[su_tabs][su_tab title=”Ghana Project & Aid Distribution Trip“]Our chairman Molana Ebrahim Patel, our projects coordinator Molana Sameer Ismail and a volunteer are in Ghana. They will be overseeing all our projects in the country. They will also be carrying out a distribution of aid in northern Ghana.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
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Aid Distribution (Day 5) – 09 March 2015

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Today was going to be a very long day. We had to distribute aid to the widows and poor women of Salaga.
We started the day by visiting the paramount chief as we need to meet them before working in their area. We then went to meet all the widows and also the poor needy and interviewed a few of them.
The ladies sat in the scorching heat for hours with the hope that they will receive some aid. It reminded me a lot of how it will be on the day of judgement where people will anxiously wait for their turn. The items we were going to distribute were delayed from Tamaleh and will be arriving after Asar. While we were with the widows Molana Ebrahim also went and checked the water dams in the area.

After Zuhar we finished off the final allocations for Salaga. After Asar we went to the distribution point so that we could begin the distribution. The distribution went on till appropriately 8:00 pm. Alhamdolillah the turn out was very good. We then came back to the guest house where we did some paperwork before taking rest.

We have another long day tomorrow as we intend to do more distribution in Salaga and also Gushegu.

Sameer Ismail

Projects Coordinator

[su_tabs][su_tab title=”Ghana Project & Aid Distribution Trip“]Our chairman Molana Ebrahim Patel, our projects coordinator Molana Sameer Ismail and a volunteer are in Ghana. They will be overseeing all our projects in the country. They will also be carrying out a distribution of aid in northern Ghana.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
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Hard Work, Sweat and Tears  (Day 3) – 07 March 2015

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If I could describe today in a few words it would be “hard work, sweat and tears”

Today we had a very early start as we were flying to Tamale which is in Northern Ghana. We arrived at Tamale about an hour late as the flight was delayed. The flight being delayed gave us a chance to plan the SSP further. Brother Ibrahim had arranged a driver with 2 helpers to pick us up from the airport and spend the whole day with us. We first went and found a hotel so we could leave our luggage there. After dropping our stuff at the hotel we spent the whole day going to different shops, wholesalers, market places etc. We wanted to find the best prices so that we could purchase more things to make the donations go further. We placed an order for sewing machines, fridges and freezers (women can sell water and cold drinks).

When finalising the order for the fridge, freezer etc me, Molana Ebrahim and brother Ibrahim went into another room so the money and paperwork was done correctly. I realised that Molana Ebrahim was very particular about checking all the figure’s, MashaAllah I feel he negotiated the best price possible, with free delivery. Alhamdolillah got to learn and watch Molana Ebrahim negotiating etc.

By the time we had finished from the purchasing it was Magrib time, we were all tired, sweaty and very hungry as we hadn’t eaten since last night. We went and had some local Ghanian food before heading back to the hotel. In the hotel we had a lot of work to do, we had to finalise how much and what needs to be distributed in certain villages. While we were doing the work in the office brother Ibrahim and a local brother by the name of Yahya told us many stories of the condition of the Muslims in Northern Ghana, especially for the women.

In most families women have to earn and run the house, we realised this as we saw many women in the market place. We were also informed that many women have moved to Accra and are forced to do jobs that only earn them 3 cedis a day (less then a pound). Brother Ibrahim Alhamdolillah managed to send 3 northern women back to Tamaleh from Accra. Many women are even forced to resort to prostitution. A very sad state of affairs which bought tears to my eyes.

In the hotel we are staying in their is a Muslim wedding taking place and Wallahi it is exactly like a Christian wedding with a best man, bridesmaid, champagne, singing, dancing etc. A lot of work and effort really needs to be done as the Muslims here in Ghana are very far from deen. Brother Ibrahim informed me that Abdullahi’s (the contractor) wife 2 weeks a ago became murtad and left him, she has also abandoned her children, she told Abdullahi “I can no longer practice Islam”.

Today has been by far the hardest day so far but I probably absorbed the most amount of things today too.

On a final note brother Ibrahim mentioned a project about providing water sachets to Masjids in the month of Ramadhan, the sachets will have the Caravan of Mercy logo on it. (We made a good contact for this today) InshaAllah he will send a project proposal for this.

Sameer Ismail

Projects Coordinator

[su_tabs][su_tab title=”Ghana Project & Aid Distribution Trip“]Our chairman Molana Ebrahim Patel, our projects coordinator Molana Sameer Ismail and a volunteer are in Ghana. They will be overseeing all our projects in the country. They will also be carrying out a distribution of aid in northern Ghana.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
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Preparation and planning (Day 2) – 06 March 2015

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Today the day started by me waking up to the Adhan for salaatul Fajr. After Fajr we had a brief consultation where it was decided we will get a bit more rest as we had a lot to do during the day. We gathered for consultation again at 9am. Brother Ibrahim told us about Tamale and the SSP project. We quickly Realised that the task ahead was great and it would require us to be very organised.

One point that brother Ibrahim mentioned that really touched me was when he went to Tamale to do the ground work for the SSP he met a lady that wanted to brew alcohol.  Brother Ibrahim advised her that this is forbidden in Islam, and she replied “I didn’t know alcohol is haraam”. A lot of work really needs to be done in Ghana.

Brother Faiz joined us in the consultation at 10.30 am. At 11 am me and Faiz went into the office so we could discuss Asiga in more detail while Molana Ebrahim, Saleh Bhai and brother Ibrahim started making a log for the SSP distribution and what would need to be purchased.

While I was with Faiz I realised that he is a very educated man and has a passion for teaching.  Some of the things that we discussed were
1) Sponsored students and their full profile so I can create a report for the donors
2) Fee paying students and details of fees
3) Communication problem as we hardly have any contact with Faiz
4) Challenges he is facing at Asiga (road is bad, water issue, Internet issue)
5) Things I need from him to make the sponsorship of students work

Molana Ebrahim advised Faiz that what ever issues you are facing to give in writing so we can address them.

Jummah time Molana Ebrahim instructed me to give the talk, Khutbah and lead the Salaah.  After Salaah Molana Ebrahim gave a 20 minutes talk that everyone sat for and the response seemed good ( I have Molana Ebrahim bayaan recorded I will upload when I return)

After jummah we met brother Jirji, the Imaam and also bother Abdulahi (the contractor).

We held a quick consultation and we decided to depart for Tamale in the morning via air as it is more safer and quicker. Me and brother Ibrahim went to the airport to book our tickets, on the way we discussed many things like Asiga, the SSP in Tamale etc. On the way back to Masjid Abrar we stopped at an area when they sell goats. The price of a goat is 250 cedi (£50). Brother Ibrahim advised 1 goat can feed 10 widow families. (Possible new marketing way for our animal Sadaqah project ” feed a widow”) approx 2 goats can feed the students in Asiga.

We got back to Masjid Abrar where we ate and continued work preparing for the SSP. While going through the SSP applications Molana Ebrahim came across a man who was over 100 years old but due to his poverty wanted financial aid. Another thing we noticed while going through the SSP applications was that in some areas like Cheriponi their is a very large number of widows.

We have to leave for the airport at 4am so we need to get as much sleep as possible before the start of another day.

Sameer Ismail

Projects Coordinator

[su_tabs][su_tab title=”Ghana Project & Aid Distribution Trip“]Our chairman Molana Ebrahim Patel, our projects coordinator Molana Sameer Ismail and a volunteer are in Ghana. They will be overseeing all our projects in the country. They will also be carrying out a distribution of aid in northern Ghana.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
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Arrival in Ghana (Day 1) – 05 March 2015

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When walking out of the plane the first thing that hits you is the heat, Molana Ebrahim says this is Africa and in Africa “you will learn patience”.

We were welcomed at the airport by Brother Ibrahim and 2 of his neighbors. While walking to the car Molana Ebrahim told me that the 2 neighbors were new Muslims but their father is still not on Imaan, to my astonishment Br Ibrahim said “Alhamdolillah their father has also now accepted Islam”. The good work that Brother Ibrahim is doing is already visible. While driving to Masjid Abrar which is about 30 min drive away I saw many billboards and schools propagating the Christian faith, I was advised that the Christians are much more active than the Muslims even though the Muslims out number the Christians.

We got to Masjid Abrar, settled ourselves in, ate some food and took some rest as we have a very long day tomorrow.

This is my first field trip with Caravan of Mercy, and first time traveling with Molana Ebrahim and one thing that has been visible from the moment that we left home is his passion for Dawat and for the work Caravan of Mercy is doing. I don’t think there was a single person who he spoke to and he didn’t mention Caravan of Mercy or Islam. While in Ghana every person he spoke to at the airport or on the way to Masjid Abrar I noticed he gave them some sought of dawat, even if it was just a few words.

Tomorrow in Ghana is independence day so many places will be shut, but either way we will have a lot of work to do.

I will try to send these reports as often as possible, depending on electricity and internet connection.

Sameer Ismail

Projects Coordinator