To many it came as a surprise. But to those who have followed their histories, Toyin, wife of Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, and Zahra, fifth daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari, have both been true to the virtues of good upbringing that continues to shape lives and sharpen their focus on the need to help the underprivileged.

Therefore, when penultimate week Nigeianhive.com broke the news of the collaborative engagement of Toyin and Zahra, it needed further interrogation and exposition. This report will show why, even in the midst of the potentially combustible highwire politics of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, especially the chasm between President Buhari and Senator Saraki – created as a result of the latter’s defiant emergence as President of the Senate – there is a beacon of hope for Nigeria as the two ladies break the barriers of politics to continue their work in charity.

Perhaps, the relationship, which predated the emergence of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the ruling party, was never expected to run into any storm as Zahra, President Muhammadu Buhari’s fifth daughter, always referred to Toyin, Senate President Bukola Saraki’s wife, as aunty. For those close to the two families, it may not be out of place to assume, at first contact, that a soon-to-be 52year-old Toyin Saraki, has filial relationship with Zahra Buhari. Though, for security reasons, the location of the boy is being kept secret, it was Toyin and Zahra, according to the Nigerianhive, the online publication that broke the story, who received Musa. Little Musa had been flown into Abuja from Kano. Because of their mutual concern for the less privileged, Toyin and Zahra, who had heard about the very disturbing and pathetic story of the mutilation of little Musa could not but choose to offer help. This would not be the first time both ladies are lending a helping hand to the less privileged.

Toyin Saraki, a lawyer and as Founder-President of Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), is a philanthropist with two decades of advocacy covering maternal, newborn and child health, gender-based discrimination and violence, improving education, socio-economic empowerment and community livelihoods in Africa. She is an advocate of Millenium Development Goals 4 and 5 in Nigeria, reducing the rate of maternal and infant mortality. She also launched a successful social media campaign through Wellbeing Foundation Africa in 2012 called #MaternalMonday, to raise awareness on key issues in maternal, newborn and child health in Africa. She contributed largely to the establishment of the Lifestream Charity in 1993 and is a global advocate of the UN’s Every Woman Every Child campaign. Toyin is on the board of the Global Foundation for the Elimination of Domestic Violence and the board of the Africa Justice Foundation. She is also the Newborn Champion for Save The Children Nigeria and was the inaugural Global Goodwill Ambassador to the International Confederation of Midwives in 2014. Zahra, on her part, easily disentangles herself from the accoutrements of presidential comfort to mingle with the less privileged. The 22-year old Zahra has demonstrated to many of the children of the rich that the essence of richness is to spread joy and help humanity. In what many still consider a classical act of humaneness, sometime last year, Zahra commissioned a new library for the ACE Charity camp – an abode for the less privileged The children, overwhelmed by joy to have a high profile Nigerian in their midst, responded in kind by making her cute cards to wish her a happy day. Because of her humility – despite her stunning beauty – many Nigerians did not get to know about her many charity engagements. In fact, what she did at the Ace Charity Camp may never have gone beyond the walls of the camp but for social media. The photograph of Zahra in the midst of the less privileged children on Tweeter quickly dominated the social media sphere.

Today, the bonds of friendship, humility and a shared value to help is what is driving Toyin and Zahra. But the story of little Musa was never meant to become a media circus – and it is still not. It was also never intended to go beyond the operating theater where doctors battled to patch-up little Musa whose mutilation was considered near first degree. Sunday Vanguard has been made to understand that the 18 month-old little Musa is responding not too badly to treatment. In the midst of the politicking between the husband of the one and the father of the other, wife and daughter are moving on with selfless service to humanity. More, following the acclaimed launch of the ‘Every Breath Counts’ pneumonia advocacy campaign during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2016, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, led by Toyin Saraki, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Nigeria Office), have met to explore potential areas of collaboration and synergy, especially around the involvement of H.E. Mrs Aisha Buhari – Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – and Toyin Saraki, in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH). Meeting with the Gates Foundation Nigeria team, led by Dr Mairo Mandara; as well as the Special Adviser to the Wife of the President, Dr. Mohammed Kamal, the leadership of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa provided an overview of the Foundation’s work and expressed that effective solutions to maternal and child health challenges are needed to strengthen accountability and save lives in Nigeria. At that meeting Toyin Saraki further stated, “From statistical analysis, it is clear that in healthcare, data facilitates accountability. Without data, accountability is hindered. Without accountability, progress in maternal and child health is stalled.” Through collaborative efforts, both parties aim to expand the coverage of high-impact interventions; further develop innovative tools and technologies; and improve the quality of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health care services provided in Nigeria – from the grassroots to the urban centers. Coming from Toyin Saraki and Zahra Buhari, this multi-pronged need to save lives and serve humanity is beyond politics.