Story: Rahamatu-Lahi Zakaria || Sanatu Zambang
Sagito-Saeed Most people in the northern region call her the first lady of the region while the younger generation calls her Mummy because of the time she has for them, attending events, mentoring, and coaching them.
Advocacy and development of the girl child have always been her passion since her national service days. But her years of work came to light when her husband was appointed as the Regional Minister for Northern Region.
During a podcast session in the studios of Sanatu Zambang, Mrs. Hajia Halima Sagito-Saeed opens up on how the political tag has helped to uplift her organization, Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency, the work they do there as the developmental organization and also help her touch the lives of thousands of people in regions both the young and old.
“I have been running the organization since 2006. People were not seeing it until I became the first lady. Politics is important because it has given more light on the work that I am doing ”
Mrs. Hajia Halima
With her vision to transform lives, she is able to leverage on the political tag to do her work. But she was also quick to add that, developers who go into politics are not able to make a change because when they get there, they realize the reality is different on the ground making reference to her husband who is also a developer himself.
She is able to function because she is living in both worlds. She is leveraging on the fact that her husband is a politician while she is also an institution on her own, who wants to make a change in society.
The executive director for SWIDA-GH also acknowledges the world that we are living in and the importance of having a supportive spouse who believes in your potential and capability.
”We have also come this far because sometimes you need the man to appreciate you and your capacity and help to push you up. Whatever I am doing and I have become is because of him. Fortunately for me, I got someone who understands and respects me for my potential and capacity. He allows me to operate in my field and when he needs to push me he does it. The man is not in competition with me for space. But just to say that the contribution of man in anybody’s life is important.”
Mrs. Hajia Halima
“Some people can say that, the rate at which my wife is going and also we are in a society where the man, he has a lot of friends and family and what they say sometimes matters.
If you do not have someone who is very strong, who believes in himself and his wife, and rather listen to what others say, You see that he doesn’t like it and he will use the anger to suppress you. There are women their potentials have been shelved because they did not get the support .” She added.
Mrs. Hajia Halima
Mrs. Hajia Alima Sagito-Saeed is the Executive Director of the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA). This organization was founded by her and her husband after they completed the University for Development Studies.
According to her, they created it because they wanted to contribute positively to the society that they live. She is a Development Management Consultant with an MSC in Managing Rural Development from the University of London and B/A Integrated Development Studies from the University for Development Studies.
She has a number of certificates from recognized institutions related to her profession and career development. She recently attended a certificate course in Canada at St. Francis Xavier University and awarded a certificate in Advocacy and Increasing Citizens Voice and Agency in 2018.
