The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : With a little help from friends

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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

With a little help from friends

Afshan Yasmeen

1,500 girl students have been adopted by Bazm-e-Niswan

Bangalore: Shams Noor and Asma Tabassum, whose parents had a tough time educating them till 10th standard, will become doctors in the next three years.

Likewise, Reshma Mulla and Hoor Fatima, who had never thought they would ever go to college, are pursuing medical and engineering courses. All thanks to “zakat” and other forms of donations by several Muslim families in the city.

These are among the 1,500 girl students who have been adopted by Bazm-e-Niswan, a voluntary organisation, this year. Run by Muslim women from well-to-do families, this organisation collects contributions from donors to provide scholarships to the needy. “Zakat”, a form of helping those who are less fortunate, is obligatory upon all Muslims. They are supposed to give 2.5 per cent of their wealth and assets each year during Ramzan to the poor. “We have a list of donors and our committee members visit their homes every Ramzan to collect ‘zakat’. This year, we have distributed Rs. 43 lakh as scholarships to 1,500 girl students,” Husna Sheriff, president of Bazm-e-Niswan, told The Hindu. “Education and economic empowerment are the two basic needs for sustenance of women in a community overridden by underprivileged.

The idea is to ensure that girls from the community are not deprived of education because their parents cannot afford it. We adopt needy students who score above 50 per cent in 10th standard and fund their higher education,” she said.

The organisation started off in 1974 with funds to bear the expenses of educating five students. “The numbers grew over the years and we now have doctors and engineers who pay ‘zakat’ to the organisation and help needy students,” Ms. Sheriff said.

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