is the only daughter of late Engr SPC Ugona (Akunwata) and JP Ego Ugona (Ezinne) of Umu Ogbunammili, Umu Oliobi family, Umu Udezuga of Ire village Obosi . She was born on the 21st of November 1958.
She had three brothers, her eldest brother, who was the highest contributor to the Joyful Widows Foundation, unfortunately passed on on the 6th of March 2021. She attended Queen of the Rosary Secondary School Nsukka where she finished with a high grade 1. She graduated from the University of Nigeria Nsukka with a second-class upper division in Microbiology in May 1981.
Nkiru was one of the two nurses to pilot the role of the Community Matron in her organization when it was first launched in the UK. Mrs Ezeagbo was awarded a certificate of Excellence in Patient care during the Northwest London NHS Trust annual award ceremony in Dec 2016.
She took an early retirement as a Matron in the UK National Health Service in November 2017. She now works as an independent contractor as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner whenever she visits the UK. She has retired from full time active practice. Nkiru and Nso both live in Abuja, Nigeria since her retirement from active practice in February 2021.
They both devote most of their retirement time improving the structure of the Joyful Widows Foundation in order to provide the best for the widows and their children.
Nkiru married her husband, Nso Ezeagbo (Ogbueshi Nwadiugwu) soon after she graduated from the university on the 15th of August 1981. Together, they have five children, 3 daughters and 2 sons. They have two granddaughters and a grandson. Nkiru went to join her husband with their children in the UK in September 1995. There, she trained to become a nurse. She worked in various areas of nursing and excelled in each area. She placed a lot of premia on academic pursuance in her career. She obtained two master’s degree, one in Advanced Nurse Practice and another in Independent/Supplementary prescribing to become one of the first group of nurses who prescribe independent of doctors in England in 2006.
The Joyful Widows Foundation was founded by Nkiru, with her husband’s full support in December 2006. This was founded out of her deep passion to help alleviate the sufferings of impoverished widows in Obosi.