Foundation disburses N18m for medical support

As part of its humanitarian services to bring succor to Nigerians, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation has donated about N18 million to provide medical support to 28 persons with critical health challenges.

The Executive Director, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Alhaji Sulaimon Olagunju, said out of 95 applicants that applied for medical support, the group has been able to disburse N18 million to the beneficiaries which needed urgent attention on health challenges.

The breakdown of the beneficiaries showed that six would undergo surgery for eyesight defects; three for breast cancer and fibroid; and two for kidney transplant.Olagunju said others are two patients battling with a hole in the heart, two for leg surgeries, spinal cord surgery support, hearing aid, among others.

He said: “The goal of the Foundation is to ensure that all and sundry are taking care of. That is the reason why Allah established the Zakat institution as a means of collecting from the rich and giving to the poor.

“Most of the beneficiaries of the mini-zakat distribution for medically challenged are poor people. If not for the Foundation, they may not be able to take care of their health challenges and that is why on yearly basis, we ensure that zakat collected are giving out to poor people who have health challenges, in line with philosophy of Islam that healthy people are healthy nation,” he stated.

He explained further that apart from distribution of zakat to medically challenged people, the Foundation would also distribute Sallah Ram to the less-privileged people.

“We will be celebrating this year’s Eid-el-Kabir inmates of all South-West prison and orphanage homes. We‘ve got over 20 cows to be distributed to the less privileged not only distributing we are also going to celebrate with them, some of our staff will go there to give them support and also assist them with what will go along with the ram, like rice, pepper. Just to let them know we are all together in this world,” he said.

He said the organization is consistent in giving out funds to medical challenged, the fund disbursed is symbolic so that people can see that the zakat collected from them is disbursed to the needy.

Olagungu continued: “ZSF disburses zakat all over the 36 states in Nigeria. The zakat collected this year was distributed in Delta Statea and Edo State. By September, we are going to Osun State, after Kwara, Ondo, Ekiti, Abuja and back to Lagos for the final disbursement of this year zakat”.He urged, Muslims to pay their zakat for the reason that is not optional for a conscious Muslim.

“Zakat is an important pillar that must not be toiled with. It is a serious offence not to pay. It bridges the gap between the poor and the rich. That is the reason why Zakat is the most important of all the five pillars of Islam. Although, of all the pillars, zakat is the most neglected and most people miss understand that is why we are laying more emphasis on educating and enlightening people about zakat,”

Among the beneficiaries are; Ismaila Jimoh, who was given a cheque of N1 million for eye surgery; Abibat Oyebanjo received a sum of N350, 000 was giving to her for hearing aid; Quadri Kudrot was giving a sum N200,000 for fibroid surgery; Ali Aisha collected N100,000 for eye operation at General Hospital, Lagos Island; Six years old Abdulrahman Abdulkareem, received a sum of 2.5 million for heart surgery.