30-yr-old abandoned mosque: Kaduna community begs ace musician, Rarara for help
By Tom Garba, Garun Kurama
In the dusty heart of Garun Kurama, a tight-knit suburb in Kaduna’s Lere Local Government Area, frustration has simmered for over three decades. What began as a beacon of faith for the local Muslim community – a grand central mosque meant to anchor their spiritual life – now stands as a skeletal reminder of unfulfilled promises, its unfinished walls weathered by time and neglect.
Today, the residents are raising their voices in a raw, heartfelt appeal, turning to renowned Northern musician Alhaji Dauda Kahuta Rarara and other generous souls for a lifeline to finally complete the project.
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The call comes straight from the trenches of community grit. Mallam Shehu Bawa, the steadfast chairman of the mosque’s building committee and a longtime youth activist championing peaceful coexistence in the area, penned a letter dripping with desperation to this outlet.
Flanked by project secretary Malam Haruna Aliyu, Bawa didn’t mince words: the mosque’s construction, kicked off in the early 1990s, has been stalled by one insurmountable hurdle – a crippling lack of funds.
“I’ve watched this mosque rise inch by inch since I was a teenager, dreaming of the day it would echo with prayers and community gatherings,” Bawa shared in the letter, his voice carrying the weight of generations. “But here we are, still struggling, with no end in sight.
We’ve hit a crossroads where our own efforts just aren’t enough. It’s time to lean on the kindness of strangers – or at least, those whose hearts align with ours.”
Bawa’s plea zeroed in on Rarara, the legendary Hausa musician whose soul-stirring songs have long celebrated faith, resilience, and service to humanity. “Rarara’s spirit is unmatched,” Bawa explained.
“Through his music, he serves Allah and uplifts the North in ways few can. We’re not just asking a celebrity; we’re reaching out to a brother whose endowments could turn our tide.” Yet, the appeal broadens far beyond one name. It’s a clarion call to the entire Muslim ummah – from everyday folks to high-profile philanthropists – to chip in, no matter the amount, to shatter this “perennial stagnation” and honor the vision of their forebears.
The community’s pain is palpable. Garun Kurama, like many rural outposts in Kaduna, grapples with economic strains that make big dreams feel like distant mirages.
The mosque isn’t just bricks and mortar; it’s a symbol of unity in a region where interfaith harmony is hard-won. Bawa, ever the optimist amid the hardship, emphasized that every contribution counts. “Our jinx needs breaking,” he urged. “Share our story, make a call, send what you can – let’s make this herculean task a reality.”
For those moved to act, the committee has laid it all out plainly:
Bank Details: Keystone Bank
Account Number: 1012846127
Account Name: Garun Kurama Central Mosque Committee
Contact Points: Mallam Shehu Bawa (Chairman) – 07088923702
Malam Haruna Aliyu (Secretary) – 08120464883
Bawa encouraged potential donors to ring the numbers for verification or to hear the story firsthand – a nod to transparency in a plea born of pure necessity.
