His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin arrived in Mombasa, Kenya on June 2, 2023. He was received at the airport by the Governor of Mombasa, His Excellency Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir alongside senior government officials including County Secretary, Mr Jeizan Faruk; CECM Trade, Tourism & Culture, Mohamed Osman; and CECM Education and Digital Transformation, Dr Mbwarali Kame.

During his week-long stay, His Holiness interacted with community members, looked into their socio-economic well-being and delivered a sermon. He also stressed the importance of preserving and conserving water and encouraged community members to install systems for rainwater harvesting in both community centres and individual homes.

‘Following the instructions of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, a team of over 200 community officials were mobilised to visit more than 250 villages, towns and cities in India to study existing water supplies and provide support for building a more resilient and sustainable water management system,’ said Shabbir Najmuddin, Associate Executive Trustee of Burhani Foundation, the community’s 30-year-old environmental body which is leading this initiative in collaboration with other organisations.

With the aim to provide Mombasanese with accessible and affordable water, His Holiness donated 200 water tanks for the purpose of rainwater harvesting to the county of Mombasa.

In a statement on social media, the Governor of Mombasa county said ‘These water tanks shall be strategically placed in our early childhood education centres across the county,’ adding, ‘This shall go hand in hand with our free school feeding program that is currently feeding more than ten thousand (10,000) pupils.’

In addition to efforts for water conservation, community members around the world marked World Environment Day on June 5th by undertaking tree-planting and beach cleanup activities under the Project Rise banner. Community members in Mombasa joined hands with officials from the Department of Environment and Solid Waste Management for a tree plantation and beach cleanup drive near the community centre. The activity was part of the county’s larger initiative to inspire greater civic responsibility under the slogan, ‘Mji Wetu Wajibu Wetu’ (Our City Our Responsibility).

The Dawoodi Bohras of Mombasa are a peace-loving and enterprising community who have called the city home for centuries and continue to play an active role in its overall development.

The content originates from the Dawoodi Bohra Community’s Official Website. To access it click here