Nafisa Abdullahi is an exceptionally bright girl from Garin Magaji village in Kirikasamma Local Government Area of Jigawa State. There is no school in the entire community, and most school-age children would rather not bother themselves with the hussles of education. But this is not the fate Naifisa or her parents are ready to accept.
For three years, Nafisa trekked every school day to Ku’it, a neighbouring community to attend a public primary school. She later passed a selection examination and moved to a special boarding primary school about fifty miles away in Gumel. Three years later, Nafisa cleared yet another examination to gain admission into an elite federal government secondary school.
Nafisa was certainly poised to make history as not only the first girl child to attend secondary school from her entire community, but perhaps someday, could fulfil her dreams to also become a doctor. So many women and children (among them her friends) die of diseases she believes her knowledge of medicine could help treat, she said. This is a pleasant aspiration in a state with one of the highest maternal and infant deaths in the entire world. Significantly also, Jigawa has the fifth highest number of out of school children in the country according to the United Nations Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (UNESCO). Again, Nigeria has up to fifteen per cent of the global burden of out of school girls according to a United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) report in September, 2023, with the North East and North West – where Jigawa is located – accoounting for moerthan fourty eight per cent of this figure. Nafisa was, therefore, a lone bright star that must never dim!
But then, there is a problem. Nafisa’s parents could not afford her fees of 100,000 Naira (roughly 300 USD) at the Federal Government College in Kiyawa, JigawaState. Three hundred USD is a lot of money among the rural folks in a state that is among the top five poorest in the entire country.
Unik Impact Foundation is proud to be associated with Nafisa Abdullahi’s journey, as she is set to fulfil her dreams and make our world a better place; one dream at a time. The Foundation, which took responsibility for her tuition and upkeep since 2019, got to know of Nafisa and her story through a local activist Bamai Dabuwa. Activists like Mr. Bamai are strong pillars in matching needs from poor communities with opportunities outside, and they should be identified and encouraged.
Nafisa’s story is on going…
