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Burkina Faso (Land of Upright People)

Donation of Bicycles from Majlis Ansārullāh , USA, to Burkina Faso Jamā'at Glimpses F rom The Travelogue Of Dr. Wajeeh Bajwa, Sadr Majlis Ansārullāh, USA (Prepared by: Waseem Ahmad, Qā’id New Converts, Majlis Ansārullāh, USA ). Burkina Faso (Land of Upright People).

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Burkina Faso (Land of Upright People)

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  1. Donation of Bicycles from MajlisAnsārullāh, USA, to Burkina Faso Jamā'atGlimpses From The Travelogue Of Dr. Wajeeh Bajwa, Sadr Majlis Ansārullāh, USA(Prepared by: Waseem Ahmad, Qā’id New Converts, Majlis Ansārullāh, USA )

  2. Burkina Faso (Land of Upright People)

  3. History of the ‘Bicycle Project’: • In 2008 a large number of Ahmadī Muslim men from Burkina Faso rode more than 600 miles on bicycles to attend the annual JalsaSalāna in Ghana which was being graced by the presence of HadratKhalīfatulMasīh Al-Khamis (ayyadahullahuta‘alabinasrihil-‘aziz). • This effort was mentioned by Huzur(ayyadahullahu ta‘ala binasrihil-‘aziz) in his Friday sermon of May 9, 2008. • A TV correspondent asked one of the bikers from Burkina Faso how had he travelled on such a dilapidated bicycle. The reply was that “…no doubt the bicycle was dilapidated but the faith was strong.” This response was broadcasted on national television with striking headlines!

  4. Approval of the Project: • In 2009, Abu Bakr Ladd (St. Louis Majlis) proposed that MajlisAnsārullāh, USA collect bicycles from members, especially from those members who own a bicycle but do not use it. HadratKhalīfatulMasīh Al-Khamis(ayyadahullahuta‘alabinasrihil-‘aziz), granted permission to go ahead with this project on December 25, 2009:

  5. Decision to Buy New Bicycles: • In early 2010, the Nāzim of Gulf States Region, Bashiruddin Shams, was appointed as the lead person to manage this project. • After looking into the effort that would be required to collect bicycles from various Majālis in the US and the logistics of collecting, storing, and transporting these bicycles to Burkina Faso, it was decided that collecting funds rather than bicycles would be more efficient in the long run. These funds could be used to purchase new bicycles, either from India or China, on condition that the bicycles be delivered to Burkina Faso.

  6. Project Timeline: • Early 2010: Nāzim of Gulf States Region, Bashiruddin Shams, was appointed to lead and manage the project. • September 2010:Vendor selection completed. • October 2010:Order placed in China for 352 bicycles, and decision made for MajlisAnsārullāh to purchase 20 tricycles in Burkina Faso itself for donation. • December 2010: 352 bicycles shipped from China • March 1, 2011:Bicycles arrived at the port of Tema, Ghana. • Monday, April 18, 2011: The Amīr of Burkina Faso proposed this date for the distribution of bicycles.

  7. Sadr Sahib’s Travel Timeline: • April 15th: Departed USA. • April 16th: Arrival at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. • April 17th: Trip to Dori, Mahdiabad and Kaya. • April 18th: Bicycle distribution ceremony; visit to Leo. • April 19th: Departed Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

  8. Travel - April 15th and 16th: • April 15, 2011 - 7:00 AM: Departed from Gainesville, FL • 2 hours drive to Orlando International Airport • 2:00 PM: Arrival at Chicago Airport (news about the mutiny by the Burkina Faso army, and flight of the President from the capital). Decision to continue with the travel! • April 16th, 2011 – 9AM: Arrival at Brussels Airport. Departure: 1PM (delay of 2 hrs - unrest at the destination) • April 16th, 2011 – 5:30PM: Arrival at the Ouagadougou Airport, Burkina Faso. • Received by: Imam Khalid MahmoodShahid, Amīr Burkina Faso, and SyedHammadRaza, MubalighSilsila (Missionary), Ouagadougou. • Hosted by: AtaulHabib Ahmad Sahib, Missionary in Ouagadougou.

  9. Mosque (left) and office building (right) in the mission house complex at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Mosque (left) and office building (right) in the mission house complex at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso:

  10. Hospital in the Mission House Complex - Ouagadougou:

  11. Hospital in the Ouagadougou Mission House Complex :

  12. Printing Press in the mission house complex in Ouagadougou

  13. Sunday, April 17th - Visit to Mahdiabad (near Dori - 183 miles NE of Ouagadougou): • 5:00AM: Fajr Prayers and breakfast (paratha, toast, eggs, halwa, and chicken saalan). • 6:00AM: Departed Ouagadougou with Amīr, Abu Bakr Ladd and Rizwan Ahmad (a Missionary from the Ivory Coast). • Vehicle: 5-seat Toyota Hilux pick-up truck (with A/C). • Almost all gas stations in Ouagadougou were closed, along with other commercial businesses. • Heat: Almost 100°F by 7AM! • 10:00 AM: Arrived in Dori at the house of Missionary Nasir Ahmad Sidhu - serving this area for the past 11 years and living there with his family. Had second breakfast. • 11:30AM: Arrived at Mahdiabad.

  14. Stop at a gas station – Sadr Sahib and Abu Bakr Ladd Sahib

  15. Vendor selling meat on the side of the main road (most probably goat meat):

  16. Highway N3 - that goes from Ouagadougou to the border of Niger and Mali in the North:

  17. Mahdiabad, Burkina Faso: • A couple of years ago, gold had been discovered near where these Ahmadī Muslims lived and a gold mine was established there. The mining company offered to move the entire village to another location. At the advice of the Khalifatul-Masih V (ayyadahullahuta‘alabinasrihil-‘aziz), the location for a new village was selected a few miles south of the existing village near the main road. The Khalifatul-Mash V (ayyadahullahuta‘alabinasrihil-‘aziz) named this new village “Mahdiabad,” (Mahdi’s Community). • The Jamā‘at provides electricity and water to the entire village through installation of solar panels. This village also houses a large water tower where water is stored using an electrical pump driven by solar energy

  18. Ahmadiyya Mosque at Mahdiabad:

  19. MahdiabadVist… continued: • To conserve electricity generated by solar panels, the electric lights in this village remain functional for three hours after sunset and for a couple of hours in the morning. • MTA is available to this community for four hours a day via a satellite dish outside the mosque which receives the MTA signal. • Although they do not understand any of the languages in which MTA broadcasts its programs, the local members watch the Arabic channel with the Mu‘allim translating transmission in to their local language. • The entire community is glued to the television, especially when Friday sermon delivered by the Khalifatul-Masih (ayyadahullahuta‘alabinasrihil-‘aziz) is broadcast. This happened during this visit and it was heart-warming to see how everyone’s eyes lit up when they saw the Khalifatul-Masih (ayyadahullahuta’alabinasrihil ‘aziz) on the TV.

  20. Members of the Ahmadiyya Community in Mahdiabadwatcing MTA in the local Mosque:

  21. Walk to the water storage tank in Mahdiabad, Burkina Faso: (Temperature: 121°F)

  22. Mahdiabad, Burkina Faso … continued:

  23. Desert On the way back from Mahdiabad to Dori:

  24. Sunday, April 17th - Visit to Dori - 183 miles NE of Ouagadougou): • 1:45 PM: Arrived at Missionary Nasir Ahmad Sidhu’s house in Dori, and offered Zuhr and Asr Prayers in the mosque. Nearby: • An Ahmadī Muslim radio station, • A hand pump for water: installed by Humanity First through its “Water for Life” Project. Usually there is a long line of women and children around these hand pumps early in the morning. Some of these women walk 5 to 7 miles to get water from one of these hand pumps and carry two to three five-gallon containers (one or two on their heads and one in each hand) for their household needs.

  25. Ahmadiyya Radio Station in Dori, Burkina Faso. Transmission from this radio station covers 45 miles radius and broadcast is in Arabic, French and local language :

  26. Hand pump for water in Dori, Burkina Faso installed by Humanity First under “Water for life” program.

  27. Ahmadiyya Mosque in Dori, Burkina Faso:

  28. April 17th, 2011 (…continued): • 3:45PM: Left Dori • 5:20PM: Arrived in Kaya, at Missionary HamidMaqsoodAtif’s house. • Had fourth meal of the day!

  29. Ahmadiyya Mosque in Kaya, Burkina Faso Sunday, April 17th - Visit to Kaya – on the way back to Ouagadougou):

  30. Sunday, April 17th - Visit to Kaya: Ahmadiyya School in Kaya, Burkina Faso:

  31. April 17th, 2011 (…continued): • 7:10PM: Arrived back in Ouagadougou • Offered Maghrib and Isha Prayers in the mosque. • Had fifth meal of the day!

  32. Monday, April 18th – Bicycle Distribution Ceremony: • 5:00AM: Offered Fajr Prayers. • The mosque was almost full at this time because the annual refresher course for all Mu‘allimin in Burkina Faso was being held during that week. A young Mu‘allim who was attending the refresher course gave a Dars of the Holy Qur'ān (in French) after the Fajr Prayer. • 10:30 AM: Bicycle Distribution Ceremony started with the recitation of the Holy Qur'ān followed by recitation of a poem of the Promised Messiah (peace be on him). • Sadr Sahib addressed the gathering and gave the background of the project, why it was started, and how generously members of MajlisAnsārullāh, USA contributed towards this project which enabled us to complete it within one year. Sadr Sahib spoke in English and Dr. MahmoodBhunnoo (who manages the Ahmadiyya Muslim hospital in Ouagadougou) translated his address into French.

  33. Monday, April 18th – Bicycle Distribution Ceremony … continued: • RachidTraoré, SadrMajlisAnsārullāh, Burkina Faso, thanked MajlisAnsārullāh USA and said that these bicycles may not seem a big thing to someone living in the West but in Burkina Faso, it is like having a Mercedes Benz car. • The Head of Burkina Faso Red Cross, MoussaOuattara, spoke for a few minutes emphasizing the importance and significance of these kinds of projects. • At the end the Amīr of Burkina Faso addressed the gathering. He quoted a verse of the Holy Qur'ān that states that the real believers, even if they are in need themselves, give to the needy without discrimination. He then read the 9th condition of Bai’at which states: “That he/she shall keep himself/herself occupied in the service of God’s creatures for His sake only and shall endeavor towards the beneficence of mankind to the best of his/her God-given abilities and powers.” He said that members of MajlisAnsārullāh USA are truly fulfilling this condition of their Bai’at through their willingness to take on this project that will provide much needed help to the community in Burkina Faso.

  34. Bicycles are being assembled in the Mission House compound in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso:

  35. View of the Stage. Front Row (left to right) Dr. WajeehBajwa, SadrMajlisAnsārullāh, USA; Imam Khalid MahmoodShahid, Amīr Burkina Faso; and AmadouSoumana, Nā’ibAmīr Burkina Faso:

  36. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony – Recitation of the Holy Qur’an:

  37. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony – Recitation of poem of the Promised Messiah (alaihissalam) :

  38. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony – Dr. WajeehBajwa, SadrMajlisAnsārullāh, USA addressing the gathering. Dr. MahmoodBhunnoo (on the right with microphone) doing simultaneous translation:

  39. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony – RachidTraoré, SadrMajlisAnsarullah, Burkina Faso, addressing the gathering:

  40. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony – MoussaOuattara, head of Red Cross, Burkina Faso addressing the gathering:

  41. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony – Imam Khalid MahmoodShahid, Amīr Burkina Faso addressing the gathering:

  42. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony - View of the large marquee where guests were seated:

  43. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony - Tricycles (20) and bicycles (352) donated by members of MajlisAnsārullāh, USA ready for distribution:

  44. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony:

  45. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony:

  46. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony:

  47. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony:

  48. Bicycle Distribution Ceremony:

  49. Local Newspaper "Le Pays" published a full page article about bicycles distribution on April 20, 2011 :

  50. Sunday, April 18th - Visit to Leo (105 miles South of Ouagadougou): • After Zuhr/Asr Prayers, departed for Leo. • This trip included Sadr Sahib, Missionary Zia ulRahmanTayyab Sahib and Abu Bakr Ladd Sahib. MahmoodNasirSaqib Sahib, Missionary from Ivory Coast also came along. • 5:30PM: Arrived in Leo. Treated to a meal including imported fish, backed potatoes, lemon tea. • The Jamā'at in Leo has a Missionary’s house, a school, a radio station, and a mosque. We offered Maghrib and Isha, and next morning Fajr Prayer in the mosque.

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