Hajjia Mariam Jummai Usman Najim Yasin, Wife of the President of National Union of Road Transport Workers, is one Nigerian scaling hurdles and breaking stereotypes in an attempt to put food on the less-privileged's table, and smiles on their faces. Her grass to grace story over the years has been a driving force and source of inspiration.

In 1981, she founded a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Passionate Heart Empowerment Foundation with the aim of touching lives of the less-privileged. The NGO, however, was registered in 2012 with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

"My home and my experience inspired me. I have a poor background. I grew up in an environment where we ate together in a tray. I never wore slippers or shoes to school. It is when you pass your exams in school that our dad will buy slippers for you. Back in those days, we ate rice only on Sallah Day and Maolud day. They will pour rice in a tray for us to eat on festivities, because we ate alot of swallow foods. We ate the left overs of yesterday on the following day morning. We also ate rice when we passed our exams in school. Now that God had blessed me, I felt this is what I can do to give back to the society to take people out of poverty and am really happy doing this" the Founder said, when asked why she floated an NGO.

From Kano, her home state, to Zamfara, Gombe, Kaduna, Borno, Yobe, Oyo and Lagos States, she had traversed various communities through her foundation, she put smiles on faces of the needy and rekindled their hopes for the future.

On August 19, 2016, it was Kwara's turn. For three days, Hajia Maryam Yasin in collaboration with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Kwara State embarked on free medical test, free eye glasses, prison visit, donation to vulnerable children and orphans.

The three days empowerment programme began with courtesy visit to the Kwara State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ilorin. The Director, Personnel, Finance And Supply (PFS), Alhaji Hassan Afodun received the entourage on behalf of the Commissioner, Hajia Asiata Ayinke Saka.

The Commissioner said the Ministry is saddled with the responsibility of catering for the vulnerable children and physically challenged people in the society.

According to her, government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility, hence the need for stakeholders and relevant organizations to partner the state government towards improving the lives of the affected children.

She sought the collaboration of the Non Governmental Organization to assist in attending to the needs of the abandoned children at the recreation centre, and commended the Passionate Heart Empowerment Foundation for taking the giant steps to synergize with the Ministry.

The Commissioner noted that the Foundation can also collaborate with the Ministry by sponsoring the education of the affected children from primary to tertiary institution and taking care of their medical bills.

In her address, the Initiator and Founder disclosed that the foundation was established in 1981 with the mandate to assist vulnerable children and render social support services to improve their wellbeing.

She said her pet project was a charity organization to complement government's efforts towards alleviating the sufferings of the affected people and thereby reducing poverty level in the society.

She, however, expressed concern over what she called growing poverty across Nigeria. The Founder argued that western culture seems to have taken away the primitive unity and togetherness enjoyed among neighbours in Nigeria.

She said: "I have a very low family background and I know what I takes to feed our children.

"I grew up in an environment where we ate together in tray. But now things are different. We live in secluded environment. People don't care for their neighbours anymore. Even if thieves invade their neighbours and are shouting for help, people won't bother to rescue them. Western Culture seems to have taken away our unity and care."

She, however, called on government all levels and well-meaning Nigerians to come to aid of the less-privileged in the society and ensure poverty line is reduced to the breast minimum.

Also speaking, the State Chairman of the NURTW, Alhaji Issa Ore, disclosed that the Union collaborated with the Passionate Heart Empowerment Foundation as part of its social responsibility to alleviate the sufferings of the vulnerable people and physically challenged children in the society.

The founder of the foundation was accompanied by the Wives of the Lagos and Kwara States chairmen of NURTW, members of the Union in the state, the General Manager of Radio Kwara, Alhaji Abdullateef Adebowale Adedeji and health personnels among others.

From the Ministry, the entourage headed for flag off of free medical test at Offa Garage in Ilorin. Over 700 eye glasses were distributed to beneficiaries. Also, drugs were given to people suffering from various illness.

While flagging of the free medical test, the Founder warned beneficiaries against drug abuse and misuse, which according to her, could be dangerous to their health.

Federal Maximum Prison, Mandala was another place visited. The Founder of the NGO, Kwara NURTW Chairman and other members of the entourage took time to tour the prison where both inmates awaiting and convicted ones are kept. Hajia Maryam Yasin donated cash and food items to the inmates, calling on them not to lose hope, saying they are still useful to the society.

On Day two, the NGO donated food items and cash to the children under the intensive care of the Children Recreation Centre, Gaa akanbi and Children Specialists Hospital, Centre Igboro both in Ilorin.

At the Children Recreation Centre, Gaa Akanbi, Hajia Maryam Yasin stressed the need to provide love and care for the abandoned children by making them happy.

She noted that the NGO collaborated with the Kwara State Chapter of the NURTW to share joy with the children and donate from their windows might to assist the vulnerable children.

She appealed to all well meaning individuals and organizations to always visit orphanage homes and hospitals to help the less privileged in the society and those in dire need of financial assistance in the hospitals.

Also speaking, the Chairman of NURTW, Alhaji Aliyu Issa Ore, assured that members of the Union would sustain the gesture by visiting orphanage homes and hospitals to assist the vulnerable people.

Responding, the Director of Social Welfare of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Iyabo Aduke Mayaki, appreciated the Foundation and the NURTW for appreciating the goodness of God in the Children.

Mayaki who represented the Commissioner of the Ministry, Hajia Ayinke Saka, said most of the children were abandoned in the bush, railway lines and dustbin and the recreation centre took up the responsibility to take care of the vulnerable children.

According to her, they were innocent of the circumstances that brought the children to the recreation centre, saying that some of them are physically impaired and celebra challenged.

She challenged well meaning individuals and relevant stakeholders to assist the needy, especially children in orphanage homes and appreciated the Passionate Heart Empowerment Foundation and NURTW as well as the Nigerian Police for their support to the recreation centre.

At the Children Specialists Hospital, Centre Igboro, Hajia Maryam Yasin donated cash donations to the admitted children in the hospitals and prayed for their quick recovery.

The Founder promised to assist a one and half year old orphan girl, Aisha Akeem who is under the care of her grandmother, popularly known as Iya fasilatu and she assured that her foundation would always assist in taking good care of the baby.

On Day three, the empowerment programme ended with a dinner held at the NURTW hall along Airport Road, Ilorin. Speaking at the dinner, the Founder of the Passionate Heart Empowerment Foundation said the NGO would embark on more health programmes, focusing on HIV/Aids, cancers and other deadly diseases. She appealed to Nigerians to always go for medical screening to examine their health status to avoid sudden death.

According to her, some Nigerians were deprived of going for medical check up due to financial challenges and stressed the need for them to make judicious use of any free health programme to ascertain their status.

In his goodwill message, the General Manager of Radio Kwara, Alhaji Abdullateef Adebowale Adedeji, represented by the Director Programmes, Mrs. Tina Olaoye commended the philanthropic gesture of the founder of the foundation for touching the lives of people in the society.

Adedeji who is the chairman of the Planning Committee of the event, reaffirmed the support of Radio Kwara to partner relevant Non Governmental organizations towards providing succor to the people.

Olayinka Alaya is a Journalist based in Ilorin. He can be contacted via yeancahalaya@gmail.com