About Us

Lydia Women Foundation International was born out of the steadfast commitment of its founder, Jane Hannah Francis. After surviving a life-threatening accident, Jane promised God that she would amplify her charity work and uplift the underprivileged in Nigeria.

The accident was severe: doctors said she’d need to amputate her leg to survive. But Jane’s faith wasn’t ready to give up on her.

“I could not believe what I was being told as my late husband, Rev. Chukwuemeka Francis, told me the doctor’s verdict: They said I’d lose my leg,” Jane recounts. “Then I heard a voice, clear as day, saying, ‘Do not fear, for you will walk out of this hospital on your two feet.’” As would later turn out, that is exactly what happened.

And as her faith had led her to do, Jane defied the odds. She walked out of the hospital, and in months, after receiving physiotherapy at home, she was back doing what she loved most—helping others.

Her mission was clear: to go big, reach more, and give back even harder. She started off with targeting the rural women from her late husband’s church, but soon it overgrew and spread all over.

Reaching out to women from across the divide, regardless of tribe or religion, she taught them different vocational skills, from baking and tailoring to making soap and beads. Through some generous donations, plus the income coming in from her industrial printing business, she could give them startup capital, affording them real chances at becoming economically independent.

But Jane did not stop there: in her visits to several communities, she found something that was disturbingly wrong—how Nigerian education was failing a lot of children. This was not a problem to sweep under the carpet.

Having discussed it with her husband and others close to her, Jane thought that something needed to be done. She started giving out scholarships to the out-of-school children, affording them the basic education they so rightfully deserved.

Before this new endeavor, Jane had a luncheon. She announced publicly for the first time that she would no longer focus on poor rural women but also on the children who were in need.

She also launched her book, The Great Redemption, at this event, about her journey. This transition marked the beginning of a new era for the Lydia Women Foundation International, henceforth referred to as LWFI.

Responding to the call of the Nigerian government for NGOs to be more corporate, it assumed an identity in response. It was also known as the Lydia Jane Empowerment Foundation and operated from Lagos.

As the Foundation grew, Jane appreciated that for it to succeed, the issue had to be taken to the people through fundraising and public awareness. She attended workshops and seminars arranged by other NGOs and CSOs.

These finally led to the flagship project of LWFI—”Putting Street Kids Back to the Classroom.” This has been a leading initiative that propelled the Foundation into the limelight across Nigeria.

In partnership with leading corporate and public sector partners, they sought to address this alarming rate of school dropouts that stunted the development of children in the country.

The Lydia Women Foundation, also known as Lydia Jane Empowerment Foundation, in 2015 partnered with the German Mission in Nigeria and the Lagos State Government and its SUBEB to start the first phase of “Putting Street Kids Back to the Classroom.”

It was a landmark event indeed. Over twenty corporate organizations partnered in this effort, and more than 180 children received scholarships to continue their education—investing in the future of Nigeria’s youth.

The COVID-19 pandemic had put a hold on the initiative for a while, but it has now resumed with increased vigor. With time, the Foundation has grown in the trust and confidence of its partners and the general public through awards and endorsements from governmental bodies and international missions in Nigeria.

Yet, the work of Jane does not stop here. Lydia Women Foundation will further continue fighting for the rights and well-being of the underprivileged so that they don’t just survive but thrive.