African widows in the UK
For African widows in the UK, a community that understands
If you are a woman of African heritage living in the UK and you have lost your husband or partner, African Caribbean Widows UK is a community of women who understand both the loss and the culture around it. Whether your family is Nigerian, Ghanaian, Zimbabwean, Kenyan, Sierra Leonean, Ugandan, Cameroonian or from anywhere across the continent, you are welcome.
Join the communityGrieving between two homes
Many African families in the UK grieve across two places at once. There may be a funeral to plan here and family to consider back home, decisions about where your husband will be laid to rest, and relatives with strong views about how things should be done.
In many African cultures a funeral is a large community event, often held some weeks after the death so that family can travel and gather. Families may wear matching fabric, hold a service of songs and a celebration of life. Those traditions can be a great comfort, and they can also be exhausting to organise while you are grieving.
In our community you don't have to explain any of this. The women you meet will understand.
When the expectations are heavy
A widow can carry a great deal of expectation, from family, from in-laws, from church and from community. Some women feel they must be strong for everyone else. Some feel alone in a house full of people. Others find the quiet afterwards, when everyone has gone home, the hardest part.
Whatever you are carrying, you can bring it here. You can talk, or simply listen, among women who know.
Faith, and finding your people
For many African families, faith and church are at the heart of how a loss is carried. You are welcome here whatever your faith, or none.
Common questions
Is there a support group for Nigerian or Ghanaian widows in the UK?
African Caribbean Widows UK welcomes widows of all African heritages living in the UK, including Nigerian and Ghanaian women, alongside women of Caribbean heritage. It is a peer community you can join online from anywhere in the UK.
My husband was buried back home. Can I still join?
Of course. Wherever your husband or partner was laid to rest, and however long ago, you are welcome.
Can I join if I am of mixed African and Caribbean heritage?
Yes. The community is for women of African heritage, Caribbean heritage, or both.