A wise man once said that the hand that gives is the hand that receives, not because the gift returns but because the giver becomes someone ...
A wise man once said that the hand that gives is the hand that receives, not because the gift returns but because the giver becomes someone else. He becomes the kind of person who can sleep at night, who can walk through the market without looking away, and who can meet the eyes of the poor without shame. In this sense, giving is not sacrifice but self-preservation of the highest order.
Our Creator commands in Qur’an 2:254: “O you who have believed, spend from that which We have provided for you before there comes a Day in which there is no exchange and no friendship and no intercession. And the disbelievers—they are the wrongdoers.” In the Bible, 2 Corinthians 9:7 similarly states, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver,” and Luke 6:38 reinforces this enduring principle.
It is this understanding that appears to guide Dr. Bala Maijama’a Wunti. Across Bauchi State, through the Wunti Alkhair Foundation and through personal gestures attached only to his name, he has demonstrated what wealth looks like when it remembers its origin and purpose.
Food packages reach homes where the fast would otherwise be endured rather than enjoyed. Cash gifts arrive in the hands of those who had long forgotten the relief that unexpected support can bring. Textiles and relief materials are distributed across Muslim communities, ensuring that dignity accompanies devotion during Ramadan. These efforts are not occasional displays but part of a sustained commitment that has defined his public conduct.
The inclusion of people with special needs reflects deliberate planning rather than symbolic acknowledgement. Anyone who has organised a large distribution understands that inclusion requires additional effort, foresight, and patience. Yet they are incorporated from the beginning, not as an afterthought but as a priority. This demonstrates that the intention behind the giving is rooted in equity rather than visibility.
Beyond immediate relief efforts, attention has also been directed toward long-term empowerment, particularly in education. Thirty-four tertiary institutions across Bauchi State now benefit from installed Starlink network services provided at no cost. At a time when academic work depends heavily on internet access, this intervention addresses a structural disadvantage faced by students attempting to compete in an increasingly digital academic environment.
Assignments require data, research requires bandwidth, and meaningful participation in modern scholarship requires stable connectivity. By ensuring access across all thirty-four campuses, the barrier of digital exclusion has been substantially reduced.
This intervention was undertaken without prolonged public negotiation or conditional expectations. There was no demand for political loyalty, no prerequisite endorsement, and no insistence on recognition. The decision reflected an assessment of need and a willingness to respond promptly.
There is an established saying within Arab tradition that charity does not decrease wealth but purifies it. The principle suggests that wealth achieves its highest value when it circulates for the benefit of others. The less privileged benefit materially, but the giver also benefits morally, avoiding the corrosion that accompanies excess in the midst of deprivation.
Bauchi continues to observe these developments, but more importantly, it continues to experience them. In homes, campuses, and communities where the effects are directly felt, gratitude often expresses itself not through publicity but through quiet prayers. The underlying decision guiding these actions appears rooted in obedience to divine commandments concerning charity and Zakat, affirming that wealth is not merely possession but trust.
Dr. Bala Maijama’a Wunti’s approach illustrates a model in which resources function not as barriers but as instruments of responsibility. In that framework, wealth fulfills its intended purpose when it serves beyond the self, reinforcing both faith and community.
Usman Abdullahi Koli
mernoukoli@gmail.com.
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