A Turkish national Sheikh Muhammad Akin Amin last week donated maize seeds to over 500 Muslim families in Mangochi, Zomba and Dedza.
The donation benefited mainly families that did not benefit from the government’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP).
Amin said the idea came after his first visit in the country where he realised that Malawi’s economy depends on agriculture hence help the government’s resolve to increase food production and ensure food security.
“This is a gift from Muslims of Turkey to their brothers and sisters here in Malawi. It is not that we have much but we thought that we should share whatever we have with those who cannot afford to get buy the Maize seeds,” he told Muslims who gathered at Chimwala Village in Mangochi.
In his remarks, Senior Chief Chimwala in Mangochi said the gesture is timely since it comes at a period when things are very hard for the farmers and urged the beneficiaries not to sell the seeds.
He said that every farming season, the government provides seeds and fertilisers to farmers at a cheaper price but it was not enough to satisfy all the farmers.
“I just to thank the Turkish brothers and sisters for remembering us. This is a thing that even local Islamic organisations should emulate. People in my area will benefit from this initiative,” he told Malawi Muslims Official Website in an interview.
Apart from the maize seeds donation, Amin also cheered Muslims at Zomba Maximum Prison where he donated various items including copy’s of Holy Qurans.
So far on his three visits in the country, Amin, a well known Islamic Scholar with 30 published books, 70 under publication on research and other fields has built two Mosques (Issa bun Maryam in Dedza and Muft Abbas Cassim’s Al-Rahman Mosque in Mangochi.)
He has also been involved in other charity works like recent MK 500, 000 donation to a Zomba based Muslim Sisters Youth Organisation (MUSYO) which was used to buy several items like clothes, soap distributed at Zomba Prison in 2013.
The Turkish national also bought about 68 sewing machines which were distributed to vulnerable Muslim women through MAM and other Islamic organizations in the country.
“It is my dream to embark on programs that will see the needy Muslims such as farmers benefiting directly. We need to empower people with different initiatives that will make them to stand on their own and forget about begging. I think it is high time, for example, we start giving Muslims things like cows and goats for rearing so that they should also perform Qurban next year or so, than giving them already slaughtered animals,” he said.
