Girka (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

and

Ajami ''Ajam'' ( ar, عجم, ʿajam) is an Arabic word meaning mute, which today refers to someone whose mother tongue is not Arabic. During the Arab conquest of Persia, the term became a racial pejorative. In many languages, including Persian, Tu ...

غرك) is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in Kaita Local Government

Katsina State Katsina State ''(Hausa: Jihar Katsina) (Fula: Leydi Katsina 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞥁𞤭𞤲𞤢)'' is a state in the northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Katsina State was created in 1987, when it split from Kaduna State. Today, K ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. The word 'Girka' in

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

may literally mean 'to base (something on).' It may also mean 'the spiritual activities of Bori.' The latter meaning has nothing to do with Girka village etymologically nor historically. Girka 'Sauri' is the title of Maigari (the

Village Head A village head, village headman or village chief is the community leader of a village or a small town. Usage Brunei In Brunei, village head is called or in the Malay language. It is an administrative post which leads the community of a v ...

). This title is derived from a Hausa word 'hasten' (to move or travel hurriedly). There was Sauri Isa who ruled between 1945 and 1984 and now his son has been leading the traditional affairs of the village for nearly four decades. Centuries after its establishment, there are still several historical sites in Girka such as a magic tree, which people around it believe it has some

jinn Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources) – are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic mytho ...

s that can frighten anyone who dares go near it at noon. History of Girka and its Current Development. Timola Bolaji NYSC Corps Member Batch 2012/2013. Katsina Printing Press. Katsina Nigeria. There are also the remnants of 'Girka Pond' that used to be a large pond where the Sarkin Sulluɓawa (the mayor of Kaita), would annually go for regal fishing. There are some smaller hamlets under Girka such as Maƙaurachi, Tarkama, Jankerma, Allemi and many more scattered hamlets. Kaita local authority has built many primary schools in Girka village and its hamlets. Some international organisations such as

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

and

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

have assisted in either building new schools or renovating the old ones. In 2009, Kaita local government has built a junior secondary school in Girka village. This allows hundreds of children to avoid travelling three or more miles everyday to attend secondary school classes in either Kaita or Dankaba village. Girka people are mostly farmers but they also engage themselves in other small scale businesses. There are still a few Kaita Local Government councillors from Girka village.

References

Populated places in Katsina State {{katsina-geo-stub