The Hajiya Asiya Abdulrahman Foundation has launched a support programme aimed at improving the welfare of the elderly, internally displaced persons (IDPs), orphans and other vulnerable members of society in Katsina State.

The programme, launched at an event held at the Banquet Hall of the old Government House in Katsina, includes the provision of accommodation, financial assistance, clothing, school materials and educational support for children, as well as access to potable water for rural communities.

Speaking at the event, the founder of the foundation, Hajiya Asiya Abdulrahman, said the initiative was aimed at providing security, care, dignity and compassion to people facing difficult circumstances.

She said the launch marked neither the beginning nor the end of the foundation’s activities, but rather the start of a new phase aimed at expanding its interventions to reach more vulnerable people.

Abdulrahman urged beneficiaries to take proper care of the items and other assistance provided to them and use them productively to improve their livelihoods.

She also called on other foundations and non-governmental organisations to intensify efforts to support IDPs, particularly those forced to flee their ancestral communities due to insecurity.

Representing the Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, at the event, the Commissioner for Rural Development and Community Development, Prof. Abdulhamid Ahmed, described the foundation’s intervention as an important contribution to the government’s efforts to support vulnerable members of society.

He said providing accommodation for people who had lost their homes as a result of insecurity required greater collaboration between government and humanitarian organisations.

“Anyone who helps a person in distress will undoubtedly receive a special reward from Allah,” the commissioner said.

Ahmed also stressed the importance of caring for the elderly and vulnerable people, noting that many of them had no one to depend on for their basic needs.

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He disclosed that the state government was working towards establishing an elderly care home, which he said was expected to become one of the major facilities of its kind in northern Nigeria.

According to him, providing accommodation for IDPs and other people who had lost their homes was timely, given the need for additional support to enable them rebuild their lives.

He said the state government was implementing various interventions through its ministries and agencies to support victims of insecurity and other disasters.

He cited the Katsina State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), which, he said, had committed substantial resources and provided relief materials to people affected by various emergencies.

The commissioner urged beneficiaries to make proper use of the assistance provided and strive towards becoming self-reliant.

Among the interventions provided by the foundation were school materials for orphaned children, including clothing and other items to enable them continue their education.

The foundation also handed over keys to some of the accommodation units it provided to selected elderly people, IDPs and orphans.

It further distributed clothing materials, including Ankara and lace fabrics, to some beneficiaries, while others received cash assistance of up to ₦10,000 to meet basic needs, support small businesses or assist their families.

The event was attended by the Grand Khadi of Katsina State, Alhaji Kabir Abubakar; the Executive Secretary of SEMA, Hajiya Binta Husaini Dangani; a representative of the Zakat and Waqf Board, Alhaji Ladan Adamu; as well as government officials, community leaders and other stakeholders.

The launch underscores the growing role of foundations and humanitarian organisations in supporting vulnerable people, particularly communities affected by insecurity, displacement, inadequate shelter and limited access to basic amenities.