Bababa Abdullahi Hardawa was just 50 years old when his world went dark. The news came on in an ordinary day — a phone call about his son, who had been in an accident. The shock hit him like a lightning bolt. Within moments, he fell down and lost his sight.
Living in his Hardawa village in Misau LGA of Bauchi State where he derived his last name, Hardawa, a man who had once been a tailor, working with steady hands and sharp eyes, is now blind and powerless.
Sixteen years have passed since that fateful day. For Hardawa, life has been a constant struggle. He could no longer work as a tailor. The skill he had mastered, the craft that once fed his family, was now out of reach. Even climbing into a wheelchair became an impossible task. He was trapped in his own body, unable to perform the simplest of tasks.
Hardawa has 10 children and three wives depending on him. But without the ability to work, he was left with no choice but to beg. He would sit by the roadside, his dignity slipping away with each hand outstretched. The man who once provided for his family now relies on the kindness of strangers and wellwishers to survive.
Farming is not an option either. He does not have the capital to start. The land he could have worked lay barren, as did his hopes of being self-sufficient.
Every day, he watched as others toiled in the fields, harvesting crops that would feed their families. He could only dream of what could have been.
His heartache was not just about the loss of his sight, but about the life he could no longer provide for those he loves. His wives and children see his pain, but there is little they could do. Their lives, too, are marked by struggle and deprivation. The family was caught in a cycle of poverty that seemed impossible to break.
What Hardawa wanted most was to regain his independence. He dreamed of a life where he didn’t have to beg, where he could stand on his own two feet again. His greatest wish is to be empowered, to receive the support he needed to start working once more. He longed to be the provider he once was, to hold his head high in his community.
He was not asking for much, just the opportunity to work, to feed his family with dignity. Hardawa knew that with the right support, he could turn his life around. He could once again be the man his children could look up to, the husband his wives could rely on.
But the road ahead is uncertain. Without assistance, his hopes might never be realized. Yet, Bababa holds on to hope. He believes that one day, someone would hear his story and offer him the chance to reclaim his life.
For now, he waits. His sight may be gone, but his vision for a better future remains clear. Bababa Abdullahi Hardawa is not giving up—he’s holding on to hope that tomorrow will bring a new beginning.
