Gatan Marayu Foundation

08/12/2025

Sumayyah Abdulmumin, one of the GMF beneficiaries, a student of SS2 in First Comprehensive School, Kawo is participating in the Spoken Word Poem Challenge organized by the Office of the SSA to the President on Citizenship and Leadership with her entry titled ‘My Nigeria, My Responsibility’ 🇳🇬
Wish her good luck

05/12/2025

Meet Fin Sterner — GMF’s USA Ambassador, based in New York City.

Fin began working with GMF in the fall of 2024 during her senior year at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she studied Neuroscience and Sociology. Her academic background strengthened her understanding of how education and financial support shape individual wellbeing and community development.

Her connection to Kano, through visiting her mother’s family in Nigeria, has also deeply influenced her commitment to GMF’s mission. Witnessing the impact of education and community-led financial support firsthand inspired her dedication to ensuring this work continues and expands.

Fin has already helped secure significant funding for GMF’s Economic Empowerment Program 2026/27, supporting widows who would have no chance otherwise to stand on their own feet and care for their children.

GMF is honoured to welcome Fin as our USA Ambassador and looks forward to all the meaningful work ahead together.

02/12/2025

Sweet little change-makers from GREEN GARDEN Primary School. The students and their teachers raised ₦72,000 for GMF — proving that kindness starts early and grows beautifully. Teaching children to walk in the shoes of others… 👣

28/11/2025

A little gift, a lot of joy 💛 September started with Cedar school girls’ smiles!”

27/11/2025

From crawling to cruising: Every month GMF gives out tricycles… and every month we meet more heroes! They arrive on all fours, and leave riding with dignity. Yesterday LCISK students joined us to give… and left with a whole new respect 💛 Tricycle challenge = NOT easy! It’s a Workout!!

• “We came to help… and ended up

25/11/2025

22/11/2025

Today, we honor and bid farewell to two of our long-standing founding members of the Gatan Marayu Foundation (GMF), Rasha Ghaddar and Maryana Fadlallah.
Together, we founded GMF in 2008, and we would not be where we are today without their dedication, inspiration and vision.

GMF has been our shared baby - precious and meaningful, fuelling our minds and touching our souls.
It has been at the center of our lives here in Kano, and giving back to the community we live in has brought us all profound joy and fulfillment.

Though our paths are no longer fully aligned with the same structure of the Foundation, the journey itself continues.

While Anjali Hathiramani and Ina Zein carry on officially with GMF, Rasha and Maryana remain on the same path of Giving Back in a quieter, more personal way.
Both continue to raise awareness and support, for GMF and never cease to help whenever the need arises.

From the bottom of our hearts, and on behalf of every orphan, every widow and every life touched by your work, we offer our deepest gratitude.
Thank you for all you poured into Gatan Marayu Foundation from 2008 to 2023.

This note comes belated - but it comes with respect and appreciation that never faded.

22/11/2025

Big news! 🎉 GMF has launched hands-on computer lessons as an exciting new extracurricular activity! ✨ Our students are clicking, creating, concentrating— and building basic tech skills for the future. 🚀

18/11/2025

We are deeply honored to welcome Mrs. Shanu Mahtani, based in Dubai, as GMF’s Ambassador for the UAE since 2024.

Long before her official role, Shanu supported our work in Kano for decades. Having grown up in Nigeria, she has a genuine desire to give back to the place and people who shaped her life.

A devoted advocate and practitioner of holistic healing, she supports both emotional and physical wellbeing, and the GMF Educational Scholarship Program (ESP) for orphans has always been close to her heart.
She has inspired many in the UAE to commit annually and contribute generously to the ESP and also to the construction of boreholes - providing a basic necessity in rural villages, one that is taken for granted in her part of the world.

As an essential part of GMF, she bridges two worlds: her life and healing practice in Dubai and her enduring commitment to meaningful, lasting change in the community where she was raised. Thank you, Shanu, for coming onboard officially!

28/05/2025

Our website has been fully updated and redesigned Take a look, explore and: - Fund the Education of an orphaned child in Kano, Nigeria (~50-150$) - Fund the Economic Empowerment of a widow (~ 150$)

28/05/2025

🎓 Huge congratulations to Asiya Hassan on completing her 4-year journey studying Physiology at Bayero University Kano! 🌟 From her days at Ahmadiyya College to university life, Asiya has been supported by a scholarship from the Gatan Marayu Foundation — a true example of dedication and direction. She’s now finished her exams and project and while we wait for her final results, we couldn’t be prouder of how far she’s come. Thank you to her amazing sponsors for standing by her side all these years.

13/05/2025

We are deeply honoured to welcome Ms. Jamila Haq as an Ambassador for Oxfordshire in the UK for the Gatan Marayu Foundation (GMF).

Living and working in Kano, northern Nigeria for almost 2 decades, Jamila has been able to directly witness and help shape the impact of GMF’s activities on the ground.

With passion, expertise, and deep roots in Oxfordshire, she brings the insight and reach to build bridges—and to help secure vital support for GMF in Kano.

From championing our borehole projects in Kano to being a constant source of mental and emotional support, Jamila has long stood by our side.

Now, together, we look forward to new pathways, new hope, and new possibilities.