A faith-based charity foundation, NASFAT Agency for Zakat & Sadaqat (NAZAS), has disbursed N34 million worth of equipment and cheque to 240 beneficiaries.
Chairman of NAZAS Board of Directors, Hafiz Bakare made the disclosure at the Annual General Meeting (AGM)/Muharram Zakat Disbursement held on Sunday, August 24, at the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners, Alausa, Lagos.
He said the agency has empowered 40,000 indigents with N350 million since 2014 when the agency was established.
NAZAS, he noted has also lifted Internally Displaced Persons (IDP).
According to him, “The agency has continuously attended to the needs of people with urgent health requests as well as provided educational scholarship grants to over 120 students annually while not relenting in organizing Health Missions in communities which had benefitted over 2,000 indigents.
“The aged on regular monthly stipend are growing on a yearly basis with good testimonies. Partnership with like-minded individuals and organisations has brought relief to the poor and needy through our food distribution initiatives with over 1,000 beneficiaries,” he added.
‘Allah blesses some people to cater for the poor’
The Chief Imam of the Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), Abdul Azeez Onike, said if Zakat is well administered, poverty will be reduced to the barest minimum.
Imam Onike said Allah blessed some people with wealth in order to cater for the poor.
“Not all of us will be billionaires, not all of us will be millionaires, but the basic necessities of life will be accessible to everybody because Allah did not send his creatures to come and suffer,” he said.
‘Make good use of the money, items’
General Manager of NAZAS, Mufutau Adelotan said 240 beneficiaries benefitted from N34 million disbursed on Sunday.
Adelotan urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the items received.
According to him, the government can partner with NAZAS by enlightening their Muslim workers to give back to the society through paying Zakat and Sadaqah.
He appealed to the government to provide amenities that will make people not to lack “so there won’t be need for people to request for Zakat as much as they now.”
A beneficiary comments
One of the lucky beneficiaries, Halimat Titilope Ibrahim, a fashion designer, who works at Dopemu, Agege, Lagos appreciated the agency for the gesture, praying Allah to uplift NASFAT.
“They gave me an electric sewing machine. It will serve a lot of purposes, because it will reduce the amount of stress on the other machines. It will enable me to make more money.
“Before now, it used to be very stressful without the electric sewing machines. Sometimes, there will be apprentices, but there would not be sewing machines for them to use. But now, my work will be different. I pray that God will bless them, God will be with them,” she added.