Coronavirus: How Nasarawa beggars dey cope ontop di pandemic fear
Zainab travel several kilometres from her home town of Kano state to Nasarawa state north central Nigeria.
Mani of dis women leave dia hometown to go search for greener pasture Her main goal na to come beg for under bridge for Karu local goment of di state to feed her eight pikin. She no get wia to sleep wit her pikin dem, except for di empty plazas wey dey beside di bridge. E no be pleasant life but na all she know to take provide for her eight pikin dem. Zainab dey come out everi day wit her eight pikin to beg under di bridge, she no wear face mask including her small small pikin dem. But since coronavirus show face for Nigeria, her business no dey like before and to eat na wahala. Her pikin dem dey chase pipo down di street to beg for moni, exposing dem to huge risk of di coronavirus. Many oda beggars like dem gada for one place and dem no show respect for any social distancing, all of dem dey hustle to make sure say dem get daily food. Dem tell BBC pidgin say di coronavirus don dabaru dia business as pipo no dey come give dem food like before and if dem sidon sotey no get food, dem gatz waka about di area to look for how to feed. Dem say despite promise by goment say poor Nigerians go get food, dem no get any grain of rice and dat na why dem kontinu to come out to beg for dia daily bread. Easing of lockdown/condition of streets beggars Di Nasarawa goment recently remove di lockdown for Karu local goment and place 8pm to 6am curfew. Dis one mean say as business activities begin to take place, these beggars fit get more pipo to dash them moni for food. But one major concern na dia safety and as many of dem no dey follow di basic instruction of personal hygiene and social distancing as dis one fit put dem for risk. Di Commissioner for Health for Nasarawa state, Ahmed Yahaya say di goment dey worried as dis beggars still dey street wit no protective gear and dis exposure to di virus fit increase di number of cases of covid 19 for di state. E say even though some beggars benefit from di palliative goment give, some of dem like Zainab no get. And for her and her eight pikin dem, dia survival against hunger dey important pass di covid 19.