In 1981, a friend informed me that someone wanted to build a Mosque, so we suggested building it in a poor country where the locals could not afford it. The country was the Republic of Malawi, in the southern part of Africa, and I was shocked by the tragedies and pains that our brothers lived with while we knew nothing about them.
Hundreds of thousands of children were unable to pay the simplest costs that preserve human dignity, such as (treatment for a malaria patient costs no more than ten fils or providing a meal to a hungry person costs only 15 fils or paying tuition fees for a poor student that costs no more than 500 fils a year).
We had to do organized work for the continuation of charitable projects not only in Malawi but also all over Africa; in the meanwhile, we were seeing goodness in the hearts of people in our societies and a firm desire to help their brothers who were not granted such wealth as we do.
Thanks to Allah, Malawi Muslims Committee was established in 1981, but other countries also needed our support. So in 1984, the name was changed to (Africa Muslims Agency), and over time we rethought the name as our development programs and assistance reached Muslims and non-Muslims. Hence, we chose the name (Direct Aid Organization) in 1999. Which has grown into a large tree that shadows millions of beneficiaries of its human, social, health, and educational services, mosques, schools, wells, and various charitable projects.
Everyone should have a purpose in life, and our message is to change this world to be better for everyone. In conclusion, we cannot help but thank Allah, who opened our eyes to the path of charity and encouraged and supported us to proceed in charity work. We ask Allah to gather you and us in the shadow of his mercy on the Day of Resurrection.
Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.
Your brother
Abdul-Rahman Hammoud Al-Sumait