WAMY and MAM Train MAM Executive, Board of Trustees in Effective Leadership – “Beyond Elections Inspiring Excellence.”
The Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) in December 2016 conducted a capacity building workshop for its Executive and Board of Trustees members.
The workshop was held at Malawi Sun Hotel in Blantyre with the aim of equipping the members with necessary leadership skills and reminding them of their key duties and responsibilities within the organisation.
The workshop was facilitated by Sheikh Saleem Banda and Sheikh Ismael Mtewa of World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) Southern Africa regional Office.
In an interview with Insight Bulletin, MAM Secretary General Alhajj Twaibu Lawe narrates that, his organisation decided to conduct such a workshop after observing that office bearers who are elected at any position or appointed to serve the public let alone the Muslim Association
of Malawi suffer from inadequate exposure of matters of corporate governance and end up in poor performance.
“That is why we said there is need to remind each other about our roles and duties. We need to know our limits – at the same time, equipping the members with the necessary skills. It is a workshop that is first of its kind in the history of Muslim Association of Malawi and it is our hope that we will continue to do so if funds permit,” he said.
During his presentation, Sheikh Saleem Banda said that any leadership that one might occupy on this earth should be regarded as (an Amana) a trust from God which one day will be asked of how that Amana was kept.
“We are reminding them that leadership is about legacy building. What is the legacy they want to leave behind? We are addressing issues of how do they respond to the ever changing complex challenges the Muslim community is facing the topics include good governance, transparency honesty and all the qualities of good leadership. We want to have the leadership that is results-oriented and also the leadership that has the interest of Muslim community at heart.
“We want to see MAM becoming the actual mother body of the Muslim community in Malawi by responding critically to the issues faced by the young people, women and challenges leaving with disabilities. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are achievable when faith based
organisations take the leading role to ensure that it’s not about numbers but about responding to the critical challenges we have to address during our times,” he said.
Addressing the media after the workshop Banda added that for this to be achieved, there is need to have a strong unity among Muslims in Malawi.
One of the participant, Sheikh Ali Kennedy who is also the Chairman of Board of Trustees said “the workshop is what the board needed because it helps us to know our roles and how we can effectively contribute our ideas towards the affairs of the Muslim Association of Malawi.”
Immediately after he was reelected, MAM National Chairman promised that it will no longer be the business as usual at Quran House. He said he wants to change the mindset of the Muslim community, reminding them the responsibility they have towards the development of Islam and the nation as a whole.
“…and this should start with the leadership,” he told Insight Bulletin in an interview.
The workshop was held under the theme “Beyond Elections Inspiring Excellence.”
“…the workshop is what the board needed because it helps us to know our roles and how we can effectively contribute
our ideas towards the affairs of the Muslim Association of Malawi.”
