Building hope and a future: Aishah’s journey of compassion

Amidst the bustling streets of Kuala Lumpur, where life’s hurried pace often leaves little room for reflection, there exists a heartwarming tale of hope, resilience, compassion, and an unwavering spirit.

It’s the story of Aishah Razali, 36, a woman who, against all odds, has dedicated her life to building hope and a future for those in need.

Her journey began in 1998 when she was just ten years old, a time when most children are lost in the world of play and innocence. Little did she know that a life-altering event was about to set her on an extraordinary path.

“My father asked me what I wanted to do before he passed, and I told him I wanted to be a lawyer, make money, and open an old folks’ home,” Aishah said.

She did not become a lawyer but found herself at 25, working in several charities: an old folks’ home, a centre for the publication of the Quran in Braille, and an orphanage, where she first started work in 2016 but it had to cease operations in 2019.

The experiences gained from working with underserved communities in these organizations proved valuable when she and her husband Roslan bin Khabid, started Pertubuhan Kebajikan Asnaf An-Naafi (An-Naafi) Kuala Lumpur four years ago.

Building a home for underprivileged children

Aishah and her husband Roslan began with thirteen children from another home that could not continue operating.

As it happened, they had registered An-Naafi soon after they got married in 2018 because it was always their intention to operate a Hostel for children from poverty-stricken homes and orphans.

 “A close friend who worked in Saudi Arabia gave me the money needed to rent the first house in Pandan Indah, and this current premises was also through a friend who happened to know the owner,” Aishah said.

As with all charities, funds come from well-wishers; “Donations are particularly good during the fasting month of Ramadan both in terms of money, provisions, and meals for ‘buka puasa’, so this helps cover part of the costs of running this hostel, for the next 11 months,” Aishah continued.

It costs RM22,000 every month to manage An-Naafi. This includes rental of the premises, utilities, costs of running the van, tuition for the core subjects for each secondary school-going child, allowances for the kids in school, and meals for the 25 children at RM20.00 per child per day for four meals and snacks.  

“Many represent their school for sports and other extracurricular activities, and we’ll allocate more for their allowances when they need to stay on or return to school or other venues for these activities,” Aishah said.

A lifeline for children in need 

The children at An-Naafi come from various, often challenging backgrounds, including broken homes, orphans facing financial hardships due to the loss of a primary breadwinner, and youngsters from single-mother households, as revealed by Roslan.

“Some were abandoned by their parents and left with the grandparents, and when they get too old to care for the children, they look for hostels like An-Naafi that can provide for them,” he added.  

However, many return to either one of their parents if the parent has remarried or if the parent has found jobs that earn them enough to take back their children, allowing An-Naafi to open for other children.

 “Because we can only cater to 30 children at the very maximum, and we have 25 now,” Aishah said.

The children stay until they finish school which is until they reach 18 and 70 children have passed through the doors of An-Naafi over the years.

Some have gone to further their education through the PTPTN funding system or receive full scholarships from government agencies.

One such resident, Al-Adam bin Ramlan, 20, who came to An-Naafi when he was 17, is studying Business at the Baitulmal College, is fully sponsored by Baitulmal, an agency under the Federal Territory Religious Council. He hopes to further his studies in Business or Law. 

“He still lives here and helps out, and we pay him an allowance,” Roslan said.

Nurturing the well-being of An-Naafi’s children

The children are kept well-occupied daily; they have religious lessons and special prayers on Monday and Wednesday, tuition during the other days, which includes Saturdays and revisions every day.  Sunday is reserved for recreation such as playing futsal. 

“Keeping them occupied with schoolwork and recreation is important for their mental health.

“As you can imagine, children who have been left behind suffer some anguish, and it’s us to slowly get them out of this with activities and we talk and give them advice all the time,” Aishah said. 

While we were conducting the interview, a group of good Samaritans came to deliver McDonald’s meals for the kids. According to Aishah, this happens quite frequently.

“This is good as it shows there are people out there who care for them too,” Aishah noted. 

Challenges, however, are an inherent part of the journey.

Aishah candidly shared, “The most challenging is dealing with scammers and being accused of scamming.” She recounted instances where unscrupulous individuals exploited their mission for personal gain, tarnishing their reputations, even temporarily.

 “Then there are people who had left their children at the hostel but demanded the children’s portion of ‘duit Raya’ that was donated, which we had allocated for each of the children into their bank accounts at BSN (Bank Simpanan Nasional).  

“The kids use the money to buy personal items they need, like football boots, for instance.

 “And some families would demand that money even to the extent of taking the child out of the hostel,” Aishah revealed.

The Future of An-Naafi and its children

Aishah’s ambition is to start an online clothing business for her young charges once they finish school to prepare them for life outside the hostel.  

“They must leave when they turn 18, and if I can get the online business going, they can start working on it while acquiring skills and earning a salary.

“The business would also be able to help with the cost of running An-Naafi, and we won’t depend too much on donations to keep afloat,” Aishah added. 

Aishah Razali’s story is one of unyielding fortitude, demonstrating that adversity, though formidable, can be surmounted through tenacity and an unbreakable spirit.

Today, she stands as an inspiration to all who face seemingly insurmountable challenges, showing that with grit and determination, even the most formidable mountains can be moved.

Through An-Naafi, she has provided shelter, nurtured dreams, and kindled hope in the hearts of countless underprivileged children.

In every act of kindness, Aishah proves that no goal is too big and no challenge too insurmountable when fuelled by a heart brimming with love and compassion and the support of her husband, a parent, relatives, and friends.

Pertubuhan Kebajikan Asnaf An-Naafi is in Sokong.org. Do donate to the running of this hostel for orphans, children from broken homes and poor families.

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