National project; Dans Ou Bonus Pas Blié Bann Pauvres.
Aiming to assist the needy.
Maison Dawah made an appeal in December to “save a little fraction of your end-of-year bonus to assist families in need.” As a result, the organization was able to gather essential food items such as- rice, milk, wheat, oil, dry grains, tea, and cheese – for 250 households throughout the island during the weekend of December 19 to 21 2014. “We picked the end of the year for the food drive because people get their bonuses and it’s a chance to set aside a little amount to relieve poverty,” explains Hossen Kurrimboccus, President of Maison Dawah.
In February 2014, Maison Dawah was established It has two goals: to teach Islam to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and to assist the most vulnerable people.
Mauritians across all communities took part in this outpouring of support. “We already had a list of families, and social workers provided us with more addresses. Distribution of food packs has already begun. Last weekend, we were in the Dubreuil area. Food packing is 95% complete, and distribution is on-going.”
This operation was made possible through the assistance of the Hunain Islamic Center in Coromandel and the College Labourdonnais, which is situated at 42, rue Labourdonnais, Port- Louis.
The second duty that Maison Dawah has undertaken is to educate the public about Islam. “It may be Muslims, non-Muslims, believers, or atheists,” our interlocutor adds. “We have discovered that there is a significant issue about the understanding of Islam on the part of our non-Muslim compatriots. There are biases, misconceptions and doubts. This is why we are committed to educating everyone about Islam.”
Hossen Kurrimboccus adds that Maison Dawah also works with other organizations and religious groups in order to build bridges between communities. “We collaborate with the Mauritius Council of Social Services (MACOSS), churches, temples, and the Council of Religions. We are striving to create a peaceful nation.” Mr. Kurrimboccus invites anyone interested in learning more about Islam to come to 4, rue Labourdonnais in Port Louis. They will be given free access to information and documents. We also have CDs, DVDs, and copies of the Quran in various languages that are given for free. The Quran can be read in Hindi, Gujarati, Mandarin, English, French, and Creole, among other languages. Copies in other languages, particularly Tamil and German, are expected soon.