IOG endorses ‘War on Bad Manners’
By Shirwin Campbell
Guyana Chronicle
August 24, 2003
CIOG’s Acting President, Al-Hajj S. H. Rahman, presents a CIOG Bursary Award to top student, Safraz Nawaz Ali, who secured a spot at President’s College at this year’s SSEE exams. (Quacy Sampson photo)
THE Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) yesterday endorsed the ‘War on Bad Manners’ campaign at its annual Orphans Bursary Awards and Fun Day.
CIOG ‘s Acting President, Al-Hajj S. H. Rahman, delivering the feature address prior to the awarding of bursaries to 23 orphans who successfully passed this year’s Secondary School Entrance Examinations (SSEE), declared that good manners starts from the home.
He appealed to parents and guardians to support the campaign against bad manners, noting that good manners is an integral part of the doctrine of Islam and will guarantee a better life for society.
Declaring that children must not be ‘street children’ but well educated, he pointed out that the CIOG has been providing all the tools needed to accomplish this.
He said the organisation, its resource persons and sponsors have been doing their part and it is up to guardians and parents to do the rest.
Rahman outlined the need for the adults to set the right example by their conduct and lifestyle and to be more diligent in the discharge of their duties.
He also issued a call for the monitoring of the performance of students and congratulated their local and international sponsors.
The orphans were also informed that if they are well educated, they will be better able to grasp and understand their religion.
The CIOG and the Zakat House of Kuwait, in collaboration with the Muslim Youth Organisation, hosted the orphans at the latter’s base at Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.
Four hundred orphans and destitute children from across the country and some of their sponsors attended the fun day. They traveled from as far as Skeldon, West Bank Berbice, East Coast Demerara, East Bank Demerara, West Bank Demerara, West Coast Demerara, Essequibo Islands, Essequibo Coast and Bartica.
In addition to a hearty lunch and a well-packed take-home package, which included grapes, apples, corn flakes, biscuits and sweets, the children had a day of fun with pony rides, an air castle, trampolines and other games and got the chance to win prizes.
CIOG ’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shaikh Moenul Hack, reported that the orphans received approximately $800,000, along with other benefits for 2002.
These included $5,000 each to encourage them to fast; approximately $1M in school supplies; vitamins; $1.3M in clothing and footwear; $74, 800 in lessons for slow learners and examination fees; $50,611 in medical examinations; $104, 730 for text books, which will be returned after they move to another level and $400, 000 in religious camps.
Hack appealed for more sponsors for the 66 orphans, who are presently without such support.
Zakat House sponsors 89, in addition to Guyana - 57, England - 14, Canada - 27, USA - 113, Barbados - two, St. Maarten - two and Trinidad - one.