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Benedicta Delima, Ghanaian widow, author, advocate, and Swarthmore College Environmental Services technician supports hundreds of widows facing violence and hardship in Ghana.
Having personally endured disenfranchisement and societal neglect as a widow in Ghana, Delima has made it her mission to alleviate the severe hardships that widows in Ghana face. In 2023, Delima launched her non-profit Benedicta and Sonnie's Tears and Pains (BSTP), and self-published a powerful memoir, Widow and Son: The Tears and Suffering of a Widow and Son from Ghana.
“Widows in Ghana are accused of causing their husbands’ deaths, labeled as ‘witches,’ beaten, and driven from their homes,” Delima says. “Despite this, they are expected to raise their children alone, often without any familial, social, or legal support. ”
Many widows, like Delima, were bombarded by their spouse’s family while grieving. In efforts to alleviate the issues these widows face, Dilemma’s non-profit has helped 400 widows so far, organizing hospital trips, paying for medical appointments, and providing groceries and rent support to Ghanaian widows.
BSTP is calling on policymakers to implement laws to protect Ghanaian widows. BSTP is also raising funds and looking for local organizations to partner with in providing skills training for Ghanaian widows.
