BOOK DRIVE

Our Story

Raised in extreme destitution, 11-year-old Md Sohel Mondal used to work in paddy fields and didn’t even know how to write his name. But today, his life has changed completely for the better; he is proficient in three languages and participates in national and international seminars and competitions!

Today, he enjoys a life of three times meals a day, decent dress, accommodation, and quality education for free of cost– Something that is a luxury for most kids his age - Thanks to Darul Huda Islamic University (DHIU) Bengal Campus.

 “For the first time, I wrote an exam! Alhamdulillah, I passed it. It has been 10 years since then. Sorry for the uncle’s son that he couldn’t get admission at DHIU. He is doing a daily paying job in a cycle shop” says Mondal.

DHIU Bengal Campus, as the name suggests, is an ‘abode of guidance’ for children from particularly vulnerable communities that have been built with kindness and affection by Dr.Munkir Hossain Sahib who is referred to as a ‘Sufi Scientist’ of rural India. Every year, Darul Huda sends more than a dozen field animators to West Bengal rural villages and encourages parents and students to send their children to schools.

 “Our students are from socially marginalized communities. They were once seen living in utterly vulnerable conditions. Many of them have been abused and ranging from problematic family ambiances. That’s why, we decided to involve in rebuilding the lives of children who are downtrodden, orphaned, or destitute. We want to secure them safe, secure, and salutary upbringing. Every child deserves that” says Siddiqul Akbar Hudawi, Campus director.

Since 2011, Darul Huda Bengal Campus has successfully helped over 354 children in restarting their lives from scratch. DHIU is directly involved in the care of these children – right from providing them food, decent accommodation, and formal education till under graduation at no cost. DHIU Bengal Campus is the first residential institution in West Bengal, which is not run on government funds and provides a unique alternative to traditional models of education by offering children a unique blended approach backed by material and sufi traditions for their learning.

Students learn not only traditional academic subjects, but also philosophical approaches and its practical implications regarding responsibility, problem-solving, social justice, harmony, and altruism. “We have placed great emphasize on socio-emotional well-being, igniting caring relationships, and developing a community of engaged learners. It is our focus on community building that enables students to follow their dreams, contribute positively to society, and transforming their self into an agency of social change” – added the campus director. 

DHIU managed to construct well-furnished classrooms, staff cabins, a hostel, an auditorium, and a canteen through voluntary donations, public fundraising, and charity gifts. At present, students keep their promises through lucrative mannerisms, perseverance in their studies, bagging prizes in national-level competitions, and presenting papers at academic conferences (Details attached) by availing minimum resources on campus. There has been an increase in the number of students joining over years –and therefore expenses are on the rise exponentially year after year and there is a paucity of full-fledged reference library on the campus considering the diversity of its student community.

Inspired by the success stories of the students, faculties decided to take lead to construct a full-fledged library on the campus in order to facilitate the students to be role models for illiterate communities outside the campus and guide future generations with their wisdom and versatility. 

“We have been seeing our students outperform in reputed academic platforms and we wanted to ace their growth on par with the mainstream students. We strongly believe that they would light the lamp of love, humanity, and development for future generations. At present, a campaign named ‘Book Drive’ has been initiated for arranging a reference library of ten thousand books on the campus with a budget of rupees 20,00,000. With your contributions, we can source the resources and complete the process before the next academic year begins. Your contribution will ensure that the community's future leaders wouldn’t be left behind” says Fazal, campaign coordinator.

DHIU Bengal Campus is in need of your support. Let’s join hands with the innocent baby faces and spread the word.