Memon community holds AGM, vows to do more for youth

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

Elevating the youth of the Memon community across the world is the top priority of the World Memon Organization (WMO) through its wide range of projects in the sectors of education, vocational training institutes, setting up startups for young entrepreneurs and charity projects.

This was stated by Salman Iqbal, President, World Memon Organization (WMO) during the 20th annual general meeting (AGM) held at the Meydan Hotel Dubai on Sunday. The event was attended by over 300 delegates from nine key regions around the world.

There are 2.4 to 3 million Memons residing across the world and the members in major countries like India, Pakistan, Middle East, UK and Europe have set up their bodies under the WMO and are broadly taking part in various activities under the WMO umbrella.

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The Dubai event was also part of WMO Global Youth Convention and witnessed the annexing of Global Ladies Wing with the WMO.

Talking to Gulf Today, Salman Iqbal shared the details of the projects started by the organisation to elevate the youth of the community like skills-based training institutes in Karachi, vocational training projects for women in different cities of India and others around the world.

“Youth are one of the major segments of our community and it’s the need of the hour to channellise efforts for overall improvement in their lives to bring different training programmes, higher educational programmes and others with the support of our major components like the youth wing and ladies wing,” he said.

The organisations have already been helping affected people in various flood-hit areas across Pakistan with relief goods and pledge to help in constructing homes in different areas.

The organisations have already been helping affected people in various flood-hit areas across Pakistan.

He said in the last 20 years they have helped around 20,000 to 30,000 students in the community across Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka with the support of around $100 million funds generated by the community philanthropists across the world. “Through our Karachi education project, we are witnessing around 50,000 graduates every year to mastering skills in different fields like IT and others and most importantly we are also helping them to get jobs in their respective fields,” he added.

He further said that they have also initiated a 5-billion tree plantation project to cope with the serious climate crisis around the world. “So far our community members have already planted around 300,000 trees in the name of their deceased relatives and as ‘Sadqa Jariya’ (continuing charity) as it’s viable for everyone to remember his or her deceased elders with a small deed,” he said.

Shabana Abdul Razzak, Chairperson, Global Ladies Wing, told Gulf Today that the ladies wing is already supporting various training projects in Pakistan and India besides offering training to enhance their entrepreneur skills to join the businesses and made their families proud.

Khurram Kalia, Chairman, Global Youth Wing, said that through the convention they have presented their ongoing projects and are floating ideas for more improvements for youth in the fields of higher education and starting businesses in their respective countries. “The response from the community is tremendous and we are optimistic to bring more projects for the community youths,” he said.

Memons are a Muslim ethnic group originating from the Indian subcontinent. Traditionally, the Memons have been a mercantile community. But, as the years have passed, they have increasingly diversified various other professions.

Memons are known for their involvement in philanthropy. A number of mosques, orphanages, sanatoria, educational institutions, dispensaries, hospitals, musafirkhanas, societies, etc. have been built by munificent Memons.

However, “around 80 per cent of community members residing in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are still not in good financial condition as many young people were unable to get proper education to elevate their families through well-paid jobs. The mindset of majority of the community members were not given due priority to education but always preferred their sons for the family business, mostly shops. So in the last two decades, the situation has changed and now many families are sending their children abroad for the first time  for higher education,” Salman Iqbal commented.