Muslim youth organizes organizes blood donation camp
Members of Muslim Youth United (MY) on Sunday organised a Blood Donation Camp at Mpingwe Sports Club in Limbe, which the Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) described as very welcome initiative in their drive to keep the blood bank well stocked.
MBTS’s lab technician on duty, Levison Munthali, said demand for blood is always high throughout the country and they are always appreciative when groups like this mobilize themselves to assist.
“This is indeed a very welcome initiative because we are trying to boost our blood bank,” Munthali said.
“The response today has been good and and we are confident that by the end of the day we would collect over 50 units, and that is very good day’s work.”
He added that they went through a lean period over the past few months because their biggest donors of blood are secondary school students.
“We expect to pick up now as the students are now back to school after their two months of holidays.
“If we can be having such blood donations camps from various groups and organizations, we can be meeting our annual targets but we usually close the year with just over 50 percent,” he said.
The Muslim Youth United was formed in 2014 as a WhatsApp group as one way of empowering Muslim youths and later the idea to become a philanthropy group was born.
The camp was organised under a theme from the Koran; “Whoever keeps a soul alive, it is as though he has kept alive all mankind” (Al-maa’da: 32).
It was organised in conjunction with National Muslim Students Association, Pakistan Welfare Association, Limbe Muslim Jamal Bilal Trust and the MBTS.
The event’s spokesperson Moulana Riaz Bhana said they mobilized themselves to assist because they learn every day of the great demand for blood in the hospitals.
“Many other organizations are responding to calls from the Malawi Blood Transfusion Service asking for blood donation and we found it a great idea to also come forward as well,” Moulana Bhana said.
“One of our core values is to assist those in need whenever possible. We have several other initiatives lined up and this is one of them.
“I congratulate all these youths who have come forward to make this event a success and we don’t take it for granted,” he said.
In August, the Muslim Youth United donated 273kgs of meat to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre in celebration of Eid al-Adha Festival of the Sacrifice.
The 273kgs represented 35 carcasses of goats and one cow.
Eid al-Adha is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year and is considered the holier of the two. It honours the willingness of Abrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :