Plateau Crisis: NGO re-build burnt house for Plateau widow

By Kingsley Chukwuka

A displaced widow in Plateau village of Ancha community in Bassa Local Government Area of the State has been blessed with a two bedroom flat furnished, built and donated by a Non-governmental organisation known as Jinkai Aid Initiative.

The widow, 35, addressed as Mrs Rahab Zakwe was a victim of Fulani herdsmen attack during one of the religious crises in Bassa LGA, a situation that left her homeless and her husband killed by the herders who invaded their village sometime in 2017.

Zakwe, a mother of four, was however vulnerable as no help came to the community to resettled the displaced victims.

Fate however smiled on her when Jinkai Aid Initiative randomly singled her out as the most disadvantaged among the thousands displaced to get a two bedroom apartment built in her community to ameliorate her suffering.

Recall that Ancha village is among the communities which had its fair share of age long attacks by Fulani marauders, leading to lost of many lives and destruction of houses and farmlands worth billions of naira.

Speaking to journalists in Jos Wednesday however,  the chief executive officer, Jinkai Aid Initiative Nigeria, Prof. Emmanuel Gye said efforts are under way to also get other displaced persons resettled.

According to him: “As you are all aware, Nigeria and most part of West Africa has been convulsed in ethno-religious clashes over the past several years. It is in response to this that the Jinkai Initiative was established in Nigeria in partnership with Canadians, with the sole purpose of alleviating the suffering and challenges of the troubled communities.

“Our vision is to build economically viable and thriving communities and yesterday we were able to hand over the very first home that was built in Ancha village in Miango Bassa LGA”, Gye said.

He explained that the design was done by Nigerian architecture students who took part in a nationwide design competition that was judged by an international panel of architects.

“The beneficiary was selected by the entire community after identifying them as the most vulnerable. The widow was able to select the design she wanted, and she was delighted to receive the keys to her new home”.

The CEO further said that though they started in Plateau, the aim of the NGO is to reach every part of the country with the gesture of rebuilding and resettling displaced persons.