PANAJI: Practicing what it preaches, Masjid-ul-Abrar over the years has made concerted efforts to facilitate training and development of women from its premises. The mosque committee has also taken initiatives to organise social awareness programmes for womenfolk of the Muslim community in Margao.
One such initiative is the Jamiat-us-Salihat, a Girls Institute for Islamic Studies which has been offering certificate and diploma courses since 2004. The institute which is situated within the mosque premises is for the women, by the women and of the women, where except the managing committee’s role of overseeing the affairs of the teaching-learning process, all the responsibilities are handled by the ladies.
The courses have been primarily designed to facilitate learning of Islam’s fundamental beliefs alongwith vocational training. The criterion for admission has been made flexible to allow girls and women who are not regular students at any academic institute to be able to access education and skill development.
Three courses including a six months certificate course, a three years diploma course and a home makers’ course are conducted by the mosque committee. The home makers’ course is especially designed for women who cannot attend classes daily and are able to spare a few hours on alternate days in the week. Courses include marital counseling, personality development, housekeeping, basics of computer knowledge and other useful skills of daily life such as tailoring, flower making, painting, crochet and knitting.
Apart from the institute, the women of the locality organise regular programmes for the benefit of the society. The mosque also undertakes the activity of ration distribution to needy widows.
Programmes are organised involving women from other faiths, comprising of doctors, advocates, social activists, professionals and NGOs. The women have been organising inter-faith dialogues, health camps amongst other activities for personal upliftment of the community.
Daily Arabic classes for girls, weekly Islamic programme for women, special programmes on topics related to Islam, skill development events, counseling sessions on parenting, summer camps for girls between the age group of 5-15 years and weekend Islamic classes for school girls are some of the activities carried out under the banner of Al Aman Society at Masjid-ul-Abrar. An Islamic library with Islamic literature is made available for knowledge enhancement of the Muslim women.
