Madrassa An - Noor for the Blind

A few days ago en route to our holiday apartment in the Margate area, situated on the Kwazulu natal South Coast, my dad wanted our guest from Madina and I to vist Madrassa An- Noor for the blind.The institute is situated in the Pietermaritzburg region and is surrounded by beautiful picturesque hills. Despite being situated just off the main national highway, it feels as though the school is located in the country side. When we arrived at the institute the first thing that caught my attention was the beautiful horses that roamed around freely on the premises. Later on I discovered that the horses were in fact donated to the school. The blind students ride the horses on a daily basis for recreational activity. The horses are trained to cater to the needs of the blind rider steering clear of any obstructions like trees or huge boulders. The day we visited the school, the principal was abroad attending a conference related to the latest technology and learning apparatus for the blind. A teacher from the school warmly welcomed us and gave us a brief tour of the premises. I was very impressed with the high level of cleanliness in the school. Everything was arranged immaculately.We walked from class to class meeting and greeting all the students. The school has 30 students that hail from 14 different countries. There are students from South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Palestine, England,India, Pakistan, South America, Panama, Comoros, Malawi, Lesotho and Kenya. Our guest from Madina and I heard the students recite verses from the Quraan along with Ahaadith from Sahih Bukhari. Tears rolled down my eyes when I heard the student from India reciting verses from the Holy Quraan in the most beautiful voice I ever heard. Almost half of the students present at the institute were not born Muslims. They have reverted into the fold of Islam. The school also has a recording room whereby scholars render their services by reciting verses from the Quraan or relating stories pertaining to Islamic jurisprudence. The recordings are then compiled into a CD so that blind people who can not study at the institute due to unforeseen circumstances, can still access the CD's by ordering it and have it delivered to their homes. As the teacher quite correctly pointed out to me,' if a blind person can not come to the knowledge, the knowledge can go to them.' Whilst chatting to one of the students, I discovered that he had come into fold of Islam after exploring the topic of religion whilst at university. What was so remarkable about this student was the fact that he had traveled two years ago for Hajj from South Africa all by himself. He was very pleased to have met our guest from Madina tul Munawwara and asked him to pray for his parents. His family have not reverted to Islam but they respect the fact that he is a Muslim and have also visited him at the institute. Our guest from Madina speaks a few languages and hence the little boy from Palestine took a liking to the gentleman. They conversed happily in Arabic and also exchanged telephone numbers. The teacher told me that the boy was his parents most beloved due to the fact that he was a blind child. The family were always overly protective of him. Yet inorder to seek knowledge he traveled to South Africa all alone. It was a tremendous sacrifice on the part of the parents letting go of their beloved son. Madrassa an Noor is the only school in South Africa that prints Arabic material into Braille for blind students. The machine that does this conversion is manufactured in the United States. One machine costs R700 000 and the school has two of these technological wonders.I was given a brief demonstration on how the system works. Normal books are scanned into the computer and then converted into Braille. Once the conversion is done, the Braille Place machine prints out the pages containing the Braille text. I was also informed that initially the Non Muslim community that reside around the institute were apprehensive about having a Muslim school in the area. I always believe that a lack of knowledge always breeds ignorance. After the institute invited members of the community to the  premises to observe the kind of learning activities that are carried out there, many Non Muslim blind elderly people have also started frequenting the facility to utilize the games, toys and other apparatus that are specifically designed to cater for the needs of the blind individual. This is a perfect example of bridging community ties. Its costs the institute approximately R100 000 a month with an average of R3000 per student. Students are provided with their own personal computer, clothing, food, housing facilities as well as a plane ticket on a yearly basis to visit their family. At present the school only has male students. However, there are plans in the pipeline to construct a female boarding school facility as well. I strongly urge everyone out there to please make a contribution towards a worthy cause so that this good work can continue for years to come.

Kindly send your donations to: Madrassa An- Noor for the Blind,
                                                   Standard Bank of South Africa
                                                   Pietermaritzburg
                                                   Lillah Acc: 250376512
                                                   Zakaat Acc: 052195392
                                                   Swift code: SBZAZAJJ

I pray that this institute grows from pillar to pillar and from strength to strength. May God Almighty bless the teachers of the institute for their hard work and dedication. Ameen.
As a side thought, I always observe that the youth of today are idle minded basically engrossed with the mobile phone, computer games, playing with the Ipad or some other technological gadget.
Parents should encourage their kids to visit institutes like these to render voluntary services. These students feel happy and loved when guests visit them. It motivates and encourages them to pursue their studies. Also, by visiting these institutes, it makes one realise just how much we have to be grateful and thankful for at every moment of our lives. We need to thank God Almighty for the bounties that He has bestowed upon us. It would give the youth a sense of appreciating the finer things in life rather than being carried away into a materialistic bandwagon that has suddenly become a norm and a way of life.

For further information and contact details kindly visit their website:
http://www.mnblind.org/?id=101

 

 

 

   

 

Image Lifestyle Wedding and Conference Venue

 

On the 23rd of November, a week ago, my family and I were invited to the launch of the Image Lifestyle wedding and conference centre in conjunction with Unusual Functions. The event seen the coming together of numerous entrepreneurs, businessmen as well as government officials for a night of glitz, glamour and live entertainment.There were many guests from abroad who traveled to South Africa especially for the event. It was quite a pleasure meeting individuals from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan as well as from China. Guests were warmly welcomed by specially trained event specialists and were escorted to their seats after taking a photo at the foyer. Many media personalities also graced the event. Guests were blown away by the sheer magnitude of the hall along with the breathtaking decor.Opulent chandeliers graced the ceilings accompanied with elegant lounge suites and regal carpets. All the art pieces that adorned the walls were painstakingly created  by a charismatic and dynamic artist, Fazal Casetti Docrat. I was so excited to have met him and his family after many years. The master of ceremonies for the evening was Mr. Bushan Das who also entertained the crowd by singing a variety of songs like Chamak Chalo along with a few golden oldies as well. The opening ceremony kicked off with a rendition from the holy Quraan. All guests were then asked to rise for the South African National Anthem as the Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and her entourage were also present for the event.This was followed by a talk on Islamic Finance by Moulana Ragie.I found his speech to be quite thought provoking in a sense that he pointed out how Islamic Finance can have a positive impact on the global community at large basically reinforcing the fact that Islam along with its various rules regarding finances is not just for Muslims but for Non Muslims as well. Guests were treated to a five course meal whilst being entertained by live dance performances by two separate dance academies. Chicken salad and vegetable soup complimented with rolls was served as a starter. Steak roulade garnished with macaroni and masala chicken was served as a main course. Towards the latter part of the night guests then made their way back towards the foyer area where beautiful tables were laid out with an assortment of cakes, biscuits and desserts.It was an ideal opportunity for guests to interact and socialize with each other. I found the behaviour of some of the guests to be quite appalling though. Despite hailing from elite financial backgrounds, many of the guests were packing cakes and desserts in the decorative boxes that were on the dinner tables and taking them home. Chinese spoons filled with small portions of desserts were taken away by greedy guests as well.

Mr. Sayed Hussein Mia who is the chairman of the SHM group of companies was also invited to the event but extended an apology through his daughter for not being able to grace the function. His daughter however, used the event as a launching platform  for her newly acquired Middle Eastern clothing range "Shukr". Models strutted their stuff on the catwalk. I must admit though that I was not impressed with the range at all. I found the clothes to be old fashioned, mediocre and simply out of tune with the latest styles and emerging trends in Islamic clothing. Bold floral scarves matched with plain cotton pants and tops doesn't do it or me at all.It is a range that has seen its days in the Middle East a long time ago. The "Inspired" range of abayas were also showcased at the event. This range of abayas are designed in Dubai and retail in South Africa for between R2000 to R5000. Whilst many of the local South African Muslim women are gaga over this range of abayas, I personally only found a few of the abayas to be worthy of the price tag. The Image Lifestyle wedding and conference centre also boasts a bridal gown showroom along with abayas by " Unusual Couture". This range of abayaat is designed in Saudi Arabia. Each abaya is elegant and beautiful with a reasonable price tag. The premises also renders the professional services of a hair stylist, make up artist, along wih a fully kitted spa. My heartiest congratulations to Mr. Altaaf and Mr. Aadil Saith for making sure that the premises has all the amenities available in order to make that "special day" a memorable event. The venue is centrally located in the heart of Fordsburg allowing for convenience in terms of traveling distance and also allowing foreigners who grace the venue for conferences to be able to soak up the rich cultural heritage and history of the Fordsburg area.

If you wish to utilize the services of the Image Lifestyle wedding and conference centre kindly contact the celebrity events planner Mr. Aadil Saith at:

(w) 0027 11 413 2091
(m) 0027 (0) 827355559

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aditya Kripalani - Author of Back Seat

 

Aditya Kripalani, has a passion for writing in its myriad forms—short stories, poems, scripts screen plays and magazine write-ups, on topics as varied as watches, films, fashion and fitness.He is a post graduate, qualified in Script and Film Screenplay writing from the Film and Television Institute, Pune, and has also taught screen writing at St. Xavier’s Institute of Communication, Mumbai. 31 year old Aditya is fond of cooking, music, travelling, observing and analyzing people. He has the ability to get into the psyche of the characters, male and female, and view situations from each one’s unique perspective. He has spent a major part of his life in Mumbai city which has moulded and influenced him tremendously. Multi-faceted Aditya has a degree in fitness training from the Reebok University and is a Karateka practicing Karate in the GoJu form of Karate. His first book 'Back Seat' has received widespread appreciation and was placed in the top ten amongst 3000 other book titles in the 2009 Hollywood book festival. Read on to find out more in his own words....

Nationality: Indian

Pet Peeve: Racial discrimination. Sexual discrimination.

Drink that you would order at a coffee shop: I don't drink coffee or tea. I need things to calm me down not wake me up.

1. Firstly, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed despite your very hectic lifestyle.So tell me who is Aditya Kripalani? Tell me a little bit about your background. Where were you born? Basically a brief synopsis of your life from a child up until university.

Smart. This way you don't need to rack your brains about specific questions! ;) rebellious child due to strictness and too much disciplinary action at home. Mischievous school boy. Used to be punished for hours at a time and made to stand outside the class. I suffered from a tremendous inferiority complex physically in school as I looked goofy and had no subject I could excel in. Every other boy beat me up and ragged me. None of the girls really paid attention. When I went into college I began working out and suddenly saw people reacting differently. In college I became this super mean guy who used to make people cry just by pulling their leg. Not something I'm proud of. Then I met my wife and I began to change. Went to the FTII for a post grad in Script and Film Screenplay. There were 2000 applicants competing for 8 seats. I stood second or first and I realized that there's something they see in me which I did not seem to have discovered within myself. Did my post grad in film screenplay writing alongside a course in psychoanalysis. Really turned my life around, that one year. Back to Mumbai and very very trying times as a writer. 20 email exchanges for example arguing for 5000 rupees, having to wait for hours in film offices for my money after calling for days and being refused. Fought, cried, became depressed, put on 25 kilos. Low point.

Began Karate, lost 25 kilos in 6 months, regained confidence, understood genuine happiness and the power of cardio and things started looking up. Worked as a fitness trainer certified by Reebok to make money, began working at a film company as a script reader. Moved up to being the Creative Head of the film company (I Dream Production, makers of Bend It like Beckham and Monsoon Wedding) over 4 years. Then moved on to Percept Picture Company as their Creative Head. Credited on 6 films as SCRIPT CONSULTANT of which two, TAHAAN (won 11 international awards) and JOGWA won 37 national and state awards. And then frustrated that I couldn't write a film without a hundred opinions which were uninformed, I wrote a book. Rejected by every, yes EVERY Indian publisher. Depression again. And then I finally decided to self publish. My wife and I stood on roads, outside restaurants and sold the first 1000 copies. Then a national distributor took it up (names VASANT KAMAT) and it entered stores a year after publication. Became a best seller slowly over the next few years and now its a double best seller with over 40,000 fans on FB and another 10k on twitter. The power of social media is invaluable to independent film-makers and publishers alike.

Now I am in the process of releasing my second book FRONT SEAT which is a sequel to BACK SEAT.

2. Was writing always your passion? When did the realization set in that you wanted to pursue a career in writing?

I had no clue that I could write or that I wanted to write. I wanted to become a film director and had assisted on 2 feature films and shot for one of them at the FTII in Pune (the film institute). After being in that campus for a while I felt that I must learn more from 'here'. So I applied for the film appreciation course. Then I wanted to apply for a Post Grad in feature film writing and this was purely from a direction perspective. I got in and a month into working on my first screenplay I decided I want to write for life and not direct. This was 9 years ago and the feelings has n't changed.

3. Your first book 'Back Seat' has received worldwide recognition. Of course the journey was not all smooth sailing. What were some of the hardships you faced in terms of following your dream and wanting your book to be a major success ?

Bringing the book into bookshops was a tough one. Self published books hardly ever make it into book stores. Then finding a distributor was tough. However, having received fabulous reviews from many people who have expressed how the book has touched them has certainly made the journey a worth while experience.

4. What topics and subjects are you the most passionate about?
Equality. I hate to admit it but sex. Since it seems to form such a strong theme in both my novels. psychology. marriage. writing. novels. films. the lives of inspiring artists. art in general. Music, to a great extent. friendships.

5. If someone could grant you one wish and you could choose to have any skill or talent in the world, what would it be?

To be able to write like Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 'Love in the time of cholera' or to have written a book like 'Life of Pi' or in what I feel is the highest degree of quality writing 'The old man and the sea'.

6. What are your favourite websites?

Facebook.com which has enabled my book to succeed. Flipkart.com where I buy all my books from now, goodreads.com where I get my recommendations from and apple.com and legalsounds.com where I buy music from.

7. What are your thoughts on polygamous relationships?
They have their own flavor just as monogamous relationships. no right or wrong. Just what the deal/understanding between you and your partner is. So if its going to cause tremendous hurt to your partner personally I'd say stay away from it. Again human beings do falter. If your partner falters but you see scope in him/her to change, grow, move on, and if that seemed like a phase fair enough. Else take a stand and don't allow yourself to be taken for granted. Also, there are no real rules for relationships which are universal. Hence its all about your particular deal/equation.

8. If you were not a script writer/author what would you be doing?
Writing songs and performing them.

9. What is your opinion about interfaith marriages?
They rock. Best of two worlds. of course you might get the worst of them both in terms of their regressive thinking but you can try to glean the best out of them both.

10. Who or whats inspires you?
Steve Jobs, Bob Dylan, U2, Miles Davis, good music, paintings, books, stories in general good films. I watched DDLJ (Dilwale dulhaniya Le Jayenge) 32 times in the theatre. My grandfather and grandmother and masi.

11. Define success...What does success mean to you?
Success to me means being able to stay in love, to build in love, to grow in love with your work and your lover.

12. Where do you see yourself five years from now? What are your future plans?Having written another novel. Being able to have gotten some more credibility as a writer. Met some more friends. Understood a little more about love and what it takes to keep it powerful.

13. What advice would you give to a young student who wants to pursue a career in writing?
Be ready for cartloads of heartache but then the highs are unparalleled too. Low lows. Super high highs. so if you want a placid peaceful life, leave writing.

14. Are there any additional comments you’d like to add for the blog readers?
Sumayya's observations about life is interesting. Watch this space.

Once again, thank you Aditya for taking the time to answer these questions. Desert Moon wishes you all the best in your future endeavours!!!
Aditya's website address : http://www.adityakripalani.com/

BACK SEAT - A LITERARY MASTERPIECE

 

Wow, Wow, wow!! Aditya Kripalani's book 'Back Seat' has left me speechless. It took me two nights to get through 244 pages and when I came to the last and final page I continued to scroll down wishing that there were more pages that I could read. Aditya has an excellent command of the English language and lots of effort is placed on detail in the book. There are a number of colourful characters within the story line and each character is described in much detail. Every character can be visualized in terms of physical appearance and personality.It is almost as though you know the character on a personal level. I have visited India and I loved the vibe of Mumbai city. Aditya does an excellent job in describing Mumbai city as it is in reality.He simply brings the city to life. There is one scene in the book where Vijay stops the car opposite Shatranj Napoli and Olive and I had a huge smile on my face as I remembered having a sumptuous meal at the Italian restaurant during my trip. I recalled my experiences on Carter and Linking road as I read through this adrenalin pumping roller coaster ride. The only negative aspect of the book is its abrupt ending. I wanted to know more.I guess Aditya's rationale behind this, is to allow the reader's imagination to run wild. A more thorough spelling check could have been done as I picked up a few typos. Back Seat is a story that revolves around 15 year old Asawari Jog also known as Nikita who lives in a beach town called Ratnaghiri. Due to unfortunate circumstances she makes her way to Mumbai where she works as a dancer at Atithi dance bar, that is until a local politician imposes a ban on all bar dancers causing many of the girls to turn to prostitution in order to earn a reasonable living. Nikita's dream is to have her own restaurant so that she can escape from the body trade industry and after much effort she secures a restaurant premises by handing over a deposit to Mr. Louis for this dream venture.In order for her dream to materialize, she now requires to make up the rest of the money as soon as possible.

Nikita was never comfortable with the idea of prostituting herself to many men. She therefore,chooses the lesser evil by becoming Shashank's escort for one month . He is the troubled son of Mr. Inder Mehta, a Mumbai based film producer.I loved the way Aditya portrays Shashank's character. There were times that I actually felt sorry for him. I could feel his pain, hurt and all the emotional turmoil within him. The plot takes a twist when Nikita falls in love with Vijay, Shashank's driver. Vijay's past is equally painful and traumatic. Mumbai for him is an escape route, an abode where dreams come true. At this point in the book, you are desperately trying to get to the end of it to find out if Nikita's dreams do reach fruition or not.The book is captivating and Aditya does well in revealing bits and pieces of Nikita's life, leaving the reader constantly intrigued at every moment.Back Seat is a well written, thought provoking realistic tale that reaches the depths of human character and emotion. It has all the ingredients to turn the book into an award winning Madhur Bhandarkar type film. If you have not read a book in a while, I suggest that you get hold of "Back seat" right away. This is one book that you just have to read. My heartiest congratulations to Aditya. I wish him all the best and I am looking forward to his next book Front Seat

 
About The Author ( As taken from his book)
The author, Aditya Kripalani, has a passion for writing in its myriad forms—short stories, poems, scripts screen plays and magazine write-ups, on topics as varied as watches, films, fashion and fitness.He is a post graduate, qualified in Script and Film Screenplay writing from the Film and Television Institute, Pune, and has also taught screen writing at St. Xavier’s Institute of Communication, Mumbai. He currently heads the Script Department of one of the film industry’s established corporate film houses, I Dream Production. Thirty one year old Aditya is fond of cooking, music, travelling, observing and analyzing people. He has the ability to get into the psyche of the characters, male and female, and view situations from each one’s unique perspective. He has spent a major part of his life in Mumbai city which has moulded and influenced him tremendously. Multi-faceted Aditya has a degree in fitness training from the Reebok University and is a Karateka practicing Karate in the GoJu form of Karate.
Readers can interact with him by email at backseat.theauthor@gmail.com