Center for Islamic Studies CIS
“If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach him how to fish you feed him for a lifetime.” is a well-known Chinese proverb. CISREED project has been well rooted in this ideology combined with fundamental principles of Islamic values to support the needy. Once prophet Mohamed said" The hand that gives is much better than the hand that receives". Helping the poor is a fundamental duty of any Muslim and Islamic organizations. But CIS was deeply concerned about the fact that helping those who are in need should not create dependents. The idea of CISREED project was brainstormed long ago and initiated in late 2010 with the intension of methodical strengthening the financial condition of reverts. REED was the first ever program in the country to financially assist reverts for long term sustainability by applying modern Islamic Microfinance concepts.
CIS- REED project mainly aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills of individuals and assisting them to prepare simple business plan with marketing strategies and financial planning. The four day entrepreneurship program uses adult learning techniques to gradually develop an interest for learning. Participants at the end of the session prepare their own business plan with estimated sales and profits. This also gives them an idea of cash flow and how they can re-invest their money, how much to spend and how much to save.
CIS – REED’s approach is holistic, thus giving out money to the needy is not the purpose of the project, but which is a part of it. Continuous monitoring, provision of emotional support, business advisory service and creating a sense of community are some of the other objectives of the project among others. A team of brothers with passion to support the needy is always behind the small groups of reverts to back them until a visible progress is achieved.
