By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The Hajara Imam Maikano Samson Foundation has supported about 100 widows and other vulnerable persons with ₦1m in Kaduna as part of efforts to sustain the humanitarian legacy of its late namesake.
The foundation’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Surv. Elder Maikano Samson, disclosed this during the second edition of its widow support programme held at ECWA Gospel Church, Marafa, along Ilorin Road, Prison Quarters, Kaduna, during the church’s Widows’ Week.
Samson also called on individuals, corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to partner with the foundation to expand its humanitarian interventions.
He said the initiative was established in honour of his late wife, Hajara Imam Maikano Samson, to continue her legacy of compassion and support for the less privileged.
According to him, the foundation held its first widow support programme in July, and a report of the exercise attracted an anonymous benefactor who donated ₦1m for the second edition.
He clarified that the money distributed to the beneficiaries was donated by the benefactor and was not his personal contribution.
The donor, he added, requested that his identity remain undisclosed.
Samson said each beneficiary received ₦10,000, adding that the exercise covered widows and other vulnerable persons selected from ECWA Gospel Church, Marafa, and other groups, including individuals identified through connections with his late wife’s former workplace, DICON.
He described the foundation as a humanitarian organisation open to people of all religious backgrounds, stressing that its interventions were guided by need and available resources.
Samson said the foundation was also interested in supporting orphans, out-of-school children and young people struggling to continue their education.
Two beneficiaries, Mrs Doris Dorcas Maya and Mrs Aminatu Hassan, expressed appreciation for the assistance.
Hassan, a widow and mother of five, described the donation as timely, saying it would help her meet some of her family’s needs.
She prayed for the foundation’s growth and urged it to extend its support to more vulnerable people.
The guest speaker, Her Royal Highness Sarauniya Deborah Hannatu Emmanuel Maisababi, commended the foundation for supporting widows and other disadvantaged persons.
Speaking on the theme of the ECWA Women’s Fellowship programme, “Keep Your Lamps Burning,” drawn from Luke 12:35, she emphasised the need to sustain faith, hope and service to humanity.
She said making a positive difference in people’s lives was a meaningful way to preserve the memory of the late Hajara.
Also speaking, a member of the foundation’s Board of Trustees and former minister at ECWA Gospel Church, Marafa, Rev. Ahmed Zumunta Bashayi, praised the late Hajara for her kindness and commended her husband for continuing her humanitarian work.
Bashayi recalled that the deceased had supported him during difficult moments in his life. He pledged to support efforts to ensure that donations from well-meaning individuals reached deserving beneficiaries.
The event attracted church leaders, members of the Women’s Fellowship and other guests.
End.
