Succour has come the way of an HIV+ mother of three, Rakiya Zubairu, whose story was published in SUNDAY PUNCH last week.

Zubairu, who was infected with the virus by her late husband, had been facing hard times since her husband died.

The 35-year-old, who hails from the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, relived her ordeal to our correspondent during a reporting trip to Kaduna last month.

The hardship had also taken its toll on her children (Fatima and Abdulazeez) who are HIV+ and malnourished.

The children are HIV+ because Zubairu did not get antenatal care and gave birth to them at home.

Readers of your darling newspaper, SUNDAY PUNCH, had offered to assist her and her children after reading about her predicament.

Within one week, life has changed remarkably for her and her children.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent last week, Zubairu was full of joy.

“Nagode, Nagode, Nagode,” she said excitedly on the telephone. Nagode means “thank you” in Hausa.

The North-West Coordinator, Nigeria chapter of the International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS, Mrs. Aisha Usman, who assisted to create a bank account for her, interpreted the rest of the conversation on the phone as Zubairu could only speak Hausa.

Zubairu said she was overwhelmed by the show of support and donations from Nigerians after SUNDAY PUNCH reported her story.

The mother of three said out of the donations she got from PUNCH readers, she had enrolled her children in a primary school in the area.

Abdulazeez had never been to school. Fatima was in school but dropped out when the situation got tougher.

“It’s a dream come true for the children,” Usman said while sharing photos of their first day in school with our correspondent on Whatsapp.

Zubairu too had begun a petty trade of farm produce in the area.

The widow said, “I was unable to sleep very well when we came back from the bank. I was always waking up to confirm if it is true or a dream. I was so happy that I could not eat properly because of happiness. I now know that God has answered my prayers.

“My life has changed totally. My health has improved because I eat very well and take my drugs. My children too now feed well. The sadness on their faces has disappeared. I pray for Nigerians who do not know me but donated. My children have started school. I am grateful to PUNCH and Nigerians who donated. May God continue to provide more for them.”

Zubairu said Abdulazeez was reciting the alphabets in his sleep the second night after he began school.

She said she was afraid and quickly woke him to ask him what was wrong.

Usman said, “Fatima then told Zubairu that Abdulazeez was only mumbling what he was taught in school. Abdulazeez was mumbling “C for cat” in his dream. Zubairu said after the boy came back from school, he told her the story of the tortoise his teacher told him. She said they all came back from school happy. The neighbours asked her why they no longer see her children help pack their dung as usual.

“When Fatima went outside to buy bread, the salesman was surprised they could afford to buy a big bread. He asked her, ‘Where did you people get money to buy a big bread? Did any visitors come to visit you?’ The little girl said she smiled and walked away.”

In her brief chat with our correspondent, Fatima and Abdulazeez expressed their joy.

Fatima said, “I am so happy. Something inside me told me that as help is coming now, my hand will be straight again.” Fatima’s left limb is paralysed as a result of complications from HIV.

Abdulazeez, who spoke in Hausa, said, “Muna acikin aljanna.” It means “Now, we are inside heaven.”

Usman urged the Federal Government and Kaduna State Government to reach out to more HIV+ women to stop mother-to-child transmission of the virus.

She said, “If Nigerians can change this woman’s life, then no situation is hopeless. The government can do more to prevent predicaments similar to Zubairu from recurring. Let us ensure that antenatal care for HIV+ women is free and within reach. By doing this, we would reduce the burden of paedetric HIV in Nigeria.

“Their story is touching. I have been bombarded with calls from Nigerians since the story was published. This shows that Nigerians are good people. I appreciate PUNCH and Nigerians for the show of love.”



Source:- http://www.exclusivepp.com.ng/hiv-children-begin-school-widow-thanks-nigerians/