Malakisi is a village in Kenya's Western Province where most people live on less than a dollar a day. The village has a sizable Muslim population but a mosque that was too small and run-down to serve them.
The Malakisi community appealed to Zakat Foundation of America to rebuild their Malakisi Jamia Mosque, built in 1972, describing it as an "old, small, full of cracks, leaking roof, weak walls, bumpy floor and collapsing ceiling mosque." The building could not accommodate the 700 to 800 people who regularly attend Friday prayers. As a result, Jum'ah was prayed outside, rain or shine.
Three weeks ago, by the grace of God, Zakat Foundation of America began constructing a new mosque in its place. The project will take about three months but once the new mosque is completed, the Malakisi community will be able to pray more comfortably for many years to come.