Touching story of Rahama, 19-year-old girl who spends her life in a bucket

Life they say is beautiful. While those who are physically fit enjoy the beauty and pleasure life could offer. They move around freely, carrying out different day-to-day activities demanding little or no support at all from other persons to achieve their goals in life. However, one wonders if the same phrase could be used for physically challenged persons. This is a touching story of a 19-year-old girl who spends her life in a bucket as a result of her disability. Rahama Haruna Husaini was born to Mr. and Mrs. Haruna 19 years ago like every normal child. Haruna and his wife were thrilled with the joy of the new baby.

But their joy turned into anguish as the little girl developed a serious medical problem which prevented her legs and arms from functioning. Instead, it began to shrink six months after her birth even before she could start crawling. At the moment, one could hardly see the affected part of her limbs. All efforts to get her medical assistance were in vain as it appeared nothing could be done for the poor little girl considering the fact that the parents are both village normads striving to survive. The hope for getting Rahama any relief diminishes as the years passes by.

For Rahama, she has since accepted her present condition as her fate. And she has learnt to be strong as it appeared nothing can be done to help her situation. Rahama spends her entire time in a bucket and carried around by her younger brother begging for alms. It was in this process someone got to see her, snapped her photo and posted it online. And behold, kind individuals within and outside the state who saw her condition as pathetic started trooping in to Makole town to give her their assistance and encouraged her. In this process, someone bought her a wheel chair despite that she still has to sit inside the bucket. But this means that the little brother doesn’t need to carry her on his head any more.

Though physically disabled, she remained focused and determined to become somebody in life as her dream is to be a business woman who owns a shop where she could sell provisions. When asked as to what spurred her to aspire to become a business woman, she replied that she has always thought of a better and respectable means of raising money rather than the everyday begging. According to her, one day, she sent her brother to get her indomie noodles which she was told sells for N40. She immediately thought that she could raise money from this business considering the fact that noodles are widely eaten by both children and adults but had no means of starting anything like that.

Unlike some able bodied persons or those whose forms of deformity did not prevent them from being useful to themselves and the entire society but resort to begging, this poor girl did not see her condition as something that could prevent her from achieving her heart desire. All she hoped and prayed for was that good Samaritan would lend her a helping hand. Touched by the condition of the girl, Kano State Commissioner for women affairs and social development, Bar. Zubaida Damaka led a team from her ministry to Lahadin Makole to see Rahama and show her some love.

The Commissioner presented to her, 10 cartons of indomie, 10 cartons of biscuits, two cartons of sweets, two bags of detergents, a bag of rice, soya bean, two gallons of cooking oil, 25 liters each and her mother also received a sum of N20,000 to assist her in her own business. Bar. Zainab, filled with emotions stated that the governor of the state and his entire officials shares in the girl’s plight promising that the state government would do all it could to make sure that Rahama doesn’t feel forsaken. Stressing that the younger brother should be enrolled back in school immediately as begging days were over for Rahama who could now sit at home and do her business.

She called on individuals to give a meaning to Rahama’s life. Filled with joy, Rahama blessed the Commissioner, the governor and every person who has assisted her in one way or the other. She said that this kind gesture from the government would go a long way in assisting her and her entire family. Lahadin Makole village and the villagers have seen quite a number of prominent visitors in recent time coming in to see the poor girl and render her some help. It is hoped that the government would keep to its promises and this is also calling on individuals, groups, NGOs and the Federal Government to come to the help of this limbless lady and make her feel that life is worth living.