By Deji Abdulwahab
Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society says no fewer than 60 Muslim and Christian leaders have been trained on the concept of understanding and giving philanthropy.
The Society said the training was organised for both faith leaders because poverty and hunger do not know religion.
Malam Fuad Adeyemi, Executive Director/National Chief Imam, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, said this at the Training of Trainers for Religious Leaders on Philanthropy in Abuja on Saturday.
The theme of the training was “Building Communities through Sustainable Faith-Based Giving”.
Adeyemi said that the purpose of training was to promote prosperity of Nigerians as government could not do it alone.
“We want both faith leaders to understand the concept of giving, the concept of organising how to give in a structured way, and to go and teach people in their localities.
“We have to expose ourselves to tools and ways of doing things so that we can have enough resources to do things by ourselves without government.
“We want to train ourselves on how to do it so that other people here will go home and begin to practicalise it and train others,” he said.
The cleric expressed optimism that the training would become widespread and touch everybody.
According to him, Al-Habibiyyah organises this training for both faith leaders because poverty does not know religion; and gunger does not know religion.
“If you want to be rich, if you want to be happy, you have to make the people around you to be happy.
“If you want to be comfortable, you have to make the people around you to be comfortable.
“If you are thinking of yourself alone, you might be successful, but your mind will not be at rest. When we move together, we will understand ourselves better,” he said.
Adeyemi, who described philanthropy
as a technical thing, emphasised that the concept of giving should be structured excellently.
“We have been doing philanthropy, but it is not structured, and it is not good enough.
“Structured giving is imperative because we have been giving haphazardly. If it is structured giving, we know what you want to use it for.
“We can continue to pay somebody’s school fees from beginning to the end, it should be structured in such a way that he does not need to come to you again.
“You do not need to say where are you. You will know when it is due. You are the one who just sends it to him,” he said.
In his remarks, Rev. Peter Ogunmuyiwa, the Archbishop of Abuja, Northern Province, African Church, described the training as an eye-opener, impactful and a wonderful initiative for a religious body.
According to Ogunmuyiwa, this
programme speaks volume, especially to our philanthropists, who we generally called big men of our time.
“This is a programme that commits people’s resources to lifting people up.
“Many people are endowed with wonderful resources, but they do not know how to actually invest them in such a way that it will touch lives,” he said.
The cleric commended Al-Habibiyyah for synergising with the Christian community in a way that suffering will be alleviated in country.
Also speaking, Mrs Elizabeth Abuja, General Coordinator, Women’s Interfaith Council (WIC), described WIC as an association of Muslim and Christian women working together for a peaceful co-existence.
“I am happy that we are thinking alike, and we have the same idea; struggling to see that Nigeria is one, to see that we talk about humanity before any religion.
“If we understand this perspective in life, then we can live together as one family,” she said.
Rev. Cosmos Asuquo from Hand of God Church in Mararaba, also lauded the training programme.
Asuquo said that he learnt a lot from the resource persons particularly on the concept of giving philanthropy. (NAN)
Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman
