Stories by Saheed Salawu
THE Jaiz Charity and Development Foundation disbursed N32,669 million to 2,142 beneficiaries for the year 2018.
The foundation’s Director/Chief Executive Officer, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, made this disclosure at the grand finale for the 2018 distribution year held recently at the National Mosque, Abuja.
According to Imam Shuaib, the funds were shared among Gombe, Katsina, Zamfara and Lagos states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Gombe State, he said, got N8.4 million, Katsina and Zamfara states received N10 million, Lagos, N6 million, while N8 million was allotted to Abuja.
Two hundred and sixty-three beneficiaries in Abuja went home with grinding machines, generators, deep freezers, sewing machines and cash, he added.
He also noted that the beneficiaries in the four states received cash and materials for economic empowerment, educational and medical support, humanitarian relief, resettlement/housing support and Da’wah assistance.
Imam Shuaib said Jaiz was passionate about the welfare of underprivileged members of the society and was committed to helping those that are well-off to keep supporting the “poorest of the poor” with the resources available to them.
According to him, there was a decrease in the total zakat disbursement for the year 2018 compared to 2017 and 2016, but the number of beneficiaries increased from 1,247 in 2017 to 2,142 in 2018.
“Between 2016 to 2018, Jaiz Foundation disbursed N112,815,088 to 4.508 beneficiaries. Out of this number, 2,256 micro and small enterprises got N68.3 million, while the educational needs of 1,781 pupils/students were met with N20.9 million. A sum of N12.2 million, he added, was allotted to 274 patients for their medical needs and 140 persons were sheltered with N6.2 million,” he said.
Imam Shuaib reiterated the foundation’s commitment to wiping tears off the faces of the “poorest of the poor” and putting smiles on them, in line with the prophetic tradition of taking care of the poor and being compassionate towards one another.
“This gesture is needed, most importantly at this time in our history, as every one of us in the country is in search of peace, happiness and security from terrorist attacks in the North East, kidnapping in the South East, youth restiveness and environmental pollution in the South South, banditry in the North West, herder/farmers crises in the North Central and food insecurity cum youth unemployment in the South West.
“More worrisome is the fact that the aforementioned challenges are no longer peculiar to each respective region. They have resonated in virtually all the six geopolitical zones of the country so much that we are not sure where the desired peace and happiness will come from.
“Be that as it may, Jaiz Foundation believes that peace and happiness lies in the happiness of other people. When you give others their happiness, your own happiness and peace of mind will come back to you naturally,” he said.
The foundation, he noted, would initiate a waqf project in Katsina State before the end of the year to address the educational needs of vulnerable children, “and your support will be required to accomplish this task.”
He thanked the zakat payers for their support and solidarity.
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the foundation, Malam Adamu Bello, decried the increasing rate of poverty and deprivation caused by insecurity and other vices.
“You will observe that the rate of poverty and deprivation occasioned by insecurity and other social vices has gone on the increase with hapless Nigerians as victims.
“The need to attend to the fallout of this has largely shaped the direction of our activities in the year under review with interventions targeted at victims of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping as well as addressing the Al Majiri issue,” Malam Bello said.
He thanked those who had stood by the foundation, seeking their further patronage to reduce to the challenges of poverty, disease and hunger in the country.
In his goodwill message, the chairman of Jaiz Bank Plc, Alhaji Umaru Abdul Mutallab, commended the foundation for its “giant strides” within a short period of operation.
Alhaji Abdul Mutallab advised the beneficiaries to make the most of the opportunities extended to them.
According to him, Jaiz Charity and Development Foundation, otherwise called Jaiz Foundation, is a humanitarian and charity organisation set up to provide socioeconomic and developmental services to humanity.
The foundation was established by Jaiz Bank Plc, the pioneer fully non-interest bank in Nigeria, on April 2, 2012.
“As a waqf-based organisation, the foundation provides humanitarian relief for emergency/disaster situations as well as intervention and developmental support in the areas of agri-preneurship skills acquisition, community projects, health, water and sanitation, widows and orphans support, capacity building, resettlement/accommodation support, entrepreneurship skills development, collection and distribution of zakat and waqf administration,” Alhaji Abdul Mutallab said.