Simple on earth, Elevation in Heaven

Some people make their time on earth so simple.

Aunty Fatima from Hanover Park was someone who lived to care for abandoned  children. For her it was as easy as taking on this great amaanah (responsibility)  and never questioning what she could have had for herself. She couldn't read. She never took a holiday. She never had a  quiet day with her husband to herself. These are luxuries most people demand. These are luxuries most people feel they have earned.  

The cycle of life is such that once your children have grown up, it is time for you to  kick your feet up- Aunt Fatima never experienced that. There were  still newborn babies being brought to her for care and she had 23 children of literally all ages living  in her tiny home. When I heard she was on life support I thought of the children and what would happen to them if she died. She was after all their mother and she worked with what she had to give them a good home.  

Some people don't get attached to worldly things in their time on earth. Aunty Fatima would (and did)  give up her bed to anyone who needed  a place to sleep.   Her and her husband would sleep on the floor in the lounge or anywhere they could find place. When questioned about her  calm attitude in the face of often dire circumstances, she replied that she simply had faith in Allah. If I did that much good  maybe I, too, would have an unshakable faith.

I believe Aunty Fatima understood so clearly  what we cover up every  day. That life is simple. You take  away all the compicated extras and draw  a  line between yourself and Allah. You become a  channel through which Allah can  do His work. Everything else is minimised. She cared for children from an early age  to the time of her death.

We think of such lives, and then we decide that it's not  for us. We say "Allah created Aunty Fatima that way and I am created differently". I disagree. Everyone has their own demons and everyone  will draw the line between themselves and  God at a different time. But for now we can start to simplify our lives and make sacrifices that will earn us Allah's eternal favour.

I believe Aunty Fatima is in heaven- where  she is NOW taking the holiday she earned on this  earth.
Let Aunty Fatima's passing be our call to duty. We ask Allah to make us simpler people who want less and do more.

Aunty Fatima died at  3pm on Tuesday, the 21st of December 2010. Her janaazah was  at 9pm on the same day.

August 29 - A Phenomenal Day

Our first Appeal started with  just an email to our contacts. Little could we imagine that it would grow so quickly, so fast. Alhamdulillah our appeal was answered and through the generous help of the community, new friends, new faces and a tv programme, the members of fig and everyone present was blessed with a day that I am sure will be in etched in all our memories.

The day started out with probing questions and tv cameras for part of a documentary on muslims and how they are inspired to reach out to less fortunate communities through the inspiration of Ramadaan.  Al Nur which is a programme shown on SABC 1, highlighted fig's vision and gave much needed exposure to the charities supported by FIG

We requested that donations of money, clothing and groceries be dropped off at the Taronga Road Hall Masjied, the space generously given to us by Sh Nazeem and Imam Cornelius of the Masjied to utilise. Fig Ladies effeciently organised the Hall with labels and section for the various goods and had a registration table for anyone wanting to volunteer.

Before long the hall was filled with people, some packing, some organising, others sorting clothing. We stood still for a few moments to marvel at the sight of so many faces we have just come to meet, old faces coming to assist and children relishing in the excitement of being able to help.

90 parcels were filled with food, toiletries and other essential items, parcels of meat was made,  Clothing sorted into sizes of all ages and boxes were filled  with groceries, toiletries for distribution.

Cars were organised and packed and together with a camera crew we set off for our distribution. Our first house was Aunty Fatima in Hanover Park, whose gratitude stirred our emotion  instantly and her smile made all our hard work up to this day more than worthwhile.

The second stop was at Love his Children in Comet Road, surrey estate. Aunty Shahima whom fig has now established and a warm and loving relationship with sat and retold us stories of her children and her continues struggles to provide the best for them.

The third stop was IRFSA - Ihata Shelter - A centre for abused women and children, with needs far greater than we were able to provide, but make doa that by the donations we gave we were able to help them find some solace.

Fourth Stop - Vision Orphanage - a well kept and very organised home run by Boeta Sadick who even displays a chore chart for the children, something most of ours could benefit from

Al Nur, Beitul Ansar , Beitul Nur and Beitul Amaan were also recipients of groceries, toiletries or donations.

Leaving for  home realising that we had no pre-prepared meals for our own families, and as the time for Iftaar loomed, we were all very gratefull and blessed that we would have something in our cupboards to make unlike those we left earlier hoping to revisit again soon insha-Allah.

Shukran Katheeran to all who made this day possible through the mercy of Allah SWT.

Fig appealing over Radio

Our broadcast Appeal

Finding Aunty Fatima

Aunty Fatima

A street lined by trees quickly turns to one lined by 4 storey flats and low cost housing as we cautiously meander our way through a neighborhood not too far from ours.  Houses covered in barbed wire, broken windows and bars, evidently not keeping out criminals which this neighborhood infests.  We reach the flat where Aunty Fatima lives and are overcome with  a sense of apprehension while we are met with a few guys sharing bottles of their afternoon beer and chatting whilst little kids donned with fez’s are playing in their midst.

We are greeted by Aunty Fatima, grateful for the very little things we were able to bring. She houses 25 children some orphans, others mostly foster, saved from either abusive parents or left by ones that have abandoned them at birth.  We sit in the lounge of a tiny three bed roomed flat chatting to this remarkable lady who tells us the story of how she has been doing this for the last 35 years and that she cant imagine her life being any different.

It is the 4^th day of Ramadaan and I sit there thinking that I had ready made pies and other delicacies in my freezer and that this lady housing 25 children was wondering what to make for supper for their choices were so limited. It is the 4^th day of Ramadaan and I sat there thinking that Allah has given us this great opportunity to help and He Hehhas brought us here to show us that all this planning and requests for appeals is worth every ounce of work, as people like Aunty Fatima will benefit

It is the 4^th day of Ramadaan and once again the streets turns to those lined with trees. Overwhelmed,  we drive back home wondering how many others  there are like Aunty Fatima who have unselfishly given up their own lives to look after other children and it is then that we realize that they are all Allah’s children. That we are just instruments, that good only comes through His mercy.

Fundraising starts

As the dawn of Ramadaan draws nearer and the excitement for another gained opportunity, for mercy, closeness, forgiveness and spiritual upliftment mounts. We embark on the start of our fundraising.

We send out communication to every social network and electronic media at our disposal in the anticipation that the beauty of this month will open up hearts and minds with generosity and kindness.

We call on everyone who is able to contribute in any small way to assist us in making the lives of those less fortunate much more comfortable, that they too can have a Ramadaan Kareem. That they only need to focus on their spiritual upliftment and not worry about what how they will break their fast.

Already our fig network is growing with so many wanting to assist, wanting to make a difference. And we are ready to show you how to do just that! So join us and lets make a difference together insha-Allah.

Creating fig

Sometimes it takes just a thought followed by an action to put the wheels of charity in motion. 

Every year we meet up with individuals who cross our paths and as random as we think they are, they are planned by the best of Planners! It is up to us to turn what we think is just another random meeting in to a meaningful one.

And this was how we begun to create fig, discarding the names we called ourselves by, to one that captures what we have become. A few nights spent in meetings, strategising, networking and planning. We combine our efforts, skills and passions to help those less fortunate and form a small but dynamic team.

We add to our team some young individuals, enthusiastic to make a difference in their world and that of others.

And we become the friends in giving network