Report by the President of Muslimah Mentorship Network, Bilkis Nuhu Kokroko on the 3rd Mentorship Session held on Saturday, 8th December, 2018.
Assalamu alaikum warahmatulaahi Taalaah wabarkaatuhu.
▶Letters sent out earlier by Sister Nadjat were followed up on. One of the 8 Islamic schools (Makaranta) invited us to mentor their girls after sending letters indicating our interest in mentoring their female students. The name of the Madrasa is Darul-Hijra Islamic School, located at Mamobi-Accra. Marwako.
▶ The President of MMN, Sister Bilkis Nuhu Kokroko made arrangements for refreshment for 100 people which amounted to GHC. 366. The order was placed from Farash Professional Catering Services and consisted of fruit drinks, meat pie and water. The refreshment was financed from monies the team invested in the production and sale of T-shirts and monthly dues. The photographer was given a token of 100 cedis while the two most engaging students were given 10 cedis each. According to the network’s accountant(Baraka), there was an overdraft of 60 cedis because there was not enough money in our coffers.
▶ A request was made for more than 10 members to volunteer to join the group to the Madrasa. 13 people wrote their names and only 9 people showed up. A member of the network , Miss Feruzah Wuniche Salisu was tasked to deliver a presentation to the students.
▶ The President was at the school by 9:10 am. Members Ummu Umar and Weedad Jumai had already arrived earlier. The Assistant Headmaster, Mallam Ishaq Jajah let us wait in his office while other members arrived. When Zainab Alhassan, who was the Facilitator arrived at around 9:30, the Assistant headmaster took us upstairs to meet the girls. In total, we met 86 girls. The President introduced herself and Zainab and handed over to Zainab to engage the girls while we waited for the other members to arrive.
▶The programme began at exactly 10 am. An introduction of MMN and its purpose was done by the President.
The main speaker for the event, Sister Feruzah engaged the girls on the topic “Self Esteem, the Muslim girl’s Shield in the 21 century”. The engagement was very interactive.
▶After the speeches, group mentoring sessions were held for the girls. The groups were 9 in number and a mentor was assigned to each group. 9 mentors were present for the session. The session officially closed at noon. There was a photography session and interactions afterwards.
▶The Mallams from the Madrasa were very warm and receptive about the team’s visit to advice the girls on the importance of Self esteem to a Muslim girl.
▶ The team took note of how organized the Madrasa was and how their kids were neatly dressed and well behaved during learning hours.
There was a special case of a girl who was at the Madrasah and had left school, when her mentor probed further, she said she will go back to school if she got help. Another mentor took note of the noise that came up because of the little space we had to interact with the girls. Another mentor raised the issue of self confidence among the girls. Some kids raised the issue of how their parents were not in support of the career choices they intend to pursue in future.
▶There is a need for continuous mentoring for the girls to help build their self esteem. The President of the network recommends 2 mentors revisiting Madrasas we have already visited once a month to check on the progress of the girls.
▶ MMN needs all the help it can get from dues, donors, well wishers and all who wish to support our cause.
▶The constitutional committee was tasked to get our constitution ready. There should be a provision in the consitution which outlines what is expected of members of MMN and what makes a volunteer a complete member.
▶The team should go with story books as gifts to students who participate in engagements as a source of motivation.
▶Photography was done by Abdul Rahim Naa Ninche.
1. Bilkis Nuhu Kokroko
2. Feruzah Wuniche Salisu
3. Zainab Alhassan
4. Fatimatu Ahmed
5.Hajar Diko Osman
6. Baraka Nurudeen
7.Ummu Umar
8. Weedad Jumai Ibrahim
9. Sherifa Napari Iddrisu
