This is a
story of a young boy who has 3 identities and had gone through a rough life. A
product of victim of a rape by the Boko Haram sect when they kidnapped his Mum
in 2009 to an hinterland near Cameroon. Recently rescued by the Nigerian
soldiers together with his Mum, now in an IDP camp in Abuja (kuchin-goro) .The boy’s
name is Aliu sekauu given to him by his Mum because of the circumstances
surrounding his birth, but the IDP camp management decided to rename him Aliu Buhari,
the name of the current president because the name Sekauu brings bad memories.
The little
boy knowing what he wanted at that tender age calls himself Aliu Ronaldo
because he loves football
so much and says Christiano Ronaldo is his mentor. He was asked in the IDP make-shift school
of his dream and he told his teacher he wanted to be like Ronaldo. He’s so
talented and skillful at that tender age in the game of football, can joggle
the ball from one end of the field to another, He’s popular and loved by all.
Forall
Foundation (NGO) team visited the camp with clothes and other items in
partnership with other NGO’s and foundations. Something dramatic happened; a
member of the NGO gave Aliu Buhari Christiano Ronaldo’s jersey he was wearing.
Aliu was able to recognize his mentor’s Jersey because he has been watching Christiano Ronaldo
severally on TV in the IDP camp which is a bit okay compared to others across
the country. He requested that the jersey be given to him, and was crying
profusely throwing tantrums. The guy refused initially, b’cos of Aliu’s passion and desire he gave him his mentors jersey
and left with an inner wear. Aliu wore the jersey, laughs at himself b’cos it
was oversize but he didn’t mind.
In school, the
next day, Aliu’s Teacher asked the class what else the children needed from the
government to better their lives at the IDP camp seeing the good works Forall
Foundation had done for the camp. Aliu responded saying he wants the government
to build good shelter ,give them good food for him to grow healthy like his
mentor Ronaldo and of course good and quality clothes which all entails the
basic necessity of life.
The story
ended on a happy note, the guy that gave Aliu the jersey came back to the camp
to adopt him and enrolled him in a football academy in Lagos where Aliu is now living his dream.
Morals of
the story:
When life
doesn’t care about you, and leaves you bare and barren, dare to dream big”
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