A big thank you and the initiative will continue

Boxes filled with clothing all packed, sealed and ready to be sent through to the Al Falah Charitable Trust in Malawi. I would like to take the opportunity in thanking everyone out there who have contributed towards this worthy cause. Many of you have actually driven all the way to my home to drop off the clothing. May God Almighty reward all of you in this world as well as in the hereafter. I wish to add that the collection drive would be an ongoing process and hence if you do have old clothing or unwanted clothing that you wish to hand down to someone else you may inbox me on facebook or email me at desertmoonsdiary@gmail.com and I will tell you how to get it over to me.....

TAKING A BOLD STEP TOWARDS A WORTHY CAUSE

Unable to bear the famine and malnutrition in other poor impoverished countries around the world, one Saudi restaurant owner has decided to take matters into his own hands by enforcing levies on all patrons of his restaurant that do not finish all the food that they have ordered. He has signs posted in his restaurant stating that if any customer does not finish their meal, leaving food on their plate, they will be charged an additional fee. The additional monies collected are placed in a box and when sufficient funds are collected it is then distributed to various charity organizations. The restaurant owner hopes that all other restaurants in Saudi Arabia would follow suit.
I personally believe that this is an excellent initiative. I have noticed lots of food wastage here in the Middle East especially during the fasting month. Hotels and restaurants prepare elaborate five course meals and after dinner most of the left over foods are simply thrown away into a garbage bag.Mind you I guess this is also bound to happen simply because the food portions per person are quite large in most Saudi restaurants. Usually when I go to a restaurant I tell the waiter to pack the remainder of the food as a take away and I usually eat it the next day of give it to my domestic worker. It pains me to see food thrown away into the garbage bin when there are people out there who have no idea where their next plate of food is coming from. However, in many countries around the world restaurants as well as citizens of the country are not allowed to distribute left over foods to the poor by law due to health and safety hazards.So what do you think, should all restaurants across the globe follow this Saudi gentleman's example by charging an additional fee to customers who do not finish their meal? Do you think that this will decrease the problem of food wastage in restaurants? Would this initiative curb the 'eyes are bigger than the stomach' syndrome?

Al Falah Charitable Trust Qurbani Program 2012

Dear blog readers,

The reason I posted this letter from the Director of the Al- Falah Charitable Trust in Malawi is not to boast or off show, for certainly what the right hand gives, the left hand should not know about. Boasting, showing off and being proud is not a part of my character for I was  not brought up in that way. My sole intention in posting this letter is to simply create an awareness that the projects that my family and I are involved with are legitimate projects. I know of many people out there who wish to contribute funds to the poor but are afraid of the legitimacy of the organization. Many of my Saudi friends have given donations to organizations outside of Saudi Arabia and they have been duped by these bogus organizations. A family friend of ours had given a huge sum of money for a masjid to be built in India. When he visited India himself he went to the village to enquire about the masjid that he had supposedly funded only to realize that no masjid was built. In other words he was cheated and robbed of his money by shady, unscrupulous characters.Be very careful to whom you donate money to. Make sure that the money is given to trustworthy, honest individuals. I would now like to take this opportunity in encouraging all my blog readers to join in our yearly Eid ul Adha Qurbaani program in Malawi by contributing funds to purchase sacrificial animals. If you wish to be a part of this project along with the well building project to provide clean drinking water to the poor impoverished villages in Malawi then kindly drop me an email or contact the institute directly. My email address is desertmoonsdiary@gmail.com. As God Almighty mentions in the Holy Quraan, " Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."

The Prophet Muhammed (SAW) said: " “Charity extinguishes the heat of the graves for the charitable people. And the believer will stand in the shade of his charity on the day of resurrection.”. Always pray that God Almighty blesses each and everyone of us in this world with hands that give and not hands that receive. Ameen!!

( Click on the JPEG pictures below if you desire to read it in bigger print)

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

 

 

 

   

 

Malawi - The warm heart of Africa

I quite agree with the saying, "Mankind plans, but the best of planners is He, The Almighty."It was literally a month ago that mom departed from the Kingdom back to her home in South Africa and I was expecting to see her again no sooner than November. However, three weeks ago whilst my folks were vacationing at our holiday home Dad decides to give me a tinkle and inform me that he would be traveling with mom and a few significant others to Malawi. The purpose of the trip he said was a fact finding mission in establishing how various schools in the underprivileged areas of Malawi were being run. I knew that the family, especially dad was involved with funding a school in Malawi, but i didnt know the details or the depth of the project. The second purpose of the trip was to be present for the opening of a Masjid built by my family in a rural area to bring reward for all those individuals that have passed away within the family.

I have always traveled extensively with my folks and there was never a trip I missed. So naturally I wanted to be there to. Thanks to the kindness of my seniors I managed to secure an exit/re-entry visa on short notice and made my way to South africa via Dubai. I spent one night in South Africa and the next day we all took a flight from South africa to Blantyre, via Harare to pick up passengers and then Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi to clear customs and immigrations. With the exception of dad no one knew that I was arriving into the country so the shock and happiness on their faces when they seen me was certainly a moment that I would never forget in my life.

The airport experience in Malawi was quite hilarious, comical in fact. All passengers disembarked in Lilongwe to clear customs whilst the plane waited for us to take us to Blantyre, approximately a 25 minute flight from Lilongwe. As we got of the plane we seen our luggage being driven away in a trailor like vehicle.We got our passports stamped, picked up our luggage and went through customs and police clearance which was literally 10 steps away from each other. The airport has no sophisticated scanning device systems and so you are likely to be asked to open up your luggage (Not that they do a thorough inspection in any case).

We landed in Blantyre around five thirty in the evening at Chilekha airport. The airport was so small that it resembled a double storey home.We were received by dads very close friend (more like a brother) Sheikh Ayoob Patel whose ties with my family goes back at least 20 years ago when my late grandfather was still alive.We then made our way to his home in Zomba which is one and a half hours from Blantyre. The roads in Malawi are a nightmare. Cars will never survive and so four by four and heavy duty vehicles are the best for the rough terrain. By the time you reach your destination your body feels sore with all the bumps on the road.

Sheikh Ayoob's family gave us a warm welcome into their home and we had a sumptuous dinner prepared by Zohra aunty and her daughter Najma. After dinner we chatted and made our way to the Namanolo Educational Trust premises where we were welcomed by the security guards Jaffer and Umar who took our luggage in to the guest cottage. It was a quaint, cozy building with a lounge, kitchen,and two ensuite bedrooms.

The next morning after having a full breakfast we set out to the rural village where the masjid is situated. Once again we made our way through winding, bumpy gravel roads.The scenery though was picturesque with the village surrounded by the Zomba Mountains. Arriving at the village we were greeted by hundreds of people who were excited to meet us. We handed out blankets, food parcels and money to the community members. The level of poverty in Malawi is alarming. The are no words to explain the depth of poverty within the country.Usually tourists visiting the country dont really realise the extent of the poverty as they would stay in a five star hotel like Sunbird Hotel or Makakola retreat for example. However, as we resided with my dad's friend who is a teacher and looks after the various schools within poverty stricken communities, we were able to experience true life in Malawi first hand. Tears flowed down our cheeks when we seen how the local village people live. There is no running water or electricity. Water is pumped through a well and sometimes small kids walk for miles to fetch water and bring it back to their homes.
Most of the people of the village were not given any form of education. As we drove from village to village we stopped handing out sweets to the kids along the way. The smile on their faces, the gratitude of receiving one stock sweet was a picture that I will never forget.The next day we visited The Alfalah Islamic Institute for girls.Once again this institute is situated around mountains and greenery which creates an environment conducive for learning and seeking knowledge.This school is run personally by Sheikh Ayoob Patel. The school has around 50 students and they are taught secular as well as Islamic education. The girls live in a boarding complex and all their necessities are taken care off by the institute which is funded by people from all over the world especially the South African Indian community.
It was an eye opener to see these girls read as well as speak arabic fluently.These same female students hailed from the poor impoverished villages we had seen the day before. But once they were admitted into the school the quality of their lives have changed.There are some students who are HIV positive, some of them are orphaned and many of them are without a mother or a father.A doctor visits the institute on a monthly basis to monitor the health and nutrition of all the students.
HIV in Malawi is a huge problem like all other countries in Africa. The governments do not have the resources to teach and educate the nation about safe sex practices and of course contraception which is not an acceptable solution in many African cultures.The birth rate in Malawi is huge with around 30 deliveries each day in many of the hospitals. Hospitals do not have enough midwives to cope with deliveries. Their is a huge staff shortage in almost all of the hospitals as the government does not have money to pay for any extra staff.Many women die during child birth leaving the newborn child behind. In many instances these kids are also born with HIV.

Being a teacher is certainly not an easy task.But being a teacher to orphaned and underprivileged kids is definitely an even bigger task especially if the kids come from homes where their parents are illiterate themselves. I honestly and truly salute Sheikh Ayoob Patel for his hard work and sheer dedication towards the kids in his institute as well as the other institutes he oversees and manages, namely NAMANOLO ISLAMIC EDUCATIONAL TRUST.His soft and understanding nature with the students at Alfalah encourages them to further acquire knowledge so that when they complete their education they can go back into their villages and impart knowledge within their local communities.It is good to give the poor money, but making them self sufficient and self sustaining is even better and more rewarding.Sheikh Ayoob gave us an insight into the sewing classes that is run for females. The classes are conducted by sister Ameena formally from Sudan whose husband is a well respected and educated man within the community having been a member of various international humanitarian organisations prior to his retirement. All the garments produced from the sewing classes are packed and distributed back into the poor village communities. Businesses selling materials donate their off cuts to the school. The women who attend theses sewing classes live on the premises of the school and all their basic needs are facilitated by the institute as well during the full duration of the course.When these women complete the program they are empowered to be employed in garment factories or sew privately from home thereby becoming self sufficient and are hence capable of supporting their families.

Sheikh Ayoob designed an excellent itinerary for us and so in between we had a few days of leisure to relax. He had taken the liberty to book us for two nights in to the Sunbird Hotel located right on top of the Zomba mountains.Weather in Malawi for winter was surprisingly very warm and there were many days when we didnt require the need of a jacket or coat. However, on top of the mountains it was quite chilly and warm clothes was required. The hotel is renowned for being the best in Malawi with African themed rooms graced with an open fire place.As the sun goes down and the night sets in, the ambience of the room changes to an atmosphere of warmth and coziness due to the fire place. During the day, after breakfast we spent our time at leisure in the beautiful terrace gardens surrounded by natural mountains and forests. The hotel atmosphere felt as though we were in Europe or Switzerland and yet the stark reality was quite the contrary with thousands of people dying of poverty and malnutrition just a few kilometers away. We also enjoyed a picturesque afternoon at the famous Williams waterfalls where we all gathered for a picnic. Certainly an afternoon worth remembering.

After two days of leisure it was back into the village where we had to inaugurate the opening of the masjid that was built by my family for the local community.Hundreds of people gathered from all over to perform the first Friday prayers in the masjid. Tribal heads and chiefs gathered to welcome us and discuss the future of the villages in terms of future progress. Our family project started off with a masjid but we aim to build a school and boarding facility for the kids of the village as well. We also need to implement a water well so that the men going to the masjid to pray will have water to do their ablution ritual before prayers. God willing these will be completed in the near future. After the opening of the masjid we had lunch and then made our way to the Mangochi district, approximately a two hour rough bumpy ride from Zomba. It is in this region that the world famous lake Malawi is situated.Viewing the lake for the first time creates the impression that you at the sea or vast ocean as the lake is graced with unspoilt white sand. It is impossible to comprehend the enormity of the lake. It is around 365km long stretching up to Tanzania and approximately 60 km wide. At night whilst sleeping, you can hear the waves from the lake. The home we booked at the lake was a five bedroom cottage that came with a cook. Our cooks name was Richard, a Malawian man, tall in stature with a friendly demeanour. He was an excellent cook serving us fresh fish and rice, barbequed T-Bone steak (The best T-Bone steak I've ever eaten) and a variety of other dishes.

The majority of people in Malawi lead very difficult lives. Most people travel either by foot or they utilise bicycles.Usually they leave their homes very early in the morning and return late in the night. Many of the markets operate until eight at night. Goods are being traded under candle light as there is no electricity in many regions. The areas that have electricity usually face frequent power outages..During our visit the country was undergoing a fuel shortage. Most of the garages did not have petrol or diesel. Every alternate day fuel was delivered to various garages and cars queuing for petrol extended many kilometers down the road. Despite the fuel crisis most of the local community were unperturbed. They were still very calm. I noticed that from all the people in the world that I have met the Malawians are the most patient. Nothing in the world bothers them. They have this attitude of being content and perhaps it is due to this contentment that they are able to continue their lives in such desolate impoverished environments.
It was quite hilarious seeing policemen unarmed at roadblocks without batons or radio communication systems.Most policemen do not have cars and utilise bicycles as a mode of transport. Many of them would thumb a lift from passing cars or busses in order to get to their assigned designated posts everyday.Despite this there is minimal crime within the local community with the exception of petty theft now and then.

The depth of poverty and malnutrition in Malawi is indescribable. The UN has many buildings in Malawi but they are not doing anything for the local community. The UN is one of the most corrupt, bogus organisations in the world. They are not helping the poor but rather plunging the country into further debt. The UN is a masonic organisation and I will discuss the origins of this organisation in another article in due course. First world countries like America do not feed their own populations with genetically modified food and yet they would like this type of food to be introduced into poor African countries like Malawi causing people to become sick, develop health problems and cause mass genocide. Indeed one of the clauses of the masonic agenda as re-iterated by Mr. Bill Gates himself on national television is to reduce the worlds population by half.

All religions teach goodness and so it is the duty of each and every individual to help the poor and the needy. All of the schools managed by Sheikh Ayoob is through the donations and generous contributions of people from all over the world especially South Africa. The government does not have the means to subsidise these schools. I would encourage everyone especially the muslim community to make a contribution towards these schools simply because charity is one of the five pillars of the islamic religion. Your generous contributions will allow the good work to continue. The kids of today are the leaders of tomorrow and so by giving these kids an education we are all assisting in empowering another human being and improving the lifestyle of an entire nation. Should you wish to make a contribution to the Al Falah Charitable Trust and I sincerely urge you to do so then please contact Sheikh Ayoob Patel at:


P.O.Box 544

Zomba

Malawi

cell: (+265) 0 999 913 759

Office : (+265) 01 524 684

Email address: alfalah.malawi@gmail.com

Banking details

Acc. Name: Al-Falah Islamic Institute
Acc No. 1151107
Bank Name:National Bank of Malawi
Zomba Branch

Or

Acc. Name: Al -Falah Islamic Institute
Acc. No.0280330009
Bank Name:First Merchant Bank
Zomba Branch

Kindly take note that all donations are distributed within both Muslim and non Muslim communities. Islam is the major religion in Malawi followed by Christianity. Usually in many families you will fnd that the maternal side is Christian and the paternal side is muslim or vice versa.

The day we left making our way to the airport down the narrow winding road with the foggy mountains in front of us, a few thoughts ran through my mind. I have never before encountered a nation with so much of patience, I have never before encountered a nation that is so content despite all the poverty, I have never before encountered a nation who yearns for knowledge yet can not afford it..Alas Malawi!! You are the true heart of Africa!!!!