Kano mass wedding gives hearing-impaired man fresh start
Kano mass wedding gives hearing-impaired man fresh start
The joy of Muntari Sani-Tofa, a 30-year-old hearing-impaired man from Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, was unmistakable as he married his heartthrob, Sa’adatu Musa.
For Sani-Tofa, the wedding was more than a ceremony.
It was the fulfilment of a dream he feared might remain out of reach because of financial difficulties.
He was among 1,500 couples who tied the knot under the Kano Government’s ‘Auren Gata’ mass wedding initiative, aimed at helping vulnerable couples begin married life with economic and household support.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday through writing, Sani-Tofa expressed gratitude to the state government for giving him the opportunity to start a new chapter of his life.
“This is my first wedding ceremony. I am grateful to the governor for the intervention through the Auren Gata mass wedding programme. It is a dream come true,” he said.
The groom, who holds a diploma in Sports and a professional certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation, said he currently works with the Kano State Sports Commission on a 15-year appointment but hopes to secure permanent employment.
His bride, who holds the Senior Secondary School Certificate, is not hearing-impaired.
Sani-Tofa said getting married was only the beginning, stressing the need for economic opportunities to enable vulnerable beneficiaries to sustain their families.
“Some of us are unemployed despite being qualified. We also lack funds to start businesses and support our families,” he said.
He appealed to the state government to provide employment opportunities and additional capital to enable beneficiaries establish businesses and become self-reliant.
The Leader of the Hearing-Impaired Cluster, Yunusa Sani, also expressed appreciation to the state government for including persons with hearing impairment in the programme.
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He said the inclusion had restored hope among members of the hearing-impaired community and other vulnerable groups who had struggled to meet the financial demands of marriage.
The Auren Gata initiative is the second mass wedding programme conducted under the administration of Gov. Abba Kabir-Yusuf.
Speaking at the ceremony, Yusuf said the state government had committed more than N1.5 billion to the programme, covering medical screening, dowries, furniture and other support.
He said the programme was one of the administration’s campaign promises made across the state’s 44 local government areas ahead of the 2023 general elections.
According to him, prospective couples underwent medical examinations, marriage counselling and workshops organised by the Kano State Hisbah Board before the wedding.
He said each couple received N100,000 as dowry and another N100,000 as seed capital to support business and self-reliance.
The beneficiaries also received household items, including beds, mattresses and other essentials, as well as food and other commodities to ease the burden of starting married life.
