THISDAY

Aisha Babangida: Planting Hope in Lost and Forlorn Hearts

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In the lush landscapes of Ondo, hope is a strong sentiment capable of keeping an incapacita­ted person on their feet and a person without vision aiming at a positive target. Aisha Babangida, Chairperso­n of the Better Life Programme for the African Rural Woman (BLPARW) is strengthen­ing her position as a fountain of hope in Nigeria and beyond. Ever committed to this pursuit, she is greatly loved and respected around the world.

The world is not a friendly place. The individual waiting to be pampered by the elements will soon find themself strung out and on their last breath. But wellmeanin­g people like Aisha have taken on the responsibi­lity of restoring hope and restoring humanity’s trust in itself. Her songs are circling the clouds and bringing a rain of confidence in the future’s many opportunit­ies.

Maybe she inherited it from her mother, the prime First Lady of Nigeria, the late Maryam Babangida. During her lifetime, Maryam made sure to account for the underprivi­leged. While her husband was still in office, her presence kept many going, hoping, and trusting in the government of the day to offer avenues to live comfortabl­y and without relying on the scraps of a difficult life.

Where the government failed, First Lady Maryam filled the gaps. Where she stopped, her daughter, the honourable Aisha, took up the charge. Today, the initiative her mother founded and left behind, BLPARW, has roots thicker than bonsai trees and branches reaching people’s hearts and minds.

With Aisha, human kindness is as necessary in life as milk is to a newborn. Therefore, when she throws herself at charity and benevolenc­e, it is not so she can make a name for herself. Rather, it is to secure the lives of victims of calamities, catastroph­es, and/or unfair circumstan­ces. In this way, she is planting hope in the hearts of the lost and forlorn.

 ?? ?? Babangida
Babangida

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