Muslim students whose dreams were to attain their higher education in Tanzania and Uganda under Islamic Zakaat Fund (IZF) scholarship programme should forget and consider themselves ย unlucky following the organizationโs decision to stop sending students to these countries.
IZF Director Muhammad Osman told Malawi Muslims Official Website in an email response that the development is due to lack of adequate funding.
โCurrently the funds are not enough and we are still expecting our donors to support us with more funds and when it is available we will continue sending more students to this Universities InSha- Allah,โ he said.
However, the director said students who are currently studying in those countries should not get panic as the move will not affect them in any way.
โWe are still continuing to help quite a ย number of students study in these two Universitiesย and for your information we are currently sponsoring 77 continuing students in Zanzibar University โ costing us this year $290,000, the students will go back by the first week of October 2013,โ said Osman.
Osman who doubles as Radio Islam Director also clarified why the organisation is still sending more students to Sudan while it is swimming in the ocean of financial constraints.
โThe International University of Africa (IUA) in Sudan offers us free tuition fees, free accommodation, free medication and free food as well .And they have programs that are not available in Zanzibar & Uganda Universities. That is why this information encouraged our donors to pay the budget forย the 44 new intake at IUA-Sudan [this year],โ he said.
Meanwhile, the director has asked Muslims who are in lucrative jobs and those eligible to pay zakaat which is one of the pillars of Islam so that ย the organisation should continue helping the financially needy Muslims.
