The Pious Muslim Women Organisation in partnership with Welfare Microfinance Bank, today hosted a Zakat fund distribution programme in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The event, which saw the emergence of 58 beneficiaries from a pool of over 100 applicants was meant to provide succour to those in dire need of it, in line with the provisions of Islam and the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH).
Speaking to the beneficiaries on the selection process as well as the distribution of the Zakat fund among them, Mr Tajudeen Makanju, the Managing Director of Welfare Microfinance Bank described the programme as a fundamental one that cannot be ignored.
In his words, Mr Makanju said “Before we decide on you as the beneficiaries of this programme, we had an interview process to truly assess the needs of each applicant. It was during the interview that we reviewed the figures that you wrote in your application form. For example, many, because of shame only asked for a loan of 50,000 to start a business, but the team surmised that it will be too little for their business goals and had to increase the amount approved for them
Some asked for a lot more, which wasn’t feasible, so we told them to embrace small beginnings and had to reduce the amount approved for them. Also, we conducted interviews on the phone with people from different parts of the country. And it was through this process that we decided on the final beneficiaries.”
Mr Makanju went on to state that the total amount that was requested during the interview process was over 22m naira, and with only 9 million Naira available for distribution, the team had to trim down the number of beneficiaries.
There were 5 categories of beneficiaries, some of whom are retired civil servants who need a business to sustain themselves post-retirement, another category is those that are unemployed, some are farmers, artisans, people living with different ailments who needed money to buy drugs or pay for medical expenses, businessmen and women, and the final category are students who needed scholarships to complete their education.
Mr Makanju went on to inform the 58 beneficiaries in total that the program will be monitored to ensure proper use of the funds being provided. For those who are in debt and in need of help to pay such debts, he informed them that the organisation will send the funds directly to whoever they are owing so that the debts can be cleared as soon as possible.
Also, for the other beneficiaries, Welfare Microfinance Bank will pay the money directly into the accounts of the stores from where they are buying the tools that they need. Some of the beneficiaries of the programme received washing machine, fish-drying oven, electric sewing machines, and tricycles, while a number of beneficiaries received startup funds to start a business of their choice.
In her words, Doctor Hamdalat Yusuf, who is the founder of the Pious Muslim Women Organisation reiterated the fact that the programme was under the Orphan Education Appeal, while also promising to make the programme a continuous process by the grace of Almighty Allah.