By Duncan Mlanjira
Muslim Youth United has adopted neurosurgical and orthopaedic wards at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital where they donated a bale of blankets and that every week they will be expected to visit the wards to assess their needs.
This was has announced at Mpingwe Sports Club on Sunday where the grouping also donated physiotherapy equipment to Kachere Rehabilitation Centre, MACOHA and FEDOMA in Blantyre that included 120 wheelchairs, 20 walkers and 100 walking sticks.
Okhai proud of the Muslim youths
The grouping also announced that for the past six weeks they have been carrying out a feeding programme at Queens every Wednesday and they have the capacity to handle the initiative up to the next 12 months.
Muslim Youth United executive director Moulana Riaz Bhana explained
at the function that as a start for the We Care ward adoption programme, the group has started with the donation of the blankets and will soon give the wards a new coat of paint and supply the orthopaedic ward with toys for the child patients.
Dzinkambani delivering vote of thanks
“We shall be supplying any other needs that we shall identify in conjunction with the Queens’ medical personnel during our weekly visits,” he said.
He said since the grouping started in 2014 they had made several charity visits to Queens where they discovered that one of the challenges management faces there is food supply.
“As part of our celebration of the Eid al-Adha Festival of the Sacrifice in August, we donated 273kgs of meat to Queens and we decided to continue with the feeding programme which started six weeks ago.
Dr. Mponda of Queens
“On every Wednesday, we supply food items for the kitchen to prepare either rice with beef, soya pieces or chicken stew and we also supply milk and other food supplements such as Chiponde.”
Bhana explained that they intend to source partnership with other Muslim groups outside the country and not just Malawians in the diaspora as has been the case.
“The wheelchairs were contributions from Malawian wellwishers both within and outside the country but plans are that we source partnerships with other Muslim groups around the world for us to keep the momentum going for these programmes.”
The top table
Representing Queens, Dr. Kelvin Mponda said their duty is not just to cure people’s various illnesses but also to restore their health back and nutrition is one of them.
“On behalf of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, let me offer my heartfelt gratitude to Muslim Youth United that you are adding value to our medical services.
“The wards you have chosen to adopt really require special needs and with your coming in you will ease the many challenges we face on daily basis,” he said.
Guest of honour for the handover ceremony was Kassim Okhai, who first said the one honored is not him but the young Muslims for what they have done.
Okhai is chairperson of the Muslim Zakaat Fund, which is a charity that focuses on providing quality tertiary education for underprivileged students.
“This is a happy occasion for all of us and I am proud of you for your objective of assisting the medical industry, which faces multiple challenges.
Last month’s blood donation camp
“I am also impressed at the number of your registered members at over 400 and rising, this is amazing.
“You also need consider how you can also help yourselves because there might be others in your group that may need assistance.
“That way you shall keep the fire burning amongst yourselves because the needs in Malawi are very high and you should expect more work.”
Okhai said he first anticipated to see used but rehabilitated wheelchairs and walkers sourced from foreign countries but was profoundly impressed to find brand new equipment bought from China.
The donation of meat at Queens in August
“It’s a blessing and I thank you so much for your excellent style of doing things,” he said.
Representing Kachere Rehabilitation Centre, which is under Malawi Against Physical Disabilities, Alex Dzinkambani appraised the gathering that wheelchairs, walkers and crutches are most times taken by needy patients they have treated and thus they constantly need more of them.
Last month, Muslim Youth United organised a Blood Donation Camp also at Mpingwe Sports Club in conjunction with National Muslim Students Association, Pakistan Welfare Association, Limbe Muslim Jamal Bilal Trust and Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS).
The camp was organised under a theme from the Koran; “Whoever keeps a soul alive, it is as though he has kept alive all mankind” (Al-maa’da: 32).
Since its inception in 2014, Muslim Youth United has undertaken over 33 empowerment projects that included tree planting sessions as well as prison and hospital visits.