Queen’s Cottage Foundation was formed out of an understanding of the plight of widows, orphans and girls affected by female genital mutilation (FGM).  These include social exclusion, trauma, lack of basic needs, and violation of their rights including the right to education, food, owning property, health and protection.  

Widows and orphans face many challenges such as property grabbing, ostracization, isolation, violence and abuse, which result in extreme poverty.  According to a UN Woman’s declaration published in 2017, there are at least 258 million of widows in the world, and despite a lack of data, at least 115 million of them are living in extreme poverty.