By Gbenga Akingbule
Hadiza Bukar’s life goal is to become a teacher, impacting knowledge on her fellow Borno citizens and beyond. Her dream was nearly derailed by last year’s destructive flooding in Maiduguri and Jere Local Government Councils, but SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria (SOSCVN) Multipurpose Cash transfer to her parent provided crucial support
Gatekeepers News reports that Hadiza’s Mother – Aisha Bukar – a widow was among 799 participants who benefited from SOSCVN intervention to flood affect households within Jere and Maiduguri Metropolitan Councils.
Through its integrated humanitarian response, SOSCVN reached over 18,000 individuals, providing conditional and unconditional cash transfers to more than 3,800 households, agricultural inputs to 100 families, and hygiene awareness to over 11,400 community members. Construction of solar-powered boreholes and gender-responsive toilets is nearing completion to improve access to safe water and sanitation.
Aisha, 55 years old from Bama Local Government Council in Borno State, has faced immense challenges. She lost her husband after prolonged illness and seven of her 12 children over the years. Last year’s destructive flooding of her house located around Elmiskin 2 of Jere Local Government compounded her hardship.
Aisha recalled the traumatic experience saying “there was no time to take out any of my belongings. My children and I had to flee to safety, lest we were drowned by the ravaging flood.”
As the flooding which afectected over 400,000 people receded, Aisha, like many residents, returned to pick up the pieces. The devastating incident left her struggling to provide for her remaining children, including Hadiza, who couldn’t proceed with her education since she completed her primary school and her hope of pursuing her teaching career dimed.
The financial strain was overwhelming, and Aisha feared that Hadiza’s dreams might be lost amidst the hardship.
However, the SOSCVN Multipurpose Cash transfer intervention helped Aisha’s family recover from the devastating flood’s impact. This support enabled them to meet their basic needs, including food, shelter, and clothing.
Aisha couldn’t contain her joy the day she got the credit alert of N395,000 ( about 271USD ) as she lunched a major celebration in her neighbourhood cooking pot full of pasta and having a very good meal after a very long time . ” We even gave leftovers to some street urchins closeby ” she said beaming with smile
For now, Aisha is fast recovering from the many strugglles of her life. She has started selling children’s and adults’ clothing, made possible by the tailoring skills of her surviving daughters. Aisha sources materials from the local market and brings them home, where her children create beautiful designs. These garments are then sold on market days, providing a steady income for the family.
“I make as much as N15, 000 to 18, 000 (about 11USD – 13 USD) on good market days ” Aisha said
The cash transfer by SOSCVN also helped Hadiza continue her education, giving her the opportunity to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.
Hadiza’s determination and resilience, coupled with the support from SOSCVN have helped her stay focused on her goal. “I am grateful for the support we received,” Hadiza said. “It has helped me continue my education and work towards becoming a teacher. I want to make a positive impact on my community and inspire others through education.”
Aisha expressed her gratitude, saying, “The support from SOSCVN has been a lifeline for us. It has helped us recover from the flood and given Hadiza a chance to pursue her dreams. We are thankful for their kindness and generosity- I also wish other flood survivors get support like I did .
Hadiza’s story is a testament to the power of resilience and the impact of community support. Despite facing immense challenges, she remains committed to her goal of becoming a teacher with hope of making a difference in her community. With the support of organizations like SOSCVN Hadiza’s dream is within reach, and her future looks brighter.
Many families like Aisha’s are still struggling to survive on the streets of Maiduguri and Jere, seeking support just to stay alive. The withdrawal of some humanitarian actors due to funding cuts has left these support-seeking families and individuals facing even greater challenges.
“We just conducted impact assessment of the project and the outcome of the project about two weeks ago and findings of that assessment have revealed that there is still need for us to improve and there’re some gaps in terms of reach and of course funding shrink, there is a lot that needs to be done” Humanitarian Action Manager of SOSCVN, Fredson Ogbeche told reporters in Maiduguri.
