P A Hameed Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh

Riyadh, Aug 24: An Iftar party, as a mark of honour to Mrs Khurshid Haroon, was impressively organized by Hidayah Foundation (HF) Riyadh, over the weekend at Riyadh Darbar Restaurant, Olaya.

The members of HF and other invitees attended the party. Mrs Khurshid, who is on Umrah visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a  prominent founder member of Hidayah Women’s Foundation (HWF) at Mangalore and has been getting herself keenly involved in the key activities and programmes of the Foundation since its inception in 2007. HF Riyadh is a well established socio-cultural non-profit organization based on the objectives of achieving a empowerment of women and children, community services, self-personality development, social awareness programs amongst the community people in the Kingdom and back in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

Presently, Mrs Khurshid is taking an initiative with a full of zip along with other members of the HWF, to visit frequently to the areas of the families, who are below the poverty line (BPL) and others alike in the region and to address their grumbles and grievances effectively. "The Foundation took a flourishing and successful footing under her guidance", the HF-Riyadh press release informed Daijiworld. She was felicitated on the occasion and was conferred with a Memento by the HF Women’s Foundation-Riyadh for her dedicated services and community works. Mrs Wahida Rahman, HF Women’s Wing President, felicitated her the memento in the presence of HF’s vice president, Farida Abdul Khader (Kozhama), Mrs Khader Hejmady and other executive committee members.

The HWF was founded by some like-minded women in the both districts of Mangalore and Udupi with the broad aims of achieving several milestones of programs including but not limited to address the issues and problems being faced by the Muslim women and children through education and awareness programs. A committee was formed under the leadership of Mrs Masooda Khasim, who became the Founder president.

Taking care of women, who are without income source and destitute of livelihood, welfare schemes for the poor and needy people, orphans’ caretaking, rural health programme, basic amenities, ration supply, Islamic educational programs, parenting guidance are some of the key visions that the Foundation would like to take up on priority basis.  Some of these objectives were already carried out in the twin districts. Besides, the HF and HWF jointly distribute Ramadan Packages containing ration, prayer dress and mat, Eid dress, Qur’aan and other things to around 750 deserved families every year.

As a milestone of its objectives, the HF is on the dynamic move to providing Arabic education to the Muslim community of both districts, especially for the women. The selected candidates for the Arabic learning are being sent to the well-known MESCO Arabic Institute in Hyderabad with all the expenses. Now, the first batch of 25 Arabic teachers have come out of the Institute after completion of graduation in the Arabic study. They are now employed in various schools and Institutes to teach Arabic language to the Muslim students.
 
As an implementation of its broad vision and continued mission, the HF massively adopted an area in the 4 acres of land located at Kavalkatte in Bantwal Taluk to house the "Hidayah Share and Care Colony" and to provide food, house, clothing, healthcare and education to the most deserved orphans and poor families in the region. The foundation stone was already laid last July in this regard. The aim is to keep the orphans in the main stream of their family contacts especially with their mothercares and channelize their lives in a apt way so as to make them productive members of the community as well as society. Apart from these. The Hidayah Colony would also include a special care center for physically challenged and mentally retarded children.
 
P A Hameed Padubidri, Daijiworld reporter, Saudi Arabia, Abdul Rahman Padubidri, president of HF-Riyadh, Abdul Latheef Idris Mangalore, Salih (AFS), Abdul Khader Hejmady (Galaxy), Farook Jokatte (Fourseasons), Sheikh and other members of HF were present on the occasion.