Muslims in Zomba lack sustainable madrassas

Lack of sustainable madrassas is putting the Islamic life of young people in most parts of Zomba at risk.

This was observed during a tour radio Islam conducted in order to appreciate how madrassas are benefiting the communities.

During the tour it was observed that children in most parts more especially in remote areas have no access to Islamic studies.

According to the areas where this radio toured, most madrassas, are always on and off, and this disturbs or derails children’s desire to learn about the religion.

Parts of 6 miles, most parts under ST/A Nkapita, and many mosques in the area of Senior Chief Mlumbe, children are unable to learn madrassa.

According to what people the radio interacted with, this is so, either because sheikhs who were teaching in the area were transferred to other areas or organizations just decided to stop operating the madrassa, if not that then the sheikh left for south Africa, due to low wages.

“This problem is currently rendering many children in Zomba, if not in most parts of the country unable to know their religion,” said one of the Muslims.

When radio Islam quote up with Zomba MAM chair, Sheikh Dan Konda, he admitted having the problem in the district, but was quick to say that his office is liaising with the Islamic organizations on how to work on that.

He said “my office conducts regular meetings with organisations which run madrassas, as well as community members so that there can be a collective approach in ending the problem.”

Sheikh Konda said, sometimes organisations remove their sheikhs due to bad treatment communities give to the sheikhs in their areas.

“But as organisations are doing this or that, many children are not accessing religious knowledge which is very pathetic and raises worries on their religious future as well as the future of Islam in the country,” added sheikh Konda

Knowledge is power, and giving out a gift of religious knowledge is the best empowerment one can make to the young people.

However, most children in Zomba seem to be denied that opportunity to access religious knowledge despite parental desire as well as children’s passion to learn