BY: ABDUL MARTINS FODAY AMARA.
The Kenema Ladies Association, founded in 2020, has embarked on a two-day Ramadan gesture drive to different masjids in and around Kenema.
Giving the background of the organization, the President of Kenema Ladies Association, Madam Fanta Fofanah, started that organization with a dream and desire to positively contribute to the development of the country in their ways by helping Sierra Leoneans in basic and important areas of need. She furthered that the sole aim of forming the organization is to unite devoted women, and they desire to foster development in Kenema, the Eastern Region, and the country in general. Thereby promoting unity and peace in accordance with the laws of the country.
Furthermore, they try to leverage the perpetual sufferings of vulnerable community citizens, persons living with disabilities, as well victims of sexual assaults, gender-based violence, and any form of discrimination against women, be they affluent or vulnerable within the Sierra Leonean populace.
According to the organization's Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Madam Aishatu Khella, the country has many problems to solve, and the government alone can't handle everything at the same time. However, if everyone, individuals or groups, decided to intervene in one key area or the other, the suffering of vulnerable people would be minimized, and our country would be peaceful and conducive to living.
"Since this organization was founded, we have been instrumental in implementing key interventions in accordance with what our institution prescribed. We've labelled this week as the "Week of Ramadan Visit," and we are visiting Masjids in the city and the outskirts."
"We're donating many non-food items to mosques, such as praying mats, rechargeable florescent floodlights, plastic kits for ablutions, rechargeable megaphones, and more. Our choice of donation is based on the fact that not every masjid has an electricity supply, the massive number of people who normally go to masjids at this time, and many other constraints."
"We want to urge all beneficiary congregations to use the items for the intended purposes and not to personalize them. And to the other areas that may not be fortunate now, we implore them to be patient because this will continue even after this Holy Month", she promised.
One of the Project Managers, Amanatu Barrie, highlighted a few challenges they're faced with, ranging from gathering resources to relief items, identification of actual beneficiaries, and support from other humanitarian organizations and stakeholders. She called on to help complement the efforts of government and partners in identifying whom, how, and where to help those in need because the central government alone can't do everything at once.
Madam Umu Hawa Bah, the adviser of the Kenema Ladies Association, admonished all women and children in almost all the Masjids they visited to continue serving God diligently even after Ramadan. She reiterated that serving God does not only start and end in Ramadan Months every year, but it must be a continuous process.
"I want to encourage my fellow women and children to serve Allah assiduously. We all are on a journey that we don't know when to reach our destination. So it is incumbent on us to serve our maker no matter how busy we may be. Children should not be an exception to serving God", Umu cried.
Receiving the items on behalf of the congregation, Sheik Dawuod of Masjid Foninkoh, located at Septimus Vandi Street in Kenema, lauded the KLA membership for the items, terming them timely and needed. He said that since they started worshipping together in the mosque, this is the very first donation they have ever received from anyone or group(s).
"Many Humanitarian organizations and philanthropists don't know if we exist simply because we're living outside the main city. We want to thank these young and zealous ladies for what they have done for us. May the unmerited blessings of this Holy Month be with all of them, and may their organization grow and spread to every part of this universe," the sheik prayed.
Imam Alpha Jalloh of Masjid Barah congregation at Yokie Street in Kissy Town used the occasion to offer a special prayer for the growth and development of the Kenema Ladies Association and the country. He said that the items donated were the Masjid's felt needs due to our country's current economic situation.
"Quranically, choosing to serve humanity is virtuous work because it is better to give out willingly to the needy than to always receive from others. He concluded that these young and energetic have just fulfilled one of Allah's commands during Holy Month and are overloaded with blessings ".
Several other masjids that benefited from the donation joyfully offered prayers of development and unity for the organization, its members, and the entire country.
Comments