HALIMAH leads a very difficult life. Her life is full of daily challenges, some of which look insurmountable.
Abandoned by her husband, Halimah struggles to feed her three children, one of whom, her only son, later turned to drugs.
The boy was arrested and is now trying to regain his life in a rehabilitation centre outside Kuala Lumpur.
Halimah’s husband left her and their children, depriving them of any financial support. Life couldn’t have been more difficult for her.
People like Halimah don’t have a safety net. She has been trying to get a job as a maid or a helper in a restaurant. But this has not been easy. There were days when she could earn a bit of money from helping out a family with some house chores, but this wasn’t enough to pay the rent.
She has been getting a bit of money from the Welfare Department. While this is most welcomed, she knows that a steady job is what she needs most.
So this brings us to Zul S. Some friends had gathered at his office in Putrajaya recently to discuss urban issues, including poverty and how to reduce it.
Zul S. gave a somewhat fresh perspective to cases like Halimah’s.
While the government, through its various agencies, will continue to provide assistance to people like Halimah, Zul S. said there should be other institutions that could also provide some form of safety net.
“Mosques are everywhere. Nearby residents and others pray there five times a day, with a big congregation on Friday. Besides being a prayer house, mosques should also be used as a centre of local administration.”
Every mosque has a properly elected executive committee responsible for its daily running.
“There are a few paid employees, supported by members of the congregation, who are mostly volunteers but they take their jobs seriously.
“The committee members are tasked with cleanliness, maintaining an effective duty roster, fund raising, education and organising community services, such as supervising funeral arrangements. There is also a sub-committee looking after women’s affairs.
“I want to suggest that every mosque has a dedicated officer looking after the community’s welfare. This can be very useful and functions as a safety net right at the grassroots. Mosques do charity work all the time, but a structured set up can make a major difference,” said Zul S.
The suggestion merits serious consideration. Every year, most mosques extend help to deserving members of the congregation, usually in the form of cash contributions. They are given to orphans, single parents and selected senior citizens.
Most mosques do this once a year, usually during Ramadan and in the run-up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
If mosques have a dedicated welfare officer, then his job would be to compile an up-to-date list of recipients of the mosque’s corporate social responsibility programme, so to speak.
In fact, in Islam, feeding the poor and helping neighbours and those in severe difficulty are requirements if one is to seek rewards in the hereafter.
The task for the mosque welfare officer or volunteer is simple. But it entails a lot of leg work and ground engagement. It is very important for the person to have a 200 per cent commitment to serve the community. The person can head a small sub-committee, whose task is to compile a list of single parents, orphans, the elderly, the poor and those facing difficulty like Halimah.
There has been widespread talk that mosque committees do have funds, but appear reluctant to use them for community projects. This must change.
Depending on location, the congregation attending Friday prayers may contribute anything between RM1,500 and RM12,000 every week. The money is often used to finance religious classes, conduct forums and do minor repairs from time to time.
With a welfare officer, mosques can plan a proper budget to help the needy. Proper criteria can be established and an effective screening system can be put in place. If properly done, mosques would endear themselves to the community.
Such a self-help programme is not rocket science. I personally saw a committee member of a small rural mosque collecting data of the village poor for its annual charity project.
Orphans, the aged and single parents get some money before Hari Raya Aidilfitri and before school reopens. This meets very well with the fundamental teachings of Islam.
Mosques must innovate if they want to be an effective agent of change. They shouldn’t be just a place of worship, definitely not in the present environment.
If Islam is to be widely and properly understood, such efforts in helping society must be undertaken seriously and consistently.
Some mosques have established a food bank of their own, though this may be somewhat still in an experimental form.
The mosque committees have stockpiled rice, flour, instant noodles, sugar and other groceries. Those in need can go to the mosque and take whatever they want for free.
It will take a bit more time before the initiative is fully understood. During this trial period, there is bound to have some incidents of abuse.
This must be properly addressed before it can be widely implemented.
But all mosques should heed the proposal by Zul S. — appoint a proper welfare officer and things can really move. A mosque should be one of the places where those in difficulty, like Halimah, can seek and get help.
Twitter: @aatpahitmanis
The writer is a former NST group editor. His first column appeared on Aug 27, 1995, as ‘Kurang Manis’