It has been a very busy and eventful year for PAAMA Ladies. Apart from taking active part in planning, organising and delivery of all PAAMA and Lajna Imaillah UK events and activities on national, regional and local levels, the Lajna of PAAMA UK also engaged in the following highlighted activities among many others.
1. Monthly Meetings
The National Executive continues with its once a month conference call meetings to share information, encourage, create awareness and keep up to date with ladies’ issues across regions. This is also replicated at the regional level.
2. Visitations
In continuation of our welfare agenda, the ladies were able to make a number of visits throughout the year 2018, in good and not so good times – congratulatory visits – births, graduations, hajj, marriages etc., bereavement visits, visits to the sick and the elderly, etc.
3. Mulaqat with Hazrat Appan Jan – 24th Nov 2018
The icing on the cake on our visitation agenda was the visit to the Beloved spouse of our Beloved Huzur (atba) on Saturday 24th Nov. 2018. She was delighted to see the ladies and commended our efforts generally and the workshop we had earlier in the day. She was so kind and relaxed with the ladies and shared some of her beautiful moments during her 9 years stay in Ghana. We had a good laugh especially when she shared one of her private joking moments with our Beloved Huzur (atba).
Her handling of our meeting was nothing short of a tour de force. She was supportive, full of humour and yet relentless at focussing on what was important. She left the evening just for African ladies; mulaqat was not booked for anyone else. She spent the whole of the evening with us till Isha time. Gift, flowers and food were presented and happily received.
4. Online (Conference Call) Quranic Class
Online Quranic classes/lessons were arranged by Head of Lajna and started in March 2018 with one of the Tutors of National Quranic Class of the Jammat – Sister Shaista Nasir. It is held twice a week (on Tuesdays and Thursdays). There are currently 5 members on the course. The ladies of the North and West Regions also have similar programs running.
5. National Fun Day
Unlike in the past, the Fun Day in 2018 was held regionally due to logistics and funds reasons. We could not book a coach on time and by the time we were ready, the fare was very expensive due to the summer season. However, London and South East regions jointly held their Fun Day on 7th July 2018 at Burgess Park, South East London, while the other three regions held theirs separately at different venues.
This annual event continues to be a beneficial bonding, re-connecting and relaxing experience for the ladies and girls and we wish to continue to have it inshaAllah and hereby solicit for the continuous support of the President please.
6. Global PAAMA Lajna Whatsapp Group
This global platform was created in July 2018, it is well and active. It comprises Heads of Lajna of PAAMA and Sadran Lajna Imaillah across Africa/Caribbean. Currently we have HoLs of UK, USA, France, Canada and Germany and Sadran of Gambia, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Uganda and Jamaica. The Jamaica Sadr has been particularly excited as she said “this is coming at a time when we need support and strength among our sisters in this Region. Happy for this opportunity to work together ….”
We have found the platform very useful, for example, the Sadr Lajna Ghana had received the information about the attendance of three elderly African-American ladies that went to Ghana Jalsa, France team were linked to Sadr Mauritius on a translation project, we had a first-hand information about what goes on in each of the countries on the platform etc. We are expecting Italy, Belgium and other Sadran contacts to join the group.
7. HoL PAAMA UK meeting with PAAMA Lajna France at Jalsa 2018
Seven members of PAAMA Lajna France met with HoL PAAMA UK at the UK Jalsa 2018. They sought counsel and guidance on how to take off being a newly established branch and how to work with Lajna Imaillah generally, etc. HoL UK invited the DHoL 1 &2 to join in the discussions.
8. External Contacts/connections
We attended many outside events from other Associations for example, Africa Summit for Leaders, FOMWAG, FOMWAUK (Federation of Muslim Women Association of Ghana, of UK), Church of Scientology, Scanning the Young Minds, and local communities, etc.
Our Tabligh Secretary and few other ladies brought many guests to the 2018 Peace Symposium as a result of these contacts.
9. Duties at 2018 Jalsa Salana
2018 Jalsa Salana UK saw a large number of PAAMA ladies participating in Jalsa duties more than ever before in several teams. From security team, to media, ziafat, accommodation, green areas, etc African ladies were involved.
10. Membership of AMRA – Ahmadiyya Muslim Research Association
Two of our members, Hibba Saeed and Maria Mensah are now active members of AMRA with one of them, Hibba serving in the Executive.
11. Voice of Islam Radio
Two members are producers on the VOI Radio – Matina Hakeem and Bareera Gaffar. Five ladies contributed to the discussions on the radio this year on three different programmes.
12. Personal Development Workshop
A Personal Development Workshop – an educative and interactive event facilitated by both internal and external professional speakers was held on Sat 24th Nov 2018 at Baitul Ehsan. 82 members across all the 6 regions attended the workshop.
The sessions were on:
- Mental Health Awareness (this was a Shoora recommendation of Lajna Imaillah UK at the last Oct 2018 Ijtema). The Sadr Lajna Imaillah UK was pleased that we implemented the recommendation before anyone else.
- Parenting challenges of Africans in the UK viz-a-viz cultural differences and what is required by law and the social services)
- Drug Awareness discussions
- Personal growth/capacity building
- Relationship issues/coping strategies/self-care
We also had hands-on practical/demonstration sessions (with mannequin and pieces of white clothes) on how to wash and shroud a deceased Muslim.
Sadr Lajna UK, Dr Fariha Khan also attended the workshop and had very helpful discussions with the attendees. Sadr Lajna later requested some of our speakers to repeat their talks/presentations at a general Lajna Imaillah tarbiyya event.
13. Tajneed/Census
According to the figures sent to me by the Regional Heads, the number of PAAMA Lajna as at 31st December 2018 are as listed below:
Lajna – 202
Nasirats – 57
Under 7s – 34
PAAMA Lajna UK
2018 Annual Report
10th January 2019
