A committee of young volunteers and some friends of a café had the genius idea to organize for the second time several conferences during the nights of the holy month of Ramadan in the city of Itsandra Mdjini. As the sacred month consists of 3 ashra (ten in Arabic language), a conference was scheduled at least for each week. Nevertheless, and due to some social events in the city, the first one was held on Monday 2, March 2026 which corresponds the 10th day of Ramadan of the Islamic calendar in Comoros. Professor Said Omar Dahalane was the guest speaker of the 1st conference held in the city.The topic was “uprightness and perseverance”. Dahalane said that all the prophets had to fast. According to him, to fast means to renounce some pleasures such as smoking, eating and drinking too much for the benefit of your health. He also talked about the night of fate known as “Laylatu al Qadr” in Arabic. He thinks it’s for the whole month of Ramadan. ‘’If you worship Allah during this month and you change your demeanor after Ramadan, this means you really and successfully caught the night of fate’’ he uttered.
The second debate was held on Wednesday, 4 march. It was about “health and nutrition”. The guest speakers were Dr. Abubakar, Dr. Nahlwa Ahmed Rachid, Mrs. Fatima Hadji and Dr. Tadjidine Youssouf. According to Dr Abubakar, the first 1,000 days of an infant are vital and may determine his future in terms of physical and mental health. He suggests that parents should invest during that period for the benefit of their progeny. Nahlwa Ahmed Rachid is a holder of a PhD. in industrial microbiology. She focused her speech on cleanliness which is the basic of good health. According to her, parents should ensure the well-being of their children. She thinks that cleaning our houses while smirching our streets does not make sense. She took the example of microplastics that cannot be seen by our own eyes, but are everywhere in our food, including sea foods.
Dr. Tadjidine discussed diabetes mellitus during Ramadan. In general, safe fasting and feasting is usually possible for the majority of people with type 2 diabetes if they follow medical advice. He recommended patients with type 1 not to fast even if they feel themselves quite well. Fatima hadji is a nutritionist. She insisted on the” first three years” theory of a child which can be crucial for their future. She also remembers the audience that the Koran suggests believers to be clean in their daily life.
The 3rd conference was held on Friday 6 March. The theme of the talks “Malezi tsi ya mdzima” (i.e. education is not one person) was discussed by three professors from Itsandra Mdjini. Ahmed Rachid is a prominent Islamic scholar. In his view, giving a good name to your kid is a kind of prayer. “The aim of educating your offspring has nothing to do with making money in the future. An educated person is just a good person for the society,” he said. Idi aboulhaniyou is the regional director of “Msomo na Hazi” a governmental project backed by the European Union in Comoros. “Youngsters who dropped out of schools have a second chance to learn in a vocational school. Once trained, they can find jobs or create their own jobs,” he asserted. Echata Ahmed was also there to share her experience as an UNICEF cadre involved in children’s education in Comoros. The debate continued with a fourth conference on “education and training” after one week break. The guest speakers were Professor Elhadj Hassan, a Friday mosque preacher in Itsandra, Dr. Nourdine Basha and Dr. Sagaf from the University of Comoros.
The 3rd ashra of the sacred month of Ramadan has been scheduled for the last conference on local development. Dr. Abdallah Nouroudine is the national director of “Msomo na Hazi”. As a guest speaker, he took the example of many developed and industrialized countries which left many of their own people in poverty despite their high GDP (gross domestic product). As they did not focus on the well-being of the human being, they failed, he said. Said Abasse is a political scientist doctor. He instanced the fishing industry to make his point. He asks himself why a fisherman is still poor despite his job. Does he lack imagination? He thinks that if a group of fishermen work together, they can buy a trawler instead of using dugout canoes. It’s the best way to develop their trade and prosper.
Assoumani Saandi is an expert in public service and former minister. He suggests that each village or municipality should have a plan for their local development. In his opinion, every member of the community involved in a local project must be assessed and held accountable for any wrongdoing. Taoufik Youssouf is a cadre from Itsandra. He is also one of the customs and traditions spokespersons in the city. He was the last guest speaker. He was there to share his experience of what has been done in the last 30 years in his city. He argued that many infrastructures have been built or renovated such as mosques, community centers, libraries, sports field, etc., but they did not create enough jobs for the community.
The two groups of young volunteers and a café who organized these series of conferences wish you a Ramadan Mubarak and happy Eid el Fitr!
