Makeni Islamic Society Trust

It is the Masjid that forms the most integral part of the institution where renowned lecturers both from within the country and abroad participate from time to time.

At this stage successful candidates advance to junior secondary school and in grade nine they write exams under the Examination Council of Zambia.

The Society has an integrated education system and follows the syllabus of Jamiatul Ulama-Gauteng for Islamic Studies. Over the last 10 years the achievement at Grade 7, 9 and 12 national examinations are among the top schools in Zambia, 98% of the pupils come from poor economic backgrounds and are sponsored from Zakaat funds.

The school has a production unit where various vegetables are grown. These are sold to members of staff and the public to help in feeding the boarding class. In 2009 a pilot class of 30 pupils aged between 9 and 12 years were started. Their children are accommodated in the society hostel. They were enrolled in grade 5. These children are all Muslims, recruited from the 10 provinces in Zambia. During the 8 years, they will be trained and educated to achieve knowledge of Islam and compliance with the Islamic teachings in their behaviour together with the academic excellence. The school has a computer library which allows our pupils access to ICT resources at an early age.

Since the establishment of the secondary school in 1987, Makeni Islamic Society Trust has graduated over 720 students to tertiary education both in the Islamic and secular fields.

The school provides continuity from grade 8 to 12, following the same syllabus as of the primary school. Most pupils come from poor or under-privileged, socio-economic background families from nearby satellite communities with lack of basic health, nutritional, educational and social amenities.

The school offers seven subjects at senior level besides Islamic knowledge. These are English, Mathematics, Geography, Accounts, Biology, Physics and Chemistry. The science subjects are too involving as chemicals and laboratory equipment are sourced at a great cost. The greatest advantage is that students wishing to enter the school of Natural sciences at the University level have an upper hand.

The pupils write 'O' level examinations in grade twelve and the graduates progress to tertiary education.

Makeni Islamic Society Trust has established the first Muslim college in the region providing both Deeni Talem and secular education. Zambia's national requirement for teachers approaches 1,500 per annum. Makeni Islamic Society Trust Teacher Training College has to date graduated in excess of 300 teachers since it's inception in 1996, just scratching the surface of helping to meet the nation’s need for well trained educators.

The college offers a full spectrum of computer courses, tailoring, home economics, electrical, electronics, plumbing, bricklaying and metal fabrication.

The college runs two parallel programs; one section follows the government – approved syllabi and examinations, and the other, conducted by Muslim sisters from the neighbourhood, aims at empowering the less fortunate Muslim women so they become self sufficient. The latter program has proven to be a tremendous success in its formative year owing to the life skills it imparts. There are also special programmes aimed at empowering less fortunate Muslims and the youth.

Students graduate from the Vocational Training College with practical skills that are in demand within both the local community and further afield. The vocational, teacher training college, primary, secondary schools could all be improved with the establishment of hostel facilities. These facilities will draw more Muslim students from around the country at large.

Unfortunately the establishment of this facility is currently beyond the societies reach due to financial constraints. While the local Makeni and wider spread Zambian Muslim communities have been exceedingly generous there are limitations to what the society has managed to raise from these communities. Assistance from further afield is necessary for Makeni Islamic Society Trust to continue and expand its activities.

The Makeni Islamic Society Day Clinic was established in 1991 and now attends to almost 6,000 patients a month. No discrimination is made on the basis of race and the clinic attends to both Muslim and non Muslim patients at a nominal fee, or free of charge if they are unable to afford the fee.

Medicines are also provided on a subsidized or free of charge basis. The need to turn this clinic into a fully fledged hospital has been recognized by Makeni Islamic Society Trust and the society is currently seeking funds to work towards this objective.