UPDATE:  We had to raise the campaign's target twice because so many of you seems to not want to miss the opportunity to help these beautiful Muslim students with special-needs in Singapore. Thank you for your generosity. We hope this campaign also raises awareness to so many special-needs Muslim students around the world.

MIJ (My Islamic Journey) Education Hub - an Islamic school for Autistic and non-neurotypical students needs to expand quickly. 

A GROWING NUMBER OF SPECIAL-NEEDS MUSLIM KIDS

The number of students with Special-Needs has been increasing and this year, the extraordinary Islamic school will have more than 200 students with Autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome, Dyslexia and Global Developmental Delay (GDD) eagerly wanting to learn seerah, fiqh, tauheed and memorize the Quran.The current space they are in is too small for an enrolment that big and MIJ is not known to turn away students who want to learn Islam, regardless of the learning challenges that they may have.  

'We believe every student can learn, just perhaps not on the same day and the same way.'    

Located  in Singapore for the past 5 years, MIJ's programs are conducted by qualified Asatizahs who are also certified in early-childhood and Special-Needs education. The students' ages range from 5 - 32 years old. Most of them come from low-income or working class families - which means that in a bustling metropolitan city like Singapore (rated the world's most expensive city by the Economist Intelligence Unit)  it is a struggle for their families to make ends meet, let alone pay the school fees. 

The school runs Full-Time (daily) and Part-Time (weekend)programs.

The Full-Time daily program has 18 students and the Part-Time(weekend) program has 162 students.Their current total enrolment is 187 and there is an increasingnumber of students who want to enroll.

Most of the full-time students are not able to pay the full fees due to financial constraints and MIJ have been absorbing the shortfall; 12 of the students to be exact or 66% of the full-time enrolment.

For the part-time (weekend) program, 56 students are under financial assistance from MIJ directly.

WHAT THE MONEY WILL BE USED FOR

• $21K     Therapy and Gym Room
• $21K     Teaching materials, audio visuals, computers and other teaching aids
• $49K     Renovations
• $14K     Office/School Equipment

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The founders of MIJ - Faraliza Zainal and Ali Dawood are parents of a special need student themselves. Seventeen-year old Ashraf is Autistic (pictured below with his father Ali Dawood) and is learning to call the azan beautifully. He is also communicative and do his solat diligently.

If you have met a special-needs student or know of one personally in your life - you will know how, even when it is difficult for them to string a sentence with eloquence - they are constantly in a state of Fitrah. These children of Jannah are not only a special gift to their parents but also to us as an Ummah. 

Their determination to learn Islam is inspiring and humbling for many of us. 

It puts to perspective the light that shines within them and our role to guide and nurture them towards knowing their Creator.

The du'a's of these children of Jannah for all of you who helped will be priceless, insya'Allah. May we thrive as an Ummah and not forget those who may be different from us physically and neurologically but with a burning desire to learn about their Deen, just like you and me.

Here is your opportunity to be a part of this special journey. 

Please donate and help spread the word about MIJ so they can raise enough funds to accommodate the growing number of Special-Needs students who want to learn Islam.

Media:

• Mvslims.com : "This inspiring woman started a holistic educational centre for children with special needs"
• The New Paper: "Son inspired her to start special needs school"  
• Berita Mediacorp Digital (Malay): "Madrasah bagi anak istimewa perlu bantuan, perlu premis lebih besar untuk tampung keperluan"
• Berita Harian (Malay) : "Pelajar 'istimewa' madrasah boleh ikuti kurikulum ukhrawi berstruktur"