By Danjuma Michael Katsina
For seven long years, a little girl lived in silence — her laughter stolen, her childhood buried beneath fear and pain.
But fate, through the hands of compassionate strangers, finally gave her a voice.
The unnamed 10-year-old from Wuna Zhide community in Niger State was only three when she was handed over to a caregiver, Fatima Mamud, in Rigasa, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. What was meant to be a safe home became a prison of cruelty.
She endured hunger, beatings, and isolation. Day after day, her tiny heart longed for freedom — until one day, courage won. She ran away.
Lost, barefoot, and hungry, she wandered the streets of Rigasa before crossing paths with a team from Save the Children International (SCI), who were carrying out routine child protection monitoring under the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) campaign.
Her story came to light during a three-day workshop and community project tour organised by SCI for journalists from Katsina and Adamawa states in Kaduna.
Zainab Abdulkarim, a case worker with SCI, recalled the moment the girl was found.
“She was frightened and weak,” Zainab said softly. “She told us she had fled after another beating and days without food. We took her to the local traditional leader for safety.”
That leader, Lawal Abdul, the Mai Ungwan Hayin Torotoro of Ungwan Makama, confirmed that cases like hers were not uncommon in the area.
“When she was brought to me, she cried and refused to go back to the caregiver,” he said. “I immediately contacted her biological father to take her home.”
For her father, Danladi Usman, the reunion was both heartbreaking and healing.
“I trusted the caregiver to give her a better life in the city,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion. “I didn’t know she was suffering. I thank Save the Children and everyone who helped bring her back.”
Through the joint effort of SCI, the local community, and the ECW campaign, the girl now begins a new chapter — one filled with care, healing, and the hope of reclaiming her childhood.
But her story is a stark reminder of the silent pain many children endure behind closed doors. The Mai Ungwa urged parents and neighbours to stay vigilant and report suspected cases of abuse or neglect before it is too late.
And as the rescued girl begins to smile again, her journey stands as a testament — that even after years of darkness, light can still find its way home.
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