Due to the 2022 rain shortages in Kenya, 2023 saw another year of extreme living conditions. The prolonged drought caused extensive malnutrition of children and starvation, which took the lives from all generations. Loss of livestock and livelihood also contributed in increasing poverty. Come Ramadan (April 2023), Caravan of Mercy and its generous donors responded by providing food to 2,300 households, Alhamdulillah. We were successful in providing Iftaar meals for the whole month for a total number of 17,495 men, women and children. A total of £20,000 was spent on this humanitarian aid project although many households were not reached due to insufficient food.

By Molana Ebrahim Patel (Chairman of COM) July 2021
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله
وبركته

Reached Accra Ghana on Thursday 1st of July at midnight.
Saturday 3rd July. Morning caught a flight to Tamale. Met by br Muhammed Amin of Gonjaland Youth Association with whom COM UK has a JPA .
Set of from tamale at 10 am to the area we were to survey in the town of Kpabusa and surrounding villages and towns Approx 120 km from Tamale. Surveyed 4 different communities before we left for Salaga via tamale at 4pm.
Reached Salaga at 9.30 pm at night.
SUNDAY 4TH JULY. Visited and surveyed another 4 villages and towns . Returned to tamale for maghrib 6.30 pm. Meeting with borehole contractor to finalise prices for each individual installation.
Prices agreed and installation date fixed for installing the boreholes.
Returned to Accra on Monday the 5th. Busy with Com Ghana and Asiga work.
Friday 9th July. Caught flight at 3pm back to tamale for work to start on borehole installation.
Contract signed by contractor and Gonjaland .
Monies transferred to borehole contractor for mobilisation of borehole rig for Saturday 10th July. Hope for an early start around 9 am Inshalla.

Jazakallah khair,
Molana Ebrahim
Caravan of Mercy

By Molana Ebrahim Patel (Chairman of COM) June 2021
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله
وبركته

Saturday 12th. Visited Masjid Issa project which also involved the instillation of a water borehole. Thereafter we travelled to the Caldwell water project. From there we carried on to Bentol town for the Masjid Arif assessment. Bentol town is a journey of approximately 40 km. Roads are very bad. Returned to Markaz at 8 pm.

Sunday 13th. Visited the Masjid Umar project. Discussed the extension of toilets and Ghusl room with contactor.
Water Pump completed but water stand, water tank and  submersible pump needs installation on all 3 water projects. Molana Abdulla, myself and Yusuf the building contractor discussed how to build the stand . If successful, we will build same stands for all projects.

Monday 14th. Started Self Sustaining Projects (business start-ups) form assessment with brother Arif. Started 9:00am till 3.30 pm . Interviewed each potential beneficiary. Returned to Markaz.

Tuesday 15th. Started SSP form assessment with brother Arif. Started 9:00 am till 3.30 pm . Interviewed each potential beneficiary. Completed approximately 140 in 2 days. Remainder called on Wednesday. Returned to Markaz .
3.00pm left for Sakkay town for mosque assessment.
60 km from Markaz reached at 6pm. Village before Sakkay town Niyaang, Qadnias building masjid. Spoke to villages . Qadianis working from 1996. Spoke to villages that Qadianis working in lots of villages in that area. Inshallah will be sending jamaat in that area

Wednesday 16th. 9.am start. Remainder assessment for SSP forms. Done by Zohar.
After Zohar went with Molana Adam to Umar mosque project and wholesalers for water borehole materials.

Thursday 17th. Day stats at 9 am. Br Arif on clothes sorting. I sat in Hifz class with the kids for assessment.
Day finished at 8.30pm. Break for Salaat , food and bathroom. Managed to assess 20 kids. Phoned South Africa and Zambia to see if they will accept any kids in their Madressa. No reply as yet. Looking at ways to start classes for Islamic Maktab for girls. There is hardly any education for girls.

Friday 18th. Day started at 9:00am. Brother Arif did clothing sorting out with 10 lads. I sat with the SSP forms. From 170 forms managed to go over 90 forms which were approved for SSP. Day finished at 11.30 pm. Salaat, food and bathroom breaks only.

Saturday 19th. Started loading pick up truck with clothes for distribution in Sakkay Town at 7:00am. Left Markaz at 9:00am. Normal road blocks and traffic it took us approximately 2 hours to get out of the city. Stopped at wholesaler to buy rice for distribution.
Reached Sakkay Town which is approximately 60 km from Markaz at 12.30pm. Read Zohar Salaat. Met town community leaders. Made Mashwera with brothers how to carry out distribution. Off loaded truck in village square and started distribution after Molana Abdulla handed out tokens. One token given to one family head for whole family. Distribution done among 6 villages. Approximately 1000 people men, ladies and children benefited from this distribution. Mixed clothing given to each family.
Distribution went very well. Finished distribution at 5:00pm. Read Asr Salaaat and thereafter distributed the rice bags. After that took measurements of land for construction of mosque. Brother Arif will get his cousin to sponsor the mosque. Did the foundation digging.
Left Sakkay town at 6.30pm. Reached Markaz at 10pm. Traffic was madness. Roads are appalling. Worst roads I have ever experienced.

Sunday 20th. Started SSP (business start-up project) at 8.30am. Completed at 1.30pm. Alhamdulillah project went very well. Ladies were very happy and lots of smiles. Many disappointed because they did not receive anything. Inshallah after assessment of balance forms will do another programme.

Jazakallah khair,
Molana Ebrahim
Caravan of Mercy

Molana adresses widows at the SSP business start up

Widows at the SSP business start up

By Molana Ebrahim Patel (Chairman of COM) June 2021
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله
وبركته

Pray all are well. Alhamdulilah all going fine this side. Its been a hectic first week. Work is progressing gradually as rain is an obstacle at times..
Reached Monrovia on late night Tuesday. By the time we came out of the airport and got to the hotel it was nearly 2:00 am.
Wednesday 9th June 2021. Molana picked us up at 12:00 pm and got to Markaz Masjid Bilal. Read Zohar Salaat and made Mashwera with Molana Abdulla regarding our programme and itenary.
Thursday 10th June. Organised the warehouse with Molana and team to sort out clothing for distributions.
Friday 11th June. Visited Masjid Ebrahim. Assessment made on how much work and funds are to be needed for completion of the project. Thereafter we read Jummah Salaat in a small mosque to make an assessment on its necessary rebuilding. We recorded how many Mussalis for Jummah and how many Muslims live in the area. Discussed the needs with locals. New land has been donated with the possibility bthat brother Arif (travel partner) will get his family to sponsor the project.
Thereafter we went to Sinje Town for assessment of land given for major Masjid project including a school and a Hifz Madressa. Its location is 3 hours from Monrovia (capital of Liberia). Size of land donated by locals is 150 ft x 650 ft.
Muslims in the town are approximately 20,000 which is 90% of the towns population.
Qaadiani missionaries are very active there.
On our return, we stopped at a village Nimba point to pray Maghrib Salaat. We met a 4 months pedal Jamaat there.

Jazakallah khair,
Molana Ebrahim
Caravan of Mercy