File:Tabitha Ganye Buba Garkida.jpg

English: A remarkable African grandmother and community changemaker, Tabitha was born in 1927 to the family of King Dumadu Abba Garkida as the only girl in the family of 16. While her 15 brothers were enrolled in school, she was denied school and betrothed from her birth to the King of Biu - as was the custom. On the day that her betrothed husband came to take her away, Tabitha ran away by swimming for over 2 hours. In 1947, she married Buba Garkida, a soldier in the Nigerian Army, and settled in Kaduna. She has 3 children - John, Larai and Lami. Due to her husband’s frequent postings to different cities in Nigeria, she relocated a lot because she chose to follow him. This resulted in her active community engagement as she ended up establishing organized women’s associations across the country. From Katsina to Lagos, and from Borno to Enugu states, she mobilized various women’s movements - religious and political - that demanded for different things in different cities and contexts. She worked closely with famous political activist, Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, and together they fought for the rights of northern Nigerian women to vote. At the age of 62, she enrolled into an adult literacy class and learnt how to read and write. She would often opt to be the note taker in most of the women’s meetings she attends. This helped her to sharpen her writing skills. She became the Queen Mother of Garkida in 2001 and has received various awards for exceptional leadership from some State Governors including Kaduna, Borno and Adamawa states. She has served as the Board Member III in the Kaduna State Health Management Board, where she fought for women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. She also served as a Board Member in the Kaduna State Police Council where she fought for women’s security rights and justice in cases of gender-based violence. Tabitha has 5 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. She has given her life to social justice.