By Sylvester Samba
Friends from the Middle East and Asia have given a big boost to President Julius Maada Bio’s New Direction government with the construction of ten ultra-modern Islamic Complexes across Sierra Leone.
This project is being facilitated by the Global Chief Executive Officer of the Interaction Islamic Youth League (IIYL), Ambassador Prof. Dr. Hamid Ahamed Kanneh.
Construction work is already in progress in Port Loko district, Northwest and Yaweima, Small Bo District, in the Southern part of the country respectively.
Speaking to pressmen, Prof. Dr. Kanneh said each complex will have a Mosque, Quranic School, special place to hold ablution, toilets, and residence for the Imam and a community health centre. “Such developmental project is going to be first of its kind in the history of Sierra Leone when completed,” he noted.
The CEO maintained that his Islamic organization has over the past years also facilitated the construction of 120 boreholes, created 8,000 employments for youths through vocational youth training thereby providing livelihood for them in selected communities in Port Loko and Yaweima in Small Bo, Kambia, Pujehun, Moyamba, Kailahun, Kono and Falaba Districts.
Prof. Dr. Kanneh further explained that early this year, they facilitated a food aid distribution program to vulnerable and needy victims at Six Mile camp in the far east of Freetown in partnership with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).
The organization also received and facilitated 11X40ft containers of different hygiene products and other humanitarian aid goods worth US$2.8 Million.
About 100,000 copies of the Holy Quran have also been received from partners and distributed across the country. With such gestures, the organization has assured that they will continue to give support to vulnerable and needy people in the country.
The International Islamic Youth League-IIYL is an International Non-Governmental Humanitarian and Development NGOs, IIYL is a signatory to the code of conduct with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (IFRC) accredited to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSCOC), the International Youth Federation (IYF) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). IIYL is also a founding member of the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World and it is officially registered in 48 countries across the Globe.
The work for the construction of the ultra-modern Islamic complex started in earnest on Sunday March 21st, 2021 with the turning of sod; an occasion that attracted many Islamic scholars including Imams, women, enthusiastic youths, beneficiaries and other community stakeholders.
Giving an overview of the project on behalf of the Global CEO IIYL, Ambassador Prof. Dr. Hamid Ahamed Kanneh, the Project Manager IIYL-SL, Mr. Marlapy M.A Tarawally who doubles as the Chiefdom Speaker of Port Loko, the beneficiary chiefdom, said the organization started in 1990/91 at the height of the country’s civil conflict where it helped in registering both refugees who were coming from neighboring Guinea as well as the internally displaced persons in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The key operations of the organization, according to the Project Manager are, to care for orphanage homes, build schools, Mosques, construct water wells in deprived communities, among others.
