The piece you are about to read is an attempt to celebrate some of the most remarkable women in Northern Nigeria’s social media space. These are women who have made the deliberate choice to utilize their platforms to help others.
These remarkable women are touching lives through the positive use of digital platforms to secure assistance for individuals and families in distress. These amazons with hearts of gold do not just post for engagement; they run an ad hoc welfare system that saves lives in real time. They solve many problems. They touch lives.
Fauziyya D. Sulaiman:
While this piece is by no means an attempt to rank them based on the size or impact of their contributions, Mrs. D. Sulaiman was among the first to venture into this space and carve a special niche for herself.
With her background as a film scriptwriter and author of many Hausa novels, Mrs. D. Sulaiman has mastered the art of moving hearts through skilful storytelling. Already an established household name as a novelist and prominent television scriptwriter, Fauziyya did not allow her influence to stop at entertainment. Through the Creative Helping Needy Foundation, she has not only redirected her massive digital audience into a highly responsive humanitarian workforce but has also attracted the attention of the political class, earning an appointment as Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf. She has demonstrated to all and sundry that she has mastered the art of effortlessly multitasking these responsibilities.
Murjanatu Ringim:
A Kaduna State-based woman once contacted me through Facebook Messenger. She shared her medical ordeal with me. She had a spinal condition; one of the bones in her spine was causing her severe pain, depriving her of peaceful sleep at night. She had gone from one hospital to another without much success due to a lack of the funds required to seek the most appropriate medical treatment.
The next thing I did was contact Murjanatu Ringim since she operates from Kaduna. Within a short period, she was able to raise the funds needed for the woman’s treatment. She did so without making any videos about her or exposing her case to the public. The woman has since been enjoying peaceful sleep following her successful treatment.
Known across the digital space as the Voice of *Bazawara*, Ms. Ringim has been fighting poverty at the grassroots through a direct and transparent approach.
Equipped with a smartphone, she walks into markets and the forgotten corners of our communities, bringing to light the living conditions of the vulnerable, including widows (zawarawa) and orphaned children. If you watch her videos, you will find yourself crying alongside the victims she assists.
Nana Asmau Gwadabe:
Sometimes, if not most of the time, we reflect our upbringing even on social media, where pretending to be good has become the norm. Nana Gwadabe, as she is fondly called, was raised by her maternal grandmother, Hajiya Bara’atu Dantata. She witnessed much of what she now puts into practice. This is why this lady with a heart of gold perhaps focuses on helping indigent people with medical conditions, especially women and children.
Nana acts as a digital medical almoner. When a family is stranded in a hospital ward, unable to pay for a life-saving surgery or oxygen for a newborn, Nana steps in. She uploads verified clinical invoices, laboratory records, and official hospital bills.
Ummul Salama Nasir:
A Facebook user once expressed his frustration on my page. His spinal condition was deteriorating because he could not afford surgery. He had already been confined to a wheelchair. I tagged Ummul Salama. Within the first 24 hours, she set out on a journey to his hometown. I insisted on sending her money to cover the travel expenses, but she declined. Through her efforts, the surgery was successfully carried out at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala. This is what Nasir does daily through her USN Cares Foundation.
Ummul Salama is also an advocate of healthy eating, another niche she is carving out for herself.
To be continued…
