Tag Archives: Nurul Islam – Founder – Al Ameen Mission

Poverty couldn’t rob of their dream to become doctors, thanks to Al- Ameen Mission

Khalpur (Topsia) / and Bojdahara (Bankura) / Howrah, WEST BENGAL:

Md Hossain  studied under street light once; he will be a doctor via Al-Ameen.

Md Hossain has proved that to be successful, poverty or any other hindrance do not matter. Overcoming all difficulties in the way, he has cracked the medical entrance examination (NEET) this year; merit being the only arsenal he has. His mother, Akhtari Begam, on hearing the news, bursts into tears. So did his mentor Uma Chakraborty. The General Secretary of Al-Ameen Mission, M. Nurul Islam has expressed great satisfaction.

Hossain comes from Khalpar slum, adjacent to G.J Khan Road, Topsia. The lackluster slum lies at the backyard of the posh Science City. Dire poverty engulfs every family of the neighbourhood. Almost all the families earn livlihood from leather industry; even children are not spared. They are anemic, lacking vitality. Md Hossain, grew up in this sort of circumstance. His family is big; seven brothers and sisters, parents. Mohammad Sahabuddin, his father, cannot work as he is old now. A tiny rented space adjacent to a Club Room in the G.J Khan Road; the nine souls huddle inside. The income of his eldest brother, Mohammad Aftab cannot meet the expense of the family. The minimum rent curtails usage of electricity. Hossain had to study under the street light. A volunteer of a non governmental organisation, Uma Chakraborty saw this. She understood that this talented boy would go a long way.

She contacted M. Nurul Islam and convinced him about this meritorious student. He admitted Hossain in the Paikpari campus in class V with minimum monthly fees. Hossain, at that time, vowed to become a doctor and serve the society. So began his journey. In the Madhyamik examination, he scored 94.70% marks. Then he moved to Khalisani branch and secured 84.20% marks in the Higher Secondary examination. He took coaching for the NEET from Uluberia campus. His All India Rank is 22,227 and the score sheet is 592 out of 720 marks. Hossain’s dream to become a doctor is taking shape now. Reacting to his successful journey, tears ran down from his mother’s cheeks. She expressed her gratitude to M. Nurul Islam and Uma Chakraborty. But for these two persons, this would have been impossible to achieve, she said.

Mohammad Hossain too did not forget his past. The architects for his achievement are M.Nurul Islam, Uma Chakraborty and Piyali Chowdhury, one of the organisers of the NGO. He also said, he is very satisfied with the result and want to serve the poorer section of the society. Naturally, Nurul Islam too is very happy. He said, Al-Ameen Mission was established mainly to nurture the minority Muslim community and bring them into the mainstream education system. Many boys and girls from remote parts of Bengal have become doctors and engineers through the Mission. Mohammad is one of them. He has cracked the Medical Entrance examination. We are overwhelmed by his success.

Asmatara Mondal lives in Bogdahara, Bankura. According to her, with Al-Ameen’s constant support, her mission has been accomplished. Her NEET score is 569 with rank 34384 (AIR).

Her mother, Manwara Mondal is no more. Her father, Rahamat Ali Mondal, a small farmer, with much difficulty raised nine of his children- six daughters and three sons. Asmatara dreamt of being a doctor while she was studying in her village school. The concrete step towards fulfilling her goal came in 2017, when she was admitted to Al-Ameen Mission and passed out H.S from the Medinipur campus. She came to the Khalatpur campus to take coaching for NEET preparation. Last year, when a lockdown was imposed, she had to leave the campus. But the preparation continued. For NEET 2020, Asmatara got her examination centre in a school located in Howrah- a long distance from where she lived. While she started for the destination at the dead of night, her car had a breakdown in Tarakeswar. To cut the long story short, the Mission took the initiative to take her to the exam centre by a car. Her NEET score was 457. Again she came to the Mission for preparation during the lockdown in November last year. With a couple of other students she started the preparation. But again there was a lockdown and she was compelled to return to her home. Through the Zoom meeting, she remained in contact with Mission authorities. Now that the dream has been fulfilled, Asmatara says categorically, without Al-Ameen Mission this would have been impossible to achieve. Minimum fees, maximum care- that is what one gets here.

My brother Robial Mondal had also helped me. Presently, he too is preparing to take NEET from the Mission. Hard work is the key to success. Indeed, all out effort and the blessings of Allah makes all the difference.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror Network / November 08th, 2021

An Educational Movement That is Bringing Change in Muslims of West Bengal

WEST BENGAL :

Nurul Islam, general secretary of Al-Ameen Mission (right), with a successful student and his parents.

SPECIAL REPORT

With 63 residential campuses in 20 of the 23 districts of West Bengal, Al-Ameen Mission is mentoring 17,000 students; so far it has produced 3,000 doctors, 2,800 engineers and hosts of civil servants, professors and lawyers.

A SILENT revolution in education is taking place in West Bengal which the rest of India may not be aware of. What is significant about this revolution is that it is happening in the marginalised section of Muslims.

The Al-Ameen Mission, a Howrah-based charitable organisation, has been spearheading a movement for over three decades to educate those who can’t afford quality education. Its success graph is increasing each year. This year, 378 students mentored by Al-Ameen have been selected for medical education (310 for MBBS and 68 for BDS).

This figure is after the first round of counselling held on July 16, 2020, when Clarion India interviewed Nurul Islam, the founder general secretary of the organisation. He is expecting another 100 students to be selected in subsequent rounds of counselling.

A total of 516 students of Al-Ameen have cleared NEET, an all-India written test for admission to medical colleges. Out of that, 378 have already been selected. This is no mean achievement considering the fact that two-thirds of them come from a background where becoming a medical doctor is just unthinkable.

Al-Ameen has been achieving this success year after year. In 2019, its 407 students secured admission in medical colleges for MBBS and BDS education. As many as 370 students were successful in 2018; 115 in 2017; 393 in 2016; 223 in 2015; and 212 in 2014.

Al-Ameen mentors both boys and girls. Thirty per cent of its students come from families who are very poor and categorised by the government as below poverty line. Forty percent are from lower middle income groups. The rest belong to the middle and upper middle income group. That means 70 per cent students enrolled here come from poor families.

Al-Ameen’s journey started in 1986-87 with only seven students. The aim was to give modern education with moral values in a full residential system where students from all strata of society, irrespective of their economic conditions, would stay and learn together. Students coming from the poorest sections of society were given free education. Donations and zakat were collected to meet up with the expenses. Gradually, the name of the mission spread far and wide and people came along and a movement started.

Nurul Islam says that in the 80s when he started his mission, the percentage of Muslim students in medical and engineering colleges of West Bengal was hardly two to three per cent. “But because of Al-Ameen’s efforts that percentage is today between 20 and 30 percent,” he claims.

Admission criteria

The current strength of Al-Ameen is 17,000 students. It admits students from Class V to XII. Those preparing for competitive exams also stay here beyond 12th. Merit is given top priority for admission. A common admission test is conducted for all its branches at 63 residential campuses in 20 of the 23 districts of West Bengal. Those who qualify are called for an objective test followed by interviews of their guardians.

A substantial number of seats are reserved for orphans and meritorious students of very poor families. They are also given special financial aid. In 2019, about 32,000 students appeared for admission tests to classes V to XII. Nurul Islam says his institution is able to accommodate only up to 20 per cent applicants.

Residential facility

Al-Ameen is essentially a residential institution. Those selected are required to stay in one of the 63 campuses that it runs throughout West Bengal. They are taken care of by everything: from education to food to accommodation. A strict discipline is followed by everyone alike from students to teachers to general staff.

Howrah, where it is headquartered, has four campuses in which 3,000 students are living. Al-Ameen also has campuses outside West Bengal: One in Patna, one in Ranchi and one in Tripura. There is one more in Assam which temporarily is not functional.

Scholarship scheme

Fees of the students are determined as per financial capacities of their families. Being a charitable organisation, Al-Ameen gives 100 per cent subsidy in the fees and even takes other responsibilities of education and upbringing of a deserving student if deemed fit. At present, Al-Ameen’s fee structure is divided into three categories:

  • 25 per cent students pay zero to 25 per cent fee. Their subsidy is funded by zakat from across the country;
  • 40 per cent pay fee ranging from 26 percent to 60 per cent. This subsidy is funded through general donations of the public;
  • 35 per cent pay between 61 per cent and 100 per cent.

Focus on school education

Besides preparing students for medical and engineering, Al-Ameen is also focused on basic education of students under its guardianship. This year, 2,223 of its male and female students appeared for Class XII exams of states as well as Central boards. Not only all succeeded, 81 of them even occupied their positions within the rank of 20.

The background of all the successful candidates is noticeable: 605, or 27 per cent, are from poor and BPL families; 775, or 35 percent, from lower middle income groups; and 843, or 38 per cent from middle and upper middle income groups.

Similarly, 1,777 boys and girls took exams for Class 10. Fifteen of them occupied their positions within the rank of 20. Their background: 627, or 35 per cent, come from poor and BPL families; 680, 38 percent, from lower middle income groups; and 470, or 27 per cent, from middle and upper middle income groups.

23,000 Alumni

During the last 34 years of its existence, Al-Ameen has developed a strong base of alumni. They number 23,000, according to Nurul Islam. Out of that, 3,000 are doctors and 2,800 engineers. The rest are in various other fields such as civil services, academia, law and media.

The boys and girls hailing from the most backward areas and lowest strata of society, he says, are now dreaming to become doctors, engineers, civil servants, teachers, professors, researchers, lawyers or journalists.

Nurul Islam calls it a “Silent revolution”.

“Silently, a revolution is taking place. Al-Ameen has become the conduit in this whole churning of transformation which may be defined as a silent revolution,” he says.

A look at the list of Al-Ameen alumni bears testimony to what Nurul Islam is claiming. The list includes successful professionals and academicians in prestigious institutions. What is heartening is their background. Most of them belong to economically poor sections of society. But for this educational movement, they would have remained poor and uneducated. But today, they are respectable members of society and source of inspiration for others.

Some of the notable alumni are listed below:

Md Arif Shaikh, Senior Research Fellow at Harish Chandra Research Institute, Prayagraj, UP.

Dr Safina Begum, MS, Senior Resident at Fort Gloster State General Hospital, Howrah, West Bengal.

Dr Nargis Molla, MS, Specialist Medical Officer (Gynaecology), Dhaniakhali Rural Hospital, West Bengal.

Magfura Parvin, Senior Research Fellow, Vidyasagar University, Midnapur, West Bengal.

Dr Sk Altaf Hossien, MD, DNB Post-Doctoral Fellow, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore.

Dr Khandekar Fariduddin, MS, Assistant Professor, Malda Medical College and Hospital, Malda, West Bengal.

Dr Hibjul Ali Khan, MS, Assistant Professor, College of Medicine & Sagore Dutta Hospital.

Dr Md Hadiuzzaman, MS, MCH Senior Resident, SSKM Hospital.

Akram Hoque, MBA, Founder Editor, The Policy Times.

Ali Ahmed Alamgir, WBCS, Assistant Labour Commissioner.

Jahangir Mollick, WBCS (Exe), Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, West Bengal.

Shayan Ahmad, WBPS, Deputy Superintendent of Police, West Bengal.

Sk Samsuddin, WBPS, Deputy Superintendent of Police, West Bengal

Ramjan Ali, WBCS, Assistant Commissioner of Revenue, West Bengal.

Dr Kader Ali Sarkar, Assistant Professor, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal.

Dr Mukandar Sekh, Assistant Professor, Aliah University, Kolkata.

Md Minarul Islam, Divisional Engineer (IT & C), WBSETCL, Vidyut Bhavan Minarul, West Bengal.

Md Golam Mortoza, Chartered Accountant, Senior Executive (Finance), Management Development Institute, Murshidabad, West Bengal.

Dr Md Samim Reja, MVSc, Veterinary Officer, Domjur Block, Howrah, West Bengal.

Healthcare unit in Khalatpur

Recently, Al-Ameen has opened a healthcare facility at its main campus of Khalatpur in Howrah district. It is run mainly by its alumni, some of whom are today established medical practitioners. They regularly visit the healthcare unit and give their services to poor and needy people of the locality.

source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Big Story – Special Report / by Shaheen Nazar – Clarion India / November 23rd, 2020