AFRICAN SWEETHEARTS... FROM LATE MARYAM TO AISHA BABANGIDA, A BETTER LIFE GIFT TO NIGERIAN WOMEN
If the legacy of heroines is truly the memory of a great name and bequest of a great example, then the former first lady of the country, late Maryam Babangida, has left an enviable legacy for her wards and family. Maryam no doubt left behind big shoes for her children to fill. The late wife of former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.) will forever excite fond thoughts in the hearts of millions of Africans. There is no gainsaying she was both an African and Nigerian sweetheart. She transformed lives positively and established a legacy that remains phenomenal even as you read. Last Saturday the memory of the iconic woman was honoured at Tungan Ashere Adult Literacy Centre, Gaku District, Zuba Abuja-FCT Abuja as 52 women graduated from the Better Life Programme for the African Rural Woman Adult Literacy programme, an initiative of late Maryam. The 52 women who could not read and write completed their 12 months course; not only can majority of them now read and write, they can also express themselves in English Language. The special event which was aimed at encouraging the female students within these communities to embrace literacy began with a brief history of Better Life Programme for the African Rural Woman.
The baton has since been passed on to Maryam’s daughter, Hajiya Aisha Babangada, who has tried to achieve even more than her mother did. The new leadership of the nongovernmental organisation (NGO), headed by Aisha, shares and respects the vision and mission of the organisation as founded by her late mother. In August 2012, Aisha embarked on a charity programme tagged, “Servant Learners,” whereby youth volunteers from different professional and educational backgrounds came together to offer free services to communities. Tungan Ashere community was identified and picked for the pilot phase of the programme because of its location and the needs of the people despite their closeness to the nation’s capital.