Refurb Africa charity project – How we rebuilt the Imam’s (teacher’s) house

So we have been working the Refurb Africa Mosque project for almost almost two years and with the Apapa Mosque, we faced a serious problem of flooding during the raining season. The Mosque, as well as the Imam’s house behind the Mosque gets flooded during the raining season.

Since the whole area is built on a land fill and there is no where for the water to drain, it was not an easy problem to resolve. The only solution was to raise the ground floor level through filling with sand. This proved particularly problematic for the Imam’s house which was behind the Mosque, as this had to be the highest point for the water to drain to the front of the compound.

So by the time the filling was to a point to prevent further flooding, the Imam’s house was virtually buried! This was not an ideal solution and we had to raise the level of the Imam’s house. What started out as raising the floor involved a virtual rebuild of the house. During this time, one of the committee members was kind enough to allow the Imam to come and stay at his house.

This rebuild took many months due to the restriction on our weekly spending that allows the project to continue throughout the year. We filled with sand to raise the floor level, installed new electrics, new windows, new ceiling and roof and new patio. Finally we tiled the floor and repainted inside and outside. The results were outstanding MsA!

The Imam and the congregation are so happy and thankful, Al hamdulillah (Thank God).

Now the Imam who had been suffering year after year can finally live in a beautiful house befitting the Imam of the Mosque. The below Quranic verse (65 v3) is so fitting:

“And He (God) will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in God, then He will suffice him. Verily, God will accomplish his purpose. Indeed God has set a measure for all things.”

We set out to refurbish the Mosque and ended up also rebuilding a beautiful house for the Imam. This Imam has truly been blessed by God.