Dilemma of a toddler with opposite sex organs …Needs N200,000 to become a girl

Hauwa’u’s rare condition is seen as one of the many in-explicable deliveries on earth. In medical parlance, her   condition is known as hermaphrodite while in Hausa, such people are called “mata-maza”, aptly translated as “men-women” and that name alone scares the toddlers’ parents.  “My greatest fear is what would become of her if she grows […]

Hauwa’u’s rare condition is seen as one of the many in-explicable deliveries on earth. In medical parlance, her   condition is known as hermaphrodite while in Hausa, such people are called “mata-maza”, aptly translated as “men-women” and that name alone scares the toddlers’ parents.

 “My greatest fear is what would become of her if she grows up like this because it would be difficult for her to get married…I love my daughter dearly and it is my prayer that God would touch the heart of someone to come to our aid”, A’isha, the mother of the bi-sexual girl, said.

A’isha said they gave their daughter a female name because she has more attributes of feminine gender than those of men. “After she was born, we realized that her womanhood was more conspicuous when compared with her manhood and she also passes urine via her virgina”, the distressed mother said.

She, however, lamented that as the little girl was growing, the two organs began to grow proportionately and feared that unless something is done, little Hauwa’u will soon begin to face “battle of identity” adding that “for now she behaves like a girl and we also treat her as such”.

But medical experts say Hauwa’u’s bi-sexual condition could be corrected through a surgical operation, but doing that would certainly cost some money. That area is however, the biggest trauma of Malam Ibrahim Lawan, the girl’s father- he simply cannot afford to safe his daughter from her first and perhaps most difficult times.

Lawan, who hails from Yusufari Local government of Yobe state, said that amidst the serious financial lack in his family, he was afraid that his daughter’s bi-sexual nature could grow to be permanent and that he didn’t wish to see. “Since this child was born, I and my wife have been worried about her condition. You can see that our income is very low.. We cannot foot the bills for this operation, we are a poor people who earn very little… the condition of my daughter could make her permanently traumatized if she is allowed to grow up like this”, he cried, noting that his prayer was to get assistance so that the reproductive abnormality in his little girl would be corrected for her to live happily like other babies.

Our correspondent gathered that Ibrahim, who has eight children, had been a water vendor for many years at Pompomari settlement of Damaturu before he was recently when appointed a messenger in the office of the Head of Service in Yobe State, but then the N8,000 he earns per month can barely feed his family.

“Even tough I now have a job, I still sell water after closing hours because my monthly income of N8, 000 cannot feed my large family”, he added.

He said of all his children, only Hauwa’u, who happens to be the last child, had the rare abnormality. “We believe her condition was an act of God…we are sure he has perfect plans for her”, the father said.

Lawan recalled that his family was approached by an NGO called Green Environmental Support & Development Initiative (GESDI) based in Damaturu which actually showed interest in their plight.

“So far, the organization has sponsored various tests conducted on the girl in different hospitals including the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) where the cost of the operation was put at N200, 000”, he said.

When contacted, the coordinator of the Organisation, Malam Ali U. Rambo, said his organization was able to take the girl to the hospital but could not afford to foot the bills.

“We have written several letters to relevant ministries in state with no positive response”, he lamented.

But the parents of the girl said they are hopeful that someone would come to the aide of their little daughter. “It is very painful to always look at her with dual organ but as a mother I have to endure, I love her and it is my fervent hope that God would use someone and take us out of our predicament”, the mother said.