As part of its 30th-anniversary celebration, Al Muminat (The Believing Women), a women’s organisation committed to building a formidable home and a sane society, paid a courtesy visit to the corporate headquarters of The Guardian newspaper.
The visit, which was intended to appreciate media houses for their support, marked three decades since the organisation’s establishment on October 1, 1995.
The Al Muminat delegation was warmly received by key members of The Guardian’s management team, including the Weekend Editor, Dr Kabir Garba; Deputy Editor (Daily), Mr Eno Abasi; Managing Editor, Mr. Chinedum Uwaegbulam and members of the advert team.
During the visit, the Ameerah (President) of Al Muminat, Balkis Abdullah, explained the purpose of the tour.
“We are celebrating three decades of stewardship and part of our 30th anniversary is to tour media outlets that have been supporting us by sharing our impact with the world,” she said.
Abdullah noted that the organisation focuses primarily on women and children, driven by the belief that a strong home is the foundation for a healthy society.
The Ameerah detailed the organisation’s broad range of activities beyond religious education.
“We delve more into educating women, but not just on religion, but all other areas,” she explained.
“Al Muminat conducts yearly seminars, engages in environmental sanitation, and hosts weekly educational programmes that nurture people across all aspects of life. The group also performs monthly humanitarian visits to hospitals and correctional centers.”
The discussion took a deeper turn when Deputy Editor Eno Abasi inquired about the organisation’s role in addressing the issue of out-of-school children, particularly in northern Nigeria where the problem is most prevalent.
Abdullah acknowledged the challenge as a generalised problem and referenced the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s emphasis on women’s education, stating, “If you train a woman, you have built a nation and when you train a man, you have only trained one person.”
She highlighted how Al Muminat is tackling the specific challenge of Muslim girls being denied education because they are not allowed to wear a hijab to school. This issue, she said, has prompted some parents to send their children to Madrasah instead of formal schools.
“We thank God that has been resolved by the Supreme Court judgment,” Abdullah said, noting the ruling has helped to remove a significant barrier.”
She also stated that the organisation has awarded scholarships to indigent and orphaned children to ensure they are not left out of school.
“In addition to support the indigents, Al Muminat provides relief materials to disaster victims and trains women in entrepreneurship and vocational skills across its 184 branches in Lagos State.”
The visit concluded with Al Muminat thanking The Guardian and expressing its desire for increased collaboration.
