Bakin Kogi a land in search of Redemption

Growing up as a young girl from Southern Kaduna, middle belt Nigeria, I had experienced depravation first hand as a child. Pains of neglect, the girl seen as a second class citizen without a purpose, so I decided against all odds to reach the unreached, interpret the stories of the girl child that had been deprived of formal education, exposure to social amenities.

I embarked on a mission in a village, without anyone government presence, one sunny day. During my visit I noticed one of the primary four pupils was uncomfortable during a class session. My Foundation, Orah Bayit,  has a volunteering scheme that teaches and empowers the less privilege.

The beautiful girl became increasingly uncomfortable and so there was the need to engage her and her peers as to the reason for the discomfort. Sweat protruded on her face, being a pleasant child and one eager to learn, I was interested to know what the matter was. Interestingly she ran out of the class while her mates busted out in laughter.

She was pressed, I noticed that through the windowless class. All eyes were on her while she maneuvered through the shrubs and thorns for a cover to relieve herself of this discomfort. This is the 21st century yet girls still use bushes, grasses and thorns to cover themselves like the proverbial Adam who sewed leaves to cover the nakedness of eve.

However, this singular act prompted me to build a toilet through my Foundation, Orah Bayit. I decided to take up the project with no help, we were able to build a block of two toilets, one for girls and the other for boys.

The excitement on the faces of the girls will forever be in my memory. The entire community was excited. Since the toilet is a squat system, water was needed. Interestingly the community also has serious water concerns. So, together with the parents and community leaders we agreed that parents will take turns in fetching water from the nearby stream to fill up a mini tank to help the  children keep the toilet clean.