Support Casa Umar: The Seeker's Garden in Chiapas
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Support Indigenous Mayan Muslims in Chiapas, Mexico by starting the first Islamic Montessori school and permaculture project
What’s unique about Chiapas?
At the southern edge of Mexico near the borders of Guatemala lies the state of Chiapas. Here, Muslims from around the Americas have migrated and mixed with the indigenous Tzotzil to form the only living third-generation community of Muslims in Central America.
What is Casa Umar?
Casa Umar is a project with a vision to build a sustainable and thriving Islamic community in Chiapas, Mexico and surrounding region In order to fulfill this vision, Casa Umar has become a node for the Indigenous Mayan Muslim community of Chiapas, with a place for prayer, education, and community gatherings. Our vision includes the establishment of an Islamic studies Montessori school, a permaculture space for sustainable food access, a halal butcher shop, and more. Many of these components of Casa Umar are active and underway.
What are the current projects of Casa Umar?
At Casa Umar, we are on a mission to cultivate and nurture the Islamic way of life in this community and be a safe haven from Muslims in Latin America. This year, we set the following targets:
- Establish a full-time Montessori school to open in fall of 2024.
- Initiate Permaculture Garden and collect first harvest by fall of 2024.
- Created Islamic Resources for Spanish and Tsotsil speakers
- Host a Conference and Retreats to bring scholarship to Mexico
- Expand Halal Meat business to make it more sustainable.
- Encourage Halal Tourism to Chiapas to connect the Ummah to this community
Where will your funds go?
This campaign will help with the following goals:
- Establish of a full-time Montessori school by August 2024 for the initial batch of 25-30 students. This will help us with the hiring and thorough training of teachers and get books, supplies, and transportation to be able to sustain the students, teachers and facilitators.
- Initiate a Permaculture project addresses urgent needs such as providing clean water amidst droughts and promoting sustainable agriculture, aligning with environmental sustainability objectives.
- Provide Community Aid to needy muslims in the community to assist with school tuition, healthcare costs, and financial aid under the guidance of our resident Imam and scholar.
Casa Umar is currently in the process of incorporating as a non-profit organization and is using GoFundMe in the interim as a platform to raise money to support the work in Chiapas.
How will your donations be allocated?
Your contribution will make a difference in the lives of many. By supporting us, you become a part of a vibrant and sustainable community dedicated to promoting education, understanding, and dialogue.
We hope you will support the community of Chiapas, especially during this most holy and radiant month of Ramadan. We will continue to share updates about the progress of Casa Umar and share opportunities for you to engage directly with the project and the people of Chiapas.
**All donations going towards student sponsorship, providing community aid, and supporting new muslims are Zakat eligible.
Organizer
Shaheen Hasan
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY