Sympathisers from within and outside Katsina have donated over N7 million in cash and assorted foodstuff to a woman and her four children abandoned by her husband.
It was gathered that Mrs Hadiza Abubakar who lives in the Katsina metropolis and her little children had not eaten for about 9 days, due to her inability to go out and fend for them as a result of her ill health.
Mrs Abubakar, a native of Kwara State, came to Katsina to live with her husband, a native of Giwa, Kaduna State.
It was gathered that the husband abandoned the family due to economic hardship and left them without food or money to take care of themselves.
The woman had to be going out to look for something for her children to eat, until one day when she was hit by a motorcyclist and got injured that she could no longer go out to look for food.
That was why the indigent woman and her children had not eaten for 9 days except the crumbs they could lay their hands on, as a result of which they became so emaciated and famished.
It took the efforts of her neighbours who went to see her condition of health that realised that the family was starving, hence they raised the alarm.
An activist, Ahmad Abdullahi BilHaqqi, then made a video of the poor family and posted it on social media to seek help for them from well-meaning individuals and groups.
After recording the video, they rushed the family to Turai Yar’adua Hospital, Katsina, to save their lives, and they were later transferred to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina.
Briefing the media in Katsina, the young activist who uploaded the video said people contributed a lot from different parts of the country.
He said people have donated money and food items including bags of rice, beans, corn, pasta, Indomie, cooking oil, seasoning, and other different types of food.
There was also support from the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on the directive of the state governor, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda, which includes mattresses, pillows, blankets, and food items.
Governor Radda also took time to visit the woman at the hospital where he directed that government should take responsibility for the family.
BilHaqqi said all the support was received in less than three days after uploading the video clip, adding that a plan was underway to purchase a house from the money and give the woman capital to start a business to support herself and her four children; two boys and two girls.
He added that a press conference was called to inform the public of the amount of support received and that the government has taken responsibility for the family.
He thanked all the donors and asked the public to stop sending any donations because some fraudulent individuals are using the clips to add their bank accounts claiming to receive support for the family.
Among the groups that provided and mobilised for the support were a Katsina-based HOHDI Foundation; Shagari Low-Cost Community Development Association, also in Katsina, as well as Fauziyya D. Sulaiman group based in Kano, among others.
