Photo: Kano Govt empowers limbless Rahma Haruna and her family with foodstuffs and cash gifts

Kano State Govt through the state Commissioner
for Women Affair, Barr. Zubaida Damakka
Abubakar empowered the family of Rahma
Haruna, a limbless 19-year old girl of Lahadin
Makole in Dawakin Kudu local government area of
Kano state.
Rahma, who has no functional limbs but tiny
appendages in the position of arms and legs, is
being moved about in a synthetic washbasin by a
young cousin, to beg for alms in Kano city, about
26 kilometers from her village. The earnings help
in sustaining the family of four.
Her father, Haruna Muhammad said her challenge
started when she was 6 months old and largely
due to poverty, he could not take her for
specialized medical attention. He had sold his
farm and personal belongings but no progress
was recorded in her treatment. At last, he
resigned to the sad fate, which many people in
his community seem to believe, that her condition
is the handiwork of evil spirits.
Because of her condition, the poor girl cannot do
virtually anything without the support of a family
member. She and her brother, who carries her to
solicit alms to feed the poor family, do not go to
school.
While presenting the donation of empowerment
items to the family on Friday, January 29, the
Commissioner of Women Affairs, Barr. Zubaida
Damakka said the state government is touched
by the condition of the girl stressing that the
government would do all it could to see that
Rahma does not feel forsaken.
"Government would continue to look after her
welfare to ensure that she lives as comfortable as
possible and to make sure that she does not beg
because of her physical challenge" the
commissioner assured.
Barrister Zubaida stated that she was “amazed by
the girl's zeal to do something meaning for
herself rather than the usual street begging which
she and her younger brother engaged in”, adding
that the donation was meant to empower the
family so that they can earn a living decently and
take their children to school.
Items donated to the girl’s mother to start a
business include 10 cartons of noodles, 2 bags of
detergent, 10 cartons of biscuits, 2 bags of
semovita, 2 bag of rice, a sack of soya bean, 2
gallons of cooking oil 25 liters each and the sum
of twenty thousand naira