While most mosques would have a “gerobok rezeki” (chest of blessings) filled with groceries for needy people to help themselves to, Masjid Permatang Rambai in Penaga here, has its own way of helping the poor.
This mosque has a “boutique” that gives away free clothes, both brand new and used. Opened last December, the boutique is an initiative of the mosque’s welfare bureau.
It offers robes for men and women, as well as “baju Melayu” and outfits for adults and children.
The boutique’s brains Robiah Che Mat, 62, said the idea came whilst she and her husband Saad Yaakob were thinking of ways to keep themselves occupied after retirement.
Initially, she and her husband, who was the chairman of the mosque’s welfare bureau, would pass their time by voluntarily cleaning up the mosque.
Good response
Their volunteering efforts were noticed by other members of the congregation who also wanted to participate in such activities.
That was when Robiah came up with the idea of setting up a boutique offering new or pre-loved clothes contributed by the congregation to needy groups.
Her proposal met with overwhelming response and soon some 5,000 articles of clothing were collected.
“The idea of having a boutique was also supported by mosque chairman Datuk Ghazali Hashim who gave us some space (for the boutique) near the mosque,” she said.
The boutique was also publicised via social media and WhatsApp.
“To date, we have collected more than 10,000 pieces of used clothing and more than 2,000 new clothing,” said Robiah.
Among those who have availed themselves of the free clothes are members of the local community and even people who come all the way from Kulim and Sungai Petani in Kedah.
The boutique operates 24 hours daily and is managed by 20 volunteers aged between 24 and 60.
Donating to charity
Robiah said they have also placed a donation box in front of the boutique to encourage the practice of giving alms.
“The money collected is used for buying foodstuff like rice, sugar and flour to be distributed to the poor,” she said.
One of the volunteers who run the mosque boutique Zirah Idris, 24, said they were all happy to serve the needy and underprivileged members of the community.
Homemaker Nor Asmiza Abdul Rahim, 37, was thankful to the boutique for providing her family with clothes that were more presentable than the ones they owned.
She said they usually bought their clothes from shops that sold second-hand apparel as her labourer husband could not afford to buy them new clothes.
“So far, I have taken clothes from the mosque boutique three times. I also managed to get school uniforms for my children from there,” she added. – BY ERMA IDAYU MOHD YUSOP
