Three Women; Three Voices for the Community

Three amazing women with one primary purpose - to empower Muslims living on the margins
by Abdullah Zaidani 2019-05-23 • 7 min read
Zaidani enjoys writing and he is deeply passionate in all things marketing; he has a particular interest in digital transformation and content strategy. He graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in Communications and New Media and a minor in philosophy.
2019-05-23 • 7 min read

How many times have we heard ourselves whining endlessly about how dreadful and banal our lives are, no thanks to our job? In fact, many of us might have thought about diving into something that is worthwhile, like battling climate change or eradicating poverty altogether.

Sadly, not many of us are willing to take that leap, because of the many challenges that people in the social service sector face. Besides the adverse psychological and emotional impact it has on an individual, a job in the social service does not carry any of the glitz, glamour, and prestige that a corporate job might accord.

Thankfully, there are still thousands of people working tirelessly and passionately in social service. They are the reason why many of those who live on the margins of society are being taken care of.

Here, we have three amazing women who are also Social Development Officers (SDOs) at mosques across Singapore, looking after the wellbeing and the needs of Muis zakat beneficiaries.

 

Afifah Shameemah

Afifah Shameemah

 

Afifah Shameemah is just 19 years old and she is an Assistant SDO at Masjid Jamiyah Ar-Rabitah located in Redhill. As an SDO, Afifah tends to the community’s needs by processing financial assistance applications and organising community programmes for the underprivileged and needy in the community.

“When people pay their Zakat, the money goes directly to families who need that extra 100 to 200 dollars a month to buy basic necessities like food and sanitary items. What may be small to one person could well decide whether a family gets to go to sleep full at night.”

On her proudest and happiest moments as an SDO, Afifah said, “I am still relatively new, but seeing programmes supported by Zakat monies going well and hearing feedback that our clients are able to come to the mosque comfortably is the greatest news to me. In the end, people just want to be loved and cared for. Knowing that these people feel like they are cared for by the community is such a rewarding feeling.”

 

Hafidzah Farof

 

This is Hafidzah Farof, an SDO at Masjid Ar-Raudhah. She has been an SDO for four years. Before that she actually spent 12 years as a manager in the retail industry. She eventually made the switch because she wanted a job that was more fulfilling and meaningful.

Despite the stress of having to manage up to 200 cases, Hafidzah still finds joy in her job. She said, “at the end of the day, even when you are stressed, you are still happy because you are fully aware that you are making a difference to another person’s life; the stress is worthwhile.”

On her happiest and proudest moment, Hafidzah recounted an incident which is still firmly etched in her mind. “I remember one day when I came back from lunch, I heard somebody call my name from inside a car. I turned around and I recognised the person as one of my former clients (Zakat beneficiary). His mobility was affected because of an accident and he couldn’t work, and that’s why he needed Zakat assistance. But now he’s a part-time Grab driver and he is no longer a recipient of Zakat. It warmed my heart knowing that he could now support himself thanks to empowerment programmes brought about by Zakat.”

Hafidzah ended with an observation: “People must not underestimate the value of Zakat. It’s not just monetary benefit that you are passing on to the needy. You are also passing on love, compassion, and the spirit of the Muslim community through Zakat.”

 

Sa'adah Hasan

Sa'adah Hasan

 

Sa’adah Hasan has been an SDO at Masjid Darul Ghufran for almost three years. She was an educator for most of her life, both in a kindergarten as well as in Quranic teaching.  She was also in the library sector for six years. “Teaching is my passion. There is an element of human development in it. And as an SDO, I am able to take that human development role to the next level.”

Sa’adah handles up to 180 cases. Although it is a very taxing role, Sa’adah finds it ‘enriching, enlightening, and fulfilling, both socially and spiritually.” 

Sa’adah believes strongly in educating families (be it Zakat recipients or the larger Muslim community) and empowering them. “I feel happiest when I see vulnerable families coming to the mosque with their children to attend our programmes. It is not about just attending the programmes, but it is about the skills and knowledge that they take away that improve and enhance their quality of life.”

She ended with this pearl of wisdom: “My biggest hope is for the Muslim community to embrace the spirit of Islam, which is to be a helping hand to one another. Although Zakat money may not be much, it complements other financial assistance schemes, and goes a long way for these families. And with more Zakat, these families can receive more too.”

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