Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto
On Friday, the Bafarawa Foundation (Giving Back Initiative) flagged off the Distribution of Food Items and Cash to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Gandi Rabah local government area of Sokoto state.
The Chairman of the foundation Malam Lawal Muhammad Maidoki flag-off the distribution of assorted foodstuffs to IDPs at Gandi Camp constructed by Qatar Foundation in 2020.
He said the grains and Cash were sourced from the one billion Naira made available by Bafarawa for the upkeep of the IDPs, less privileged and vulnerable in the society.
The Gandi IDP camp with over 200 housing units, a School, a Market, and a Clinic is the first to be constructed by a foreign country and donated to IDPs in the state.
It’s currently housing over 1500 displaced persons including women and children from three different villages of Gandi district in Rabah local government area.
The camp which has a total of over 1500 displaced from three villages terrorized by Bandits and other criminal gangs has been in existence since 2017 before the Qatar Foundation provided over 200 housing and other social amenities as donations to the victims and their families.
Delivering the foodstuffs and cash to the camp community leaders, Malam Lawal Muhammad Maidoki said the Bafarawa Foundation tagged (Giving back Initiative) focuses attention on providing food and shelter to victims of banditry, potable Water, health facilities and education of children of the poor and vulnerable.
He said aside provision of foodstuffs, the foundation is sponsoring 3 children from the camp to study health-related courses up to tertiary level to give back to the three villages upon completion.
“The foundation will pay tuition fees of less privilege orphans and children of those displaced by Insecurity and other natural disasters.”
Speaking while distributing the items to the beneficiaries at the flag-off in Gandi Maidoki said the gesture aims to help the poor and needy in the society considering the economic hardship and insecurity that has prevented many from farming, especially in the eastern part of the state which is battling with Insecurity.
“We are given Ten thousand naira each to 200 beneficiaries of the foodstuffs to help them purchase cooking ingredients to cushion the current hardship.
On his part, the representative of the sultanate council who also doubles as the overseer of Gandi district Yahaya Kabiru thanked the initiator of the foundation Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa for having the masses at heart and appealed to the beneficiaries not to sell the items but to use them judiciously.
He also calls on other well-to-do individuals and corporate organizations to emulate the gesture by reaching out to those facing difficulties, especially internally displaced persons.
These and many other things the Bafarawa foundation did to countless individuals in the state who were mostly the poorest of the poor, less privileged, Internally displaced persons and persons living with all forms of disability.”
The coordinator of the Gandi IDP camp Malam Ibrahim Ahmed disclosed that 1431 displaced persons would benefit from the food donated by the foundation including Women and children.
He also thanked their host community, the people of Gandi town who have been living with them without any form of discrimination since they arrived in the area in 2017.
Ahmed however appealed to the Sokoto state government to rehabilitate the only primary school, clinic, and solar-powered borehole constructed by Qatar Foundation in 2020.
“Currently our only source of water of drinking water is from Gandi Lake which will soon dry off coupled with the fear of an outbreak of gastrointestinal disorder.
The flag-off distribution was witnessed by Nasiru Bafarawa, Nura Attaziri, Malam Kabiru Binji, a representative of the Sultanate Council Yahaya Kabiru, beneficiaries, and community leaders.
