Students Help Muslim Community Re-Group After Mosque Fire

02 November 2018

Thinking of others is what members of Stirling Youth Advocates (SYA) program do best. A City of Stirling initiative, the SYA is a passionate group of young volunteers aged between 12 and 25 who make positive changes in the community.

Most recently, the group has been busy fundraising to support the Masjid Al-Taqwa Mosque in Mirrabooka, after a suspected arson fire damaged the local place of worship in late August.

When a couple of group members heard about the incident, they soon enlisted the help of fellow students at Balcatta Senior High School as well as their home economics teacher and school principal to get cooking for a fundraising bake sale. 

In September, SYA members Suhasi Patel and Joshua Barron visited the City’s main administration building to sell a delicious array of treats to City staff including cupcakes, scones and scrolls. The duo raised an impressive $280.00 from the bake sale that will go towards repairs at the mosque. In addition, Balcatta Senior High School students also held a fundraising music talent show that has added another $73.00 to the total.    

When the fire outside the mosque occurred on 26 August, the City’s Waste Team assisted by collecting fire-damaged furniture and materials and Mayor Mark Irwin awarded some discretionary funds to help pay for repairs. This followed an initial visit to the mosque by Mayor Mark Irwin and Cr David Boothman soon after the incident happened.

Mayor Irwin said the unfortunate incident has ultimately helped strengthen bonds across the community, with young local young people leading the way. “It’s a fantastic display of community spirit from Stirling Youth Advocates and the Balcatta High School,” Mayor Irwin said. “I think it’s inspiring that this group of young people has made such an effort to support others.”

Suhasi, Joshua and Prinicpal Maitland have since visited the mosque to hand over a grand total of $353.00 to Imam Moegamat Davids. The students also toured the mosque and talked with the Imam about how they went about raising the money with the help of the Balcatta Senior High School community.

Young people keen to join the SYA should email familyservices@stirling.wa.gov.au or phone the City on (08) 9205 8555 for more details.

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