The wailing inside the Methodist Church – Prampram spikes through the crowd as the casket securing the remains of a beloved friend is placed before a packed congregation. Hajia Rashida Mahama, who had dreaded the burial service, struggled to control her emotions. Her tired eyes bore the pain of separation from a friend who had become like a sister. She was assisted onto a seat outside the auditorium, alone, where she could process everything.
A humanitarian, philanthropist and a politician, she has never allowed her politics to get into her policies. “Why care about the party the person supports, or his standing in society if you can help,” she said. She has always believed in the power of giving and that remains one of her strongest assets.
Together with her late friend, they scouted almost everywhere in the constituency or district, providing support for the underprivileged. From school fees, food items, medical bills and putting people into trade, Rashida Mahama has never dragged her feet supporting people; and she freely does so with a smile on her face and a good heart. “Giving is her calling and I am not surprised she does so without even expecting anything back, apart from the usual God bless you,” a resident said.
During the just-ended Pink October, she donated 2 much-needed hospital beds to the Dawhenya medical facility. The beds are serving the needs of the hospital in a good way. A Constituency Women Organiser of the National Democratic Congress in Ningo Prampram, she rallied the women’s wing together and supported by some friends, she conducted a screening exercise in the constituency. The event, which took place at the Methodist Junction – Dawhenya, ensured the women were taken through a thorough breast examination.
They were also taught how to self-examine and report any strange lumps in their breasts to the nearest hospital. Some of the beneficiaries had never been examined by a medical person. Through a thorough examination, fifteen women were discovered to have suspected lumps in their breasts while one person whose breast had been eaten by cancer is expected to undergo surgery.
Ms. Rashida Mahama, who was moved by the plight of the women, said everything will be done to support the women. She also appealed to them to take their health serious and not wait until October before conducting any examination on their breasts. A politician, humanitarian and philanthropist, Hajia Rashida Mahama remains a ray of light to a community divided on partisan political lines.
