New Zakat house project upon start of school year in Kuwait

As the scholastic year 2013/2014 kicks off, Zakat House is distributing a total of 11,000 school bags with supplies to last a full year at a total KD 65,000, to be received by students covered by the House list of beneficiaries. The director of this project Walid Al-Hammadi said in press remarks Thursday that the supplies included with the bag are determined by school level and gender of recipients, and noted those eligible could receive the bags through the Salmiya and Andalous branches. The distribution is in morning hours only and at a maximum of five bags per family, he added. The official noted that a special team had prepared for this project ahead of the new school year with the aim of encouraging all and enabling all to continue education and that the funding is partly covered through Sadaqa Jariyah (alms of recurrent yield) and special donations. Zakat House signed deals with two companies to supply stationary and related school supplies for this project, he said. In Kind Donations and Alms Supervisor at the house Adel Al-Sharrah meanwhile reported on recent donations in support of different Zakat House projects. He reported donations in food items and home appliances worth a total KD 286,000 from start of year till August 31, 2013. The official pointed out that the house's warehousing and receipt division is undergoing constant development and introducing the latest gear and handling systems and mechanisms to improve performance, which already earned Zakat House an ISO certificate in 2009. The two officials stressed these and other efforts come in adherence to the Islamic value of social solidarity and accountability and aim to promote charity work standards in Kuwait. The Islamic term Sadaqa Jariyah means investing donated wealth and goods in ventures of continued yield and long-term benefit. This applies to building schools, setting up health clinics, digging wells, developing community facilities and urban infrastructure, and providing educational opportunities and employment, as well as other initiatives conventionally categorized as sustainable development. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam and is a special category of almsgiving. Alms (Sadaqa) meanwhile comes in many distinct forms and categories and almsgiving is highly encouraged.