Fatima is a disabled Class Two Pupil of Dan Shayi Primary School in Rimin Gado Local Government Area of Kano state.
Even the scorching sun will descend upon her mercilessly, the hot sand will eat deep into her skin, yet, 11-year-old Fatima Yushau, an Orphan is determined to attend school, defying all the odds against her and make the over one Kilometer trip to and from school daily.
She often crawls to school alone or sometimes accompanied by her relatives of friends and something she is often dropped off by her headmaster by his motorbike on the way home.
“She just loves attending school, she is very passionate about education and would never agree to miss class for anything.” Says her school teacher.
Fatima’s headmaster Ahmadu Ali led Arewa Agenda reporter’s to her house under the hot sun, and it was an unbearable even on two legs such that the team had to seek shade under a tree to catch a breath after arriving at Fatima’s house.
However, Fatima’s face lit up with smiles at the sight of her teacher, and she happily crawled to welcome him. HEr vintage smile which refused to vanish from her face all through the period of the visit says how super excited she was to see her teacher.
While speaking to Arewa Agenda, her grandmother said Fatima fell sick alongside her mother immediately she was delivered. And five months later, the husband divorced her mother saying he could not bear the medical burden hence would not be able to live with them any longer. Fatima’s mother has died about eight months ago and she now lives with her grandmother in Karofin Yashi, of Dan Shayi village in Kano state.
When asked whether Fatima had been immunised or not, the grandmother simply showed to the Arewa Agenda team the immunisation spot on little Fatima’s hand.
Fatima is totally unable to walk and is in dire need of a wheelchair to aid her passion for education. And thankfully, a kind-hearted Nigerian has fulfilled this need by donating to her a wheelchair. However, despite her love for studies she may not be in for the best educational experience as her school is in total dilapidation.
The ceiling boards have wared off, the doors and windows have come unhinged, there are no desk, blackboard and teaching aids for conducive learning.
This is something that the Kano state ministry of education should look into as a matter of urgency in order to make education worthwhile to Fatima and other children of Karofin Danshayi village.
Aliyu Bashir Almusawi is an advocate of gender equality. He lives in Kano, Northern Nigeria
