Education is key to the success of a new community that Islamic Help is constructing in the Philippi...

Education is key to the success of a new community that Islamic Help is constructing in the Philippines, one of the charity’s leading supporters has said.

As part of a long term rebuilding programme following the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, Islamic Help is working on two major housing projects – Noor Allah Village and Al Najashi Village. Both are located just outside Kalibo, on the island of Aklan.

Typhoon Haiyan was the most powerful storm to hit land. It left more than 6,300 people dead, 4 million displaced and 2 million people homeless.

Al Najashi Village will see 11 new homes, the refurbishment and renovation of four others and the construction of a new community centre. Work is expected to finish in early 2015 and more than 50 individuals will benefit from the new housing.

Noor Allah Village is the main element of the building programme and involves the construction of 99 family homes – housing more than 500 individuals - plus a mosque and a library to act as focal points for the community.

The costs of this landmark project will be met partly by Islamic Help and partly by the Al-Muhaidib Group of Saudi Arabia.

At the inauguration ceremony, Abdullah E Al-Muhaidib outlined his vision for Noor Allah and his desire that education would be at the heart of the new community.

“My expectation really is to finish the project on time (by Ramadan 2015) and to standards higher than expected,” he said.

“We really would like to have a complete village and I really hope that one day we will have phases 2, 3 and 4, where we will have schools and universities being built, Insha’Allah, as well as pharmacies and other facilities.

“I really want to see us succeed in that and really hope that we have good soldiers of education, people who want to learn, to educate themselves, to build better income means.”

Ahmed Alrammah, from the Al-Muhaidib Group, said they regarded the project as another phase in a long term journey. “It’s not an issue of building homes, it’s about building the person, it’s a patient journey through which we will work together to add value to our social fabric.

“We want to help educate people, by providing the library and the mosque. Education is the key to the success of this.”

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