Inside story of Abuja female migrant beggars
Need for survival brought us here Though we’re many, we make good money everyday We don’t want to be idle Daily
Some female folks that hitherto had different means of livelihood in their states abandoned them, migrated to Abuja and resorted to begging. Trust on Sunday caught up with scores of them at PSIN Bridge, Karsana District, Gwarinpa, where they shared their experiences.
Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and symbol of oneness, national unity is a home to all Nigerians, regardless of ethnic backgrounds and differences. It is commonly believed to be a place of opportunities. Beggars, too, share in this belief. But their own mindset about the opportunities is begging so much that both men and women are found in different parts of the city begging for alms.
But the females in a chat with Daily Trust on Sunday told different tales about their reasons for coming to the city and taking to begging.
Their reasons range from lack of employment, business breakdown, marriage failure, insecurity, enormous responsibilities, among others.
Zainab Usman is a 29-year-old lady. She hails from Bauchi State but relocated to Abuja due to circumstances beyond her control and ended up begging.
According to her, she was a local food vendor. She disclosed that she started begging when she ran out of capital to continue her food business.
“I used to sell local food, but had to stop the business because my capital wasn’t enough to continue. But if I am able to raise capital, I will go back to my business,” she said.
“I was born in Bauchi. I had my primary school education there but couldn’t proceed for secondary education due to lack of money. I got married at the age 14 and gave birth to five kids. I lost four of them, while the only one that survived is schooling in Bauchi. I started living here in Abuja after I got separated from my husband,” she said.
Zainab told Daily Trust on Sunday that the beggars at the area had no particular gimmick or story line to beg motorists and pedestrians for money. According to her, she only begs and hopes to receive favour from people.
“We don’t use or say anything in particular. We just sit down here to see how the blessings would come. We believe that if anyone wishes to help us, he/she would come our way,” she said.
Zainab also expressed joy that despite the huge number of beggars around, she always made good money at the end of the day.
“Many of us gather here on the same spot expecting gifts from people. We share money that they give to us. We share it and we don’t fight among ourselves,” she said joyfully.
She said that she had neither faced any harassment from any individual or taskforce whose job is to enforce the rule against street begging by discouraging beggars or chasing them away. “I have never met any of those taskforce people before. In fact, they don’t always come to this place, she said.”
Rahmatu Abdullahi who hails from Katsina State said that it was her poor financial condition in the village that pushed her to the city to start begging. “Hardship brought me here. If only I could find a helper, I would go back to my village. I did not come here willingly. It was poor financial situation that forced me here. I have no option,” she said.
While also stating other reasons for coming to Abuja, Rahmatu added: “Kidnappers are invading Katsina and stealing our property. If not for the insecurity problem, I had never been to the city until now.”
She added: “My parents have passed away, while my siblings have been killed. I am left with only nieces and nephews. As we are talking right now, I have eight orphans that depend on me. I have to look for a way to help us survive. I have to also look for a
My only source of income now is begging. I came here to look for what to eat. Nobody wants to help us. But they keep chasing us as if we are thieves
way of taking care of the kids that I sent to school.”
According to Rahmatu, she had done menial jobs for survival before taking to begging.
“I worked in people's homes for five years but due to circumstances, I had to leave the job and unfortunately I have no capital to start a business. If I am able to raise some money, I will use it to start a business and take care of the orphans,” she added.
For Bara’atu, it was an avalanche of responsibilities that she was unable to handle that made her resort to begging. “My husband has passed away. I have 12 children but no means of feeding them because I don't have a job. That was why I decided to start begging.”
Bara’atu said she understood the fact that begging had never been sustainable because of the risks involved. She, however, expressed hope to receive help that would enable her start her own business. “By the will of God, if I can get a benefactor, I will start a business because idleness is not good. A steady job or business is the best. Every day, we live the house early because we have nothing to feed our children”, she said.
Murja, 40, migrated from Katsina. She said that begging was the only sustainable means of income she had for now.
“I used to sell Kuli Kuli before some terrorists attacked us and killed my husband. I have nobody to assist me to survive. Even my brother who would have assisted me is struggling to feed his family. That was why I opted for begging to cater for myself,” she added.
According to her, she caters for five of her children, except the only female among them that is married.
Badiya who also came from Katsina said: “It's fate that brought us here. I have had many failed and traumatic marriages which yielded seven children. I came to the city to see what I can do in order to cater for myself and my children,” she said.
She, however, expressed worries over the risks that come with begging. According to her, they pray everyday to return home safely after the day’s outing.
Badiya disclosed that she was a business owner but had to close it down when she was running at a loss. “Before I started begging, I used to buy clothes from kano and sell in Katsina, but I ran out of capital to continue the business,” she said.
Thirty five-year-old Rukayya Salisu from Bauchi said: “All these women you are seeing no one is married. But we all have orphans to take care of,” she said.
She recalled that before she resorted to begging, she was doing some menial jobs. She also used to sell local food.
“I was married but got separated from my husband when I became sick. After we separated, I used all the capital I had for medication. The person who offered to help me was killed,” she said.
“My only source of income now is begging. I came here to look for what to eat. Nobody wants to help us. But they keep chasing us as if we are thieves.” she said.