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UMMAH FOUNDATION

annUal ACTIVITY report 2010

Introduction:

Ummah Foundation is a not for profit organization established to bring about social and qualitative changes in

the lives of the desperately poor sections of society especially underprivileged children and their families through Education, Relief aid, Medical assistance and Social welfare activities.

Education:

The Bursary scheme has been running for the past four year since the Foundation’s inception. Many students have graduated through this system, adding value to the social development of our nation. The Foundation now prides itself of having more than 400 students who have passed through the bursary scheme since the year 2007. It is imperative to mention that Ummah Foundation in collaboration with Human Concern International of Canada, has taken very worthy steps in making the dreams of our Ummah come true. Education is the best

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investment any society can give to our youth and it is a sure way of eliminating poverty and ignorance from our midst. The Education Bursary Fund has helped several of our youth to get good education in respected and reliable

institutions of learning. So far, the fund has been able to produce 3 doctors, more than 5 journalists, 10

technicians, over 20 teachers, and over 10 nurses. There are other students who are still in the process of

benefiting from the fund. In fact, over 300 students are beneficiaries of the fund since it was established.

The Education Bursary Fund is under the management of the Ummah Foundation Education Committee headed

by the long time educationist and former Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Examinations Council, Mr.

Ahmed Yusuf. On board are other renowned educationists like Sh. Abdallah Kheri, a lecturer at the Kenyatta

University, Mrs. Faiza Umar, a professional teacher and tutor, Ibrahim Bakari, the principal of Muslim Academy,

Nairobi, among others.

During the year, Ummah Foundation received over 1000 applications for bursaries. This figure is overwhelming,

considering the scarcity of funds these days. However, there are various values that the committee has set as

criteria to determine the most deserving cases for bursary approval. These include: merit, students’ performance

in school, orphans, students from financially challenged backgrounds, subject to availability of funds. The

committee ensures that there is absolute fairness in disbursing the bursary funds.

Education is increasingly becoming a costly affair. For instance, a university student in a public university in Kenya needs over Ksh 150,000 per year for fees only. On top of this, only about 2% of the university students are Muslims. All the bursary funding is from charity. At the present, the bursary fund cannot be able to satisfy all the applications received. We therefore call upon Muslims to assist the Ummah Foundation Bursary Fund. For the next academic year 2011, Ummah Foundation received funds worth C$29,000 (Ksh 2,320,000) from Human Concern International of Canada. This money will go a long way in supporting about 70 students who are already in our continuous bursary system.

The Chief Executive Officer(C.E.O) of Ummah Foundation, Brother Fauz Quraishi presents a cheque to

one of the beneficiaries. Looking on is the Education Committee Chairman Brother Ahmed Yusuf.

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Some of the Students who benefitted from the Ummah Foundation Bursary Scheme

RELIEF AID

Many countries regularly face emergencies which require rapid humanitarian assistance.

These emergencies include natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, droughts and floods and man-made

disasters – civil unrest, armed conflict, environmental and technological disasters.

Those disasters leave behind populations which cannot provide themselves with their daily basic needs. Ummah

Foundation has closely been involved in this exercise and been in the forefront in creating awareness so that the

people affected get the needed help in time.

In collaboration with Ummah Foundation, Kenya, representatives of the UK based Islamic Trust- Ummah Welfare

Trust took time to visit and distribute relief food to around 1,000 families in Kina, Isiolo South district. Isiolo is

usually one of the worst hit areas in the country, during the dry seasons. In 2009, several people lost their lives

and thousands of livestock died due to the effects of drought.

Ummah Welfare Trust (UWT), UK is a registered international relief and development charity. It was established

in 2001. Its aims and objectives are more or less, the same as those of the Ummah Foundation, Kenya.

In Nairobi and its environs Ummah Foundation has also taken a leading role in feeding the needy and hundreds

of starving children in various orphan centres. Food rations and basic requirements were donated to Goodhope

Orphanage that houses a capacity of more than 30 girls who were either picked from the streets or rescued from

the evil hands of the society. Other centres that benefitted from this programme are Majengo home for the old,

Mama Fauzia children’s home that has a population of 38 young boys and girls who are either abandoned by

their parents or orphaned.

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Brother Musa Wekesa Of Ummah Foundation presents the donated food to Goodhope Orphanage Centre

The Executive Officer, Brother Musa Wekesa and Sheikh Subki Shee of Ummah Foundation present the

food stuff to the Majengo Home for the Old.

During the month of Ramadhan last year, GTZ Camp Management brought to our attention the sad plight of

refugees from the Great Lakes region. The camp was home to refugees from the war torn eastern Democratic

Republic of Congo where many have fled and sought refuge in Kenya. GTZ sought our intervention to offer

support to the refugees and also cater for the welfare of the 60 Muslim refugees who despite the horrid conditions

in the camp were fulfilling their religious obligation of fasting the months of Ramadhan.

Having worked with GTZ in our previous programs we were at their door to give the help that our brothers and

sisters who were in dire need direly needed. Noddles that were donated by Norda Industries and other food stuffs

like dates, sugar and flour plus other items like Kanzus, caps and women garments and veils were donated to the

camp. This noble generosity was also extended to the inmates at the Nairobi Industrial Area Remand Prison and

Karai Village in Kiambu county.

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Mama Fauzia with her Children at the Orphanage when they received Food stuffs from Ummah

Foundation and on the Right is the food donation by Ummah Foundation to the GTZ Refugee Camp in

Karen.

HEALTH MATTERS

SOLACE FOR THE SICK

One of the noblest duties that a Muslim can do is to visit, counsel and pray for the sick. It is a Sunnah of the Holy

Prophet s.a.w., who not only visited and cared for the sick among Muslims but even non-Muslims. Many pathetic

cases of hospitalised people in despair have been reported time and again in the print and electronic media.

Sometimes it could be an abandoned child, sometimes it could be a man whose relatives cannot be traced, yet

there are times it could be an extremely desperate sick woman with an infant, all having a plethora of problems.

For over three years now, the Ummah Foundation has operated a section specifically designed to address this

issue. With Sh. Subki Shee Muhammad, the programme has various daily duties in its basket. It deals with

providing counselling, spiritual guidance and teaching religion and da`awah to in-patients in major hospitals such

as the Kenyatta National Hospital, the Nairobi Hospital and others. It also liaises with the hospital`s administration

in addressing extra- ordinary cases where the in-patient has been entangled in more burdens.

In 2010, Sh. Subki has made not less than 200 visits to the major hospitals in the city. During this period, a

number of patients embraced Islam. They were given translation copies of the Glorious Qur’an, Islamic attire as

well as taught how to start their life as new Muslims.

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Sh. Subki, seen here in one of Ummah Foundation’s projects

There are times when the Ummah Foundation has been called upon to bury unclaimed bodies belonging to

members of our community. In the past, there could be cases of unclaimed bodies which have over-stayed in the

mortuaries for months on end. This is a thing of the past as Sh. Subki makes sure that he regularly liaises with

the mortuary attendants to prevent such an occurrence. This is a service that helps to save the face of the

Muslim Ummah in front of the public eye. It has given the much needed assistance to the utterly unable members

of the Ummah to give due respect to their abandoned departed souls, as well as helped to repair broken hearts

while giving them hope in the true spirit of Islamic Brotherhood. That is the spirit that is in Ummah Foundation.

Al-Tawfeeq Centre:

The Al Tawfeeq Centre, an Ummah Foundation Project in the sprawling slums of Korogocho in Nairobi, is set to

open its doors to the public in the beginning of the year. As construction work was completed, Ummah

Foundation sought to get the services of a well established medical organization that will offer affordable medical

services to the people of the slums. Negotiations with a leading Islamic medical organization, the Crescent

Medical Aid, are now complete. This is an Islamic Non Governmental Organization (NGO), with a long

experience in offering preventive and primary health care. It runs a number of clinics in the city of Nairobi. They

plan to put up a medical laboratory as well as dental facilities at the centre.

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The ultra modern two storey Al-Tawfeeq Medical Centre

The Al-Tawfeeq Centre aims to provide affordable medical services to the poor slum community. This is one of

the most outstanding projects that the people of Korogocho have ever seen. It is an ultra modern two storey

building, adjacent to the Al-Taawon Centre, yet another education project by Ummah Foundation.

The Al-Taawon Educational Centre in Korogocho slums

The medical project will benefit close to a thousand Muslim families who live around Korogocho, as well as many

others in the surrounding slums while also playing the role of welcoming other people to the spirit of Islamic

friendship. Ummah Foundation has also been closely involved in the running of a community based centre that

has a primary school, libray and ICT facility. The school is up to class five and with the help of other well wishers

and in collaboration with Altaawon Youth Organisation two three extra classes were constructed with funds from

Central Bank of Kenya( CBK). The school has a population of more than 200 pupils.

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SOCIAL WELFARES

Empowering the Physically Challenged

Brother Musa Wekesa, Executive Officer, Ummah Foundation Presents a wheel chair to a brother of the

disabled. On the left, Sheikh Authan Abdallah presents a wheelchair donated by Ummah Foundation to

an Inmate at Kamiti Prison.

As the saying goes disability is not inability. We believe that with assistance to the disabled, we can go along way

in empowering them to be productive members of the community. Since the inception of Ummah Foundation

hundreds of the physically challenged people have benefitted from wheel-chairs and crutches donated by the

Foundation. Ummah Foundation donates on average of seven wheel-chairs every month to the physically

challenged members of our community. In one such a case, is the story of Juma Musau, a 45 year old resident of

the Eastlands area of Nairobi. All through his life he has been leaning on a pair of wooden home-made crutches

that he curved himself from the greenish-yellow stems of hard thorn trees back in Ukambani. Thanks to Ummah

Foundation he has a wheelchair that has made his life more flexible.

Madrassah Program

For the past two years Ummah Foundation is involved in the Madrassah Program, it has piloted five Madrassahs in different towns across the country to uplift the spiritual upbringing of our children in the morally disintegrated environment.

The program has its genesis in the efforts of a small group of brothers and sisters who were concerned about the

provision of sound Islamic Education to Muslim children in various municipalities in Kenya. Around 2002, two

Muslim sisters who trained under one of our trustees established a very small school in a rented community hall.

It continued for a couple of years. In 2009, a very comprehensive effort was undertaken by the trustees of

Ummah Foundation to establish holiday and weekend schools under the umbrella of our organisation. Basically,

we give support to the teachers and pupils in terms of monthly allowances, learning equipments, and training of

the teachers involved. This is starting to bear a lot of fruits only that there are several limitations and challenges

that are hampering our efforts. Our resources are very limited and the growing number of pupils and students are

pushing us to provide more support which we cannot readily provide. We humbly request all well wishers to

feature in helping us make this program a success story. Our main objectives are:

1. To help students read and understand the Qur’an.

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2. To familiarize students with Islamic beliefs, conduct, and way life.

3. To acquaint students with the life of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), his companions, and other

prophets.

4. To provide courses in Arabic and any other languages which the community desires.

5. To provide opportunities for creating and developing leadership qualities among the students

through various interactive activities.

6. To assist the students to understand and evaluate the thoughts and religions of others.

7. To maintain control of the physical facilities established for the purpose of upgrading the

madrassah system.

Bro. Fauz Qureishi, Ummah Foundation C.E.O. and Sh. Ishaq Ismael visit Al-Nur Madarassah

in Magadi.

Apart from the provision of the named services to our Madrassahs, we also help in making sure the pupils are

adequately supplied with veils, Kanzus, pullovers and caps that form part of their learning uniform, supply of

religious materials and learning aids. Towards the last quarter of the year we managed to give a facelift to Al-Nur

Madrassah in Kisumu and availed funds to cover for the rent of an extra classroom due to the growing number of

pupils. In Magadi, the situation calls for urgent attention taking into account that the century old Magadi Mosque

needs immediate renovation to save it from collapse. We are in communication with the Magadi Soda Company

management and various Muslim organisations, led by Jamia Mosque Committee in seeing the situation will be

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addressed.

The Madrassah Teachers Training that takes place twice per year to improve the teaching standards of our

teachers.

Distribution of Islamic literature

The last quarter of the year 2010, Ummah Foundation was privileged to receive a container that was full of

Islamic literature. We bought close to 10,000 copies of the English translation of the Glorious Qur’an from Good

Word Books International, a renowned publishing firm in India. These copies have been distributed far and wide

across the country and even to our sister organisation, Ummah Foundation, Uganda. Some of the Islamic

organisations and institutions that benefitted from the distribution are: Alim High School, Iqra Self Help Group,

Maahad Daawah Organization, Young Muslims Association, Parklands Mosque, Pangani Mosque, Al Momin

Foundation, Muslim Assocation of Kenyatta University (MAKU), Wamy High School, Manyatta Madrassah-

Kisumu, Riyadh Swaliheena- Nakuru, Madrassah Yusuf- Gilgil, Siaya Mosque and Madarassah Nur in Sio Port

Nyanza, Magadi Mosque and Altaawon Centre in Korogocho slums, among others. Quite a number of these

copies went to benefit the prisoners in Naivasha Maximum Prison, Kamiti, Industrurial Area and Athi River. We

also received a sizable donation of Islamic books from Istanbul International Brotherhood and Solidarity

Association which supplemented our distribution list. We also appreciate the part played by Brother Hanif Verani

who facilitated the easy transfer of the books to Ummah Foundation.

Along side with the books distribution exercise, bookshelves were also donated to over 15 mosques in Nairobi

and Our projection is to feed all the 114 or more mosques with these facilities in the next two years Inshallah.

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Member of Parliament, Sheikh Dor presents a television set, a DVD player and Islamic literature on

behalf of Ummah Foundation Trustees to the G.K. Prison in Naivasha

Among the biggest beneficiaries of this distribution was the Serena Hotels where more than 1000 copies of the

English translated Qurans were donated by Ummah Foundation to be placed in the hotels rooms. Nairobi Serena

Hotel became the first major hotel in the country to have the copies of the Holy Quran in their bed rooms. All the

other hotels and lodges run by Serena Group in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zanzibar also had the

copies of the Holy Quran placed in each room.

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C.E.O of Ummah Foundation Brother Fauz Qureishi introduces the guests during the presentation of the

Holy Qurans to Nairobi Serena Hotels. Looking on are: Managing Director of the Serena Hotels, Brother

Mahmud Jan Mohamed, The Chief Guest and Minister for Tourism Brother Najib Balala, Ummah

Foundation Chairman, Brother Abdullatif Essajee and the Secretary General, Brother Zool Nimji

The chairman of Pangani Mosque Committee BrotherAfzal Butt receives a donation of the Holy Quran

from Ummah Foundation’s Sheikh Subki. Looking on are: Brother Musa Wekesa, the Executive Officer

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Ummah Foundation, the Pangani Mosque Imam and Sister Nargis Bari, the Administrator of Pangani

Mosque Committee.

RAMADHAN PROGRAM

As usual during the Holy month of Ramadhan, the Ummah Foundation was busy with bustling activities that

benefitted the needy. To make the Ramadhan program a huge success, we worked closely with institutions like

the Jamia Masjid, the Parklands Masjid, Parkroad Masjid, Maahad Daawah Organization and others. There were

orphanages such as Mama Fauzia Children’s Home, Madarassahs such as Umoja Madarassah, Matuu

Madarassah for Tahfidhul Qur’an, KIthimani Madarassah, Prison centres such as The Industrial Area Remand,

Naivasha Maximum Prison, refugee camps such as the GTZ Refugee Camp and many other institutions who

benefitted from food, clothes, and Islamic reading materials donated by Ummah Foundation.

Bravo to Norda Food Industries, once again, for providing food and goodies to be donated to the needy members

of the community during the Holy month of Ramadhan, through Ummah Foundation. There were also individual

contributions of food and clothes. In Nairobi’s Parklands Mosque,the congregation has been so generous in

donating clothes to the needy that we were able to supply in as far places as Lamu, Marsabit and Tana River

counties, 1000 km away!

Ummah Foundation’s Donation of food to the needy in Marsabit and Moyale

THINK TANK INITIATIVE:

Ummah Foundation initiated the Ummah Think Tank (UTT) with the objective of coming up with a team of

concerned Muslims who can stimulate Muslims to develop viable propositions that can be translated into projects

that eventually promote and propagate the highest Islamic values and improve the quality of life for all.

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Prof. Abdulrazak Shaukat gives a keynote speech during the launch of the Think Tank in Nairobi.

The Ummah Think Tank is a place where resources come together, professionals meet, businessmen ready for

business, inventor ready for inventing, visionaries ready to actualize their visions.. If we come together as a

community and soberly identify our negative aspects and carry out well researched scientific studies to form

basis of our issues then the solutions are just a step away.

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Brother Abdullahi Abdi, Chairman Namlef gives his keynote address during the Think Tank launch.

During the launch or forum, participants were able to:

- Generate ideas towards advancement of the Ummah.

- Provided information that was lead to establishing a data base for collaboration, sharing and referral

networks among Muslim Organisations in the country.

- Provided information that led to the documentation of successes, challenges, lessons learnt and focus

areas.

- Suggested stakeholders for the implementation of generated ideas.

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Participants at the forum during the brainstorming sessions

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

ONE SHILLING FOUNDATION

The One Shilling Foundation was founded in 2009 under the support of Ummah Foundation. The One Shilling

Foundation was born from the idea that if each Muslim would contribute a mere shilling to a central societal

basket each day, the total amount contributed per period of time could be used to establish national institutions

such as schools, colleges, universities, and hospitals.

At the moment, the One Shilling Foundation has about 8000 members, mostly in Nairobi and Mombasa cities.

This is a good data base for future development, although far from the expectations of the One Shilling

Foundation.

The young One Shilling Foundation therefore decided to start a dynamic check-off system with members of

corporate organizations. Members of staff in over 30 corporate organizations in Nairobi and Mombasa are now

using the check-off system to contribute their monthly donations to the One Shilling Foundation. These include:

Mombasa Maize Millers, Pembe Flour Mills, Patco Industries, Dubai Bank Kenya, Hass Petroleum, Kitui Flour

Mills, Mombasa Ploythene, Milly Group of Companies, Randa Coach, Mewa Hospital, Abdul’s Café, Ams, Bash

Hauliers, Rashid Amir Transporters, Gulf Bank, Pandya Hospital, Sea Bulk Shipping, Athman Errey Advocate,

Nawal Centre, Al-Hassan Hardware, Gorofani Hardware, Formax, A.O.Bayusuf, Pollman Tours and Hotels as

well as Absons Motors. Negotiations to implement the check- off system are going on between the One Shilling

Foundation Mombasa officials and ten other corporate companies in Mombasa County.

This is a promising trend. The One Shilling Foundation management is now working on a strategic plan for the

next level of development. This new plan will see members becoming more motivated to contribute their

subscriptions to the foundation as well as to collect funds for the foundation.

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Mrs. Amina Errey, a Commissioner in the Constitution Implementation Commission on Revenue, presenting a

certificate to a participant in a One Shilling Foundation workshop in Mombasa.

Sh. Muhammad Dor, Nominated Member of Parliament (MP), presents a certificate to an Imam participant of a

One Shilling Foundation workshop in Mombasa. Looking on is prominent Mombasa businessman and leader,

Abdallah Bhaghoza.

The Secretary General’s Kind Words

Zool Nimji: Secretary General of Ummah Foundation

It is evident that no one can progress alone. We all need each other in order to fulfil some of our religious as well

as socio-cultural obligations. The Ummah Foundation was fashioned out of the idea of Islamic unity and

brotherhood with some of the objectives being:

-To eliminate illiteracy amongst Kenyans in general, and Muslims in particular.

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-To empower the Ummah to be economically and socially self-sustaining.

-To motivate Muslims to practice pure Islam according to the teachings of the Glorious Qur’an and Sunnah of the

Prophet s.a.w.

For the few years of our organization’s existence, we have worked tirelessly to bring a smile and a hope to

thousands and thousands of needy people who are struggling through poverty, underdevelopment and

marginalization.

At the advent of independent Africa in the 60’s, it was evident that the worst drawbacks to development were:

poverty, disease, hunger and ignorance. It is almost 50 years since the vibrant Pan- Africanists recognised these

weaknesses and planned to forge ahead with development. The situation is pretty much the same as it was then.

For some, like many of our Muslim rural and urban communities, it is a fight to survive out of the arid famine

prone areas of North Eastern Counties, or out of the slums of Kariobangi, Korogocho, Kibera and Majengo slums

in the cities.

By giving the Ummah Foundation financial support in the form of Zakaat or Sadaqaat to finance our projects, you

are actually helping the Ummah of Islam to grow strong. You are in the category of those people who have

contributed to the success of Islam and Muslims. May ALLAH reward you for your good deeds.

UMMAH FOUNDATION

Village Plaza, 2nd

Floor, Ngara Road

P.O.Box 58717-00200

Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: +254 20 2680610/13

Email: info@ummahfoundation.net

Web: www.ummahfoundation.net

Appreciations

We are grateful to the following organizations for all the support they gave us during the year 2010. It was a great

year of successful activities for the Ummah Foundation:

1. 3Z Foundation

2. Al Momin Foundation

3. Caravan of Mercy-UK

4. City Park Mosque

5. Fisabilillah, Canada

6. Ummah Welfare Trust (UWT), UK

7. Human Concern International, Canada

8. Jamia Mosque Committee

9. Maahad Daawah Organization

10. Madina Centre

11. Ministry of Education

12. Ministry of Home Affairs (Prisons Department)

13. Muslim Care – UK

14. National Muslim Leaders Forum

15. Prisoners Rehabilitation Program

16. Park Road Mosque

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17. Parklands Mosque Committee

18. Westlands Rabita Mosque

19. Altaawon Islamic Youth Organization

20. Crescent Medical Aid

21. Kenya Bureau of Halaal Certification

22. The entire Muslim Ummah