By Ahmed Rufa’i Dutse
A widow by the name Shafa’atu Abdullahi, a mother of three children could not hold back her tears after receiving a bag of 10kg Rice at Dutse central mosque on Saturda
Shafaatu while narrating her ordeal said she lost her husband in 2016 and since then she has been battling with life struggles while taking care of the three children without help since the pasy seven years.
While expressing her gratitude to Dangote foundation for the palliative, she indicated that saying before the distribution she was not having any food to use to break her fast.
Another beneficiary, Hafsat Maishanu
Another widow, Hafsa Maishanu
who said she has nobody to take care of her prayed for Dangote and his entire family for coming to their aid.
She said, “Food in this era is priceless because this ramadan we hardly eat to our satisfaction due to inflation and hardship”.
Aliko Dangote foundation had donated 30,000 bags of 10 kilograms of Rice to widows and other vulnerables across the 27 local government areas of the state.
Flagging off the distribution in a mini celebration at Dutse central mosque, the chief Imam Dr Abubakar Sani Birninkudu said the rice is part of Aliko Dangote foundation palliative sent to brought to the state.
Dr Birninkudu explained that “the rice is given by Aliko Dangote foundation to the people of Jigawa state to alleviate the present headship in the holy month of Ramadan”.
The chief Imam noted that the foundation had donated bags of Rice across the country, adding that Jigawa state has benefited with 30,000 bags of 10kg rice to be shared among the less privileged in the state as assistant in the holy month to ease present headship over the high cost of food prices”.
He said “The foundation’s choice in channeling the rice through this central mosque working committee is for the confidence that it will be judiciously be distributed to reach the targeted people”.
“We received 30,000 bags we have 30 state assembly constituencies in the state. We shared it equal by 1000 bags far each state assembly constituency, he emphasised.
Dr. Birninkudu added that “Upon receiving the rice we also constituted distribution committee from three eminent and popular Ulmas in each of the local government areas who received and distributed them to the beneficiaries in their respective areas”.
The chief Imam stated further that each local government area committee is responsible for choosing the beneficiaries in accordance with guidelines laid down by the main committee to ensure it get to the targed persons
“We made the selection of the beneficiaries according to the guideline, we registered them each with their mobile telephone number. We are going hand over with the register to Aliko Dangote foundation after distribution as evidence and if they want to confirm, the foundation would call any of the benefitiaries for confirmation”.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Dutse district head, Alhaji Jamilu Basiru Sunusi commended the foundation for the gesture, saying it came on a good time.
The district head assured that the bags of Rice would be distributed judiciously, adding that priority would be given to widows, orphans and Persons Living with Disability.
He called on the foundation to expand its activities to health, education for Jigawa state as it is also doing in Kano and Lagos state.