‘Ramadan’ for Al Hidaya orphans means generosity

Two young boys dressed in light coloured tunics and prayer caps hastily squeezed themselves in a neatly arranged row as soon as I arrived at the Madrasa at Buguruni Maruzuku in Dar es Salaam. 

Young girls dressed in hijab and white scarves sat infront of the boys in a constricted worn out room. These were few of the orphans present at the Al Hidaya orphanage on that day. 

The young boys and girls were reciting supplications and prayers. Among them was 13-year-old Abdulmalik Mohammed. After the prayers, I asked him what Ramadan means to him and this is what he said.

“Ramadan is the month which brings me closer to my friends, whom I consider my brothers and sisters.” 

Abdulmalik lost his parents at the age of five in a car accident. He stayed with his aunt for two years, but his aunt was not well financially for his upbringing. He was therefore sent to the orphanage when he was seven years old. 

“My ustaadh (teacher) taught me the importance of this month, and that is to help one another and trust God to grace his blessings upon my family, which is them,” Abdulmalik explained. He began fasting at the age of seven, not because it was mandatory but because he already understood the meaning of fasting at that age. 

“I like to fast because I am capable and I enjoy doing iftar (a custom of breaking the fast) with my friends,” he adds.

Likewise, 10-year-old Halima Juma is happy with her routine. She wakes up every day during the holy month of Ramadan at 2am for daku (a meal before sunrise). 

“I get up for daku and then again for school at 6am. I then go for religious lessons in the afternoon. In the evenings I pray and then break my fast with all my friends at the orphanage,” she explains. 

For Halima, Ramadan is not only about abstaining from food and drinks all day, but it is also about avoiding any ill doings and thoughts towards a fellow human. 

The orphanage was initiated by Rashidi Hamisi Hakungwa, who is also the teacher, guardian and mentor of the orphans. “We have a total of 52 children, 20 girls and 32 boys from the age of 7 up to 17. We have two children who have a single-parent but don’t have the means, such as shelter and food to raise them. And therefore, we host them too,” he says.

Ustaadh Rashidi is a father of four children and despite being blessed with a family, he  believes he was sent in this world to take care of children who do not have guidance, who have no one to take care of them and who have nowhere to go. 

“I have to take care of them, not only as a teacher to guide them to grow up to be good human beings, but also raise them as a parent would,” says Ustaadh Rashidi. 

In 2007, Ustaadh Rashidi started a Madrasa in Bondeni where he charged a monthly fee. He noticed that there were a large number of students who were willing to study, who were very hard-working, but had no money to continue. “My role as a teacher and a human being, I wanted to do something for these children. I realised, a lot of orphans came to my classes. In 2008, in Bondeni, I started to host five orphans and by end of last year I had about 65 of them staying under my care with donations from humble benefactors,” he says. 

The children at the orphanage attend Zingiziwa primary and secondary school in Chanika. 

“When our member child turns 17, with the help from donors, we enrol them in a computer course and encourage them to start living independently after getting a good job,” Ustaadh Rashidi explains the drop in number from 65 to 52 children this year. The orphanage helps the older children to look for a rented place or room in Dar es Salaam after their completion of computer course.

Ramadhan is a month where you build unity and love, Ustaadh explained to the children. He continued, “This month is about understanding the problems of the destitute, those who go hungry for days, those who don’t have shelter, it is about embracing their pain and to help them tolerate problems in life, not just for this month but it gives us the strength to do so throughout the year.”

As I witnessed the interaction between the children and the Ustaadh, I noticed a girl who was vehemently glued to her books. It was 11 year-old Nasra Heri, who was brought to the orphanage by her mother. 

“I am from Msanga and I was brought at this orphanage in 2012. I was aware when my mother asked my aunt to send me here, but I did not understand why,” Nasra narrates. 

Nasra couldn’t recall her journey, but she said  she found a new family at this orphanage. 

“I started fasting at the age of seven, though I could not fast all the days. I was fasting on alternate days, and my ustaadh explained to me that it was not compulsory, but that I should try,” she says. 

Nasra enjoys breaking her fast with her friends and says Ramadan is about prayer, fasting, seeking forgiveness and asking God for the good of others. 

Ustaadh says the ideal age to start fasting is at age seven when a child develops an understanding towards many things. “Therefore, we teach children what fasting  is and what this month of Ramadan means.” The children are encouraged to begin fasting at the age of seven, but it is not compulsory. It is about making them get used to the concept of fasting, so that they don’t find it hard when they reach the age where fasting is mandatory (10 and above).

The children at the orphanage usually break their fast with sweet spaghetti (tambi) and have rice for dinner. “If we are lucky to receive food packets from donors, then we sometimes break our fast with cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas and Bambara groundnuts (jugo beans),” 

Like the rest of the children at Al Hidaya,  16- year old Juma Ali looks forward to iftar every Ramadan. “Ramadan is also about respecting God, to trust God and devote your time to him,” he says.

To 14-year-old Shamsa Ahme, Ramadan is a way to start your journey of being generous and share whatever little you have. “Like our Ustaadh says, it is the biggest month of the year where the holy book Quran was brought down.” 

Shamsa who hails from Kiwalani became an orphan at an early age, of which, she could not recall. “I fast because I have the ability to do so, these are my sisters and I am happy to be spending Ramadan with them,” she adds. 

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