BY:HADIZA IBRAHIM NGULDE,September 6,2024|4:31 Am
In a sour turn of events, flooding, which affected riverbank communities within Maiduguri, has devastating effect on Future Prowess Islamic Foundation, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to caring for orphans in the insurgency ravaged Borno State.
Beside it's orphanage school, the foundation also operates a 12 hecter farmland along the bank of Fori river.
However, recent flooding caused as a result of the overflowing Alau Dam has led to the destruction of the farm produce for the season.
According to the founder, Barr. Zanna Mustapha, the farm land is used to cater for the orphans and their families who live within close proximity to the school.
He noted the severity of the destruction, adding that a successful farming season cultivates about 200 bags of rice, which are all submerged in the water.
This also includes groundnut, sesame, beans, sweet potatoes, onions among others which serve as a means of livelihood for the orphans and their families.
'The farm has the capacity to produce two hundred bags of rice. We cannot get even one spoon now,' he said.
The victims are mostly internally displaced persons who seek refuge around the Fori area and depend on cultivating the land for sustenance as well as day to day needs.
Barr. Mustapha also noted that, the farm runs throughout the year.
He added that while they are preparing for harvest, they are set for dry season farming.
However, with the land now under water, these families face an urgent crisis as their primary source of food and income has been destroyed, subjecting them to severe hardship.
In an effort to support the families, urgent intervention is needed from government bodies, donor agencies, and other support organizations to provide aid and resources for the orphans and their families.
Note: Lake Chad Times, formerly TwentyOne, the site is on the process of migration.