M.N.A Hazim Shafii's Portfolio
Volunteering with Darul Khayr
Darul Khayr is a muslim NGO that is based in Udupi, Karnataka with the aim to support and protect the rights of the Muslim minority community in India. During my time in India, I was fortunate to meet brother Nowshad, an activist of Darul Khayr. Brother Nowshad is a local that works as an engineer in Saudi Arabia. He was kind enough to invite me to join one of the Darul Khayr projects and see for myself how his NGO is trying to improve the life of the Muslim minority in the Southern part of India.
A few days later, I was taken to a remote area in Mangalore to visit an Islamic school, Madrasah Tu Salafiya that educates young muslim boys and girls that came from all over India - particularly from Bangalore, Goa and Mangalore. There were actually two buildings that separate the female and male students. The main building which was supposed to be a 3-storey school building was still being constructed. However, the ground floor was fully functioning and being used as a class hall as well as a place for the students to sleep and eat. Around 30 young male students aged from 6 to 18 year old were staying at the main building, about 200km away from the second building where the female students were.
During our visit, we were given a tour to both establishments by the founders of the school and given a briefing on the students' daily routine, academic syllabus and facilities. Although the school does not teach secular education like Science subject or Mathematics, the students are still being sent to nearby government school to attend classes. The students are trained to wake up around 3 to 4 o'clock in the morning as they would begin their day by offering Tahajud (a non-compulsory early morning prayer) followed by reciting and memorizing verses of the Koran (the Muslim's holy book). Then, they would offer the Fajr prayer (a compulsory morning prayer) before they have breakfast and sent to government school for morning classes. In the evening, they are allowed to play sports and other recreational activities till dawn. At night, they would have religious classes until 9 to 10 pm before they are sent to bed.
We had a very productive meeting with the founders of the school on how Darul Khayr could help the school to finance the construction of the main building. Although there was a language barrier, I was still able to offer suggestions and inputs throughout the meeting with the help of other activists who were able to speak English. I have also learned a lot from Darul Khayr especially how the NGO operates and functions and it certainly has inspired me with their dedication and sincerity. All in all, It was truly a memorable experience for me!