Sometimes, it takes adversity to bring out the greatness hidden within a man or woman. Just like iron must pass through the fire to become steel, many a man or woman must be tried and tested by trials that strip away the baser aspects, leaving only a being full of determination and resolve behind.
Such is the case with Rahama Indimi, daughter of billionaire Borno businessman Muhammed Indimi. After so many years of uneventful marriage with Muhammed Babangida, son of former military president Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Rahama’s world fell apart. She and her then-husband engaged in multiple rounds of public mudslinging as their union teetered inexorably towards the cliff’s edge before it crashed down.
Even then, the last was not heard of the matter as they tussled in court for custody of their four kids, a battle finally won by Muhammed, leaving Rahama distraught and miserable. But rather than wallow in despair like the vast majority would, the beautiful blueblood reached deep within her and found the resolve to forge ahead.
She reconnected with her purpose, discovering in the process that flows not from fleeting joys of self but from lasting memories of kindness etched in the minds and faces of the impacted. And what better faces to impact than those of the refugees that litter her homeland in the Northeast, sad victims of the ravages of war?
Thus, Rahama borrowed a timely leaf from her father, a renowned philanthropist in his own right, and made alleviating the plight of internally displaced persons in the region her number one goal. She founded the Yakolo Indimi Foundation whose mission is to empower mostly the women in those camps through education, skill acquisition, micro enterprises, farming, and enforcement of their human rights, financial aid and psycho-social interventions.
She gathered a pool of committed volunteers and began to wage war on the myriad ills that trail those living in the IDP camps that litter the region. And in just a few short months, she has attracted the attention of the government as well as local and international donor agencies that have been flocking to her for partnerships.
And so the woman rejected by a man has become the chief cornerstone for many, especially in Borno and Adamawa states, who would otherwise remain void of hope. Being able to put smiles on their faces with every vocational implement donated, the start-up capital distributed and the empowerment training conducted have become Rahama’s source of joy.
No longer is she the frustrated woman prone to public and desperate outbursts. She’s transformed into a bold and confident humanist while losing none of the allure and ethereal beauty that made her the toast of high society.
