ENGAGING with the community is important to madrasah students, Nur Herlyn Marsha Nur Hisham, and Najiyyatul Marghfirah Roslan, both students at Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah (MAI).

Nur Herlyn Marsha is a recipient of Progress Fund Madrasah Assistance Scheme (PROMAS) and winner of the Madrasah Student Awards (MSA) while Najiyyatul Marghfirah, is a recipient of the Progress Fund Madrasah Assistance Scheme (PROMAS) and winner of PROMAS Performance Award and Madrasah Student Awards (MSA) for 2022.

The Progress Fund Madrasah Assistance Scheme (PROMAS) is a financial assistance scheme to support the educational and developmental needs of Madrasah students from Zakat-receiving and low-income families so as to facilitate improved academic performance. On top of PROMAS, good performing PROMAS recipients will be awarded the annual PROMAS Performance Awards (PPA) – an award to recognize the achievements of Secondary and Pre-University PROMAS recipients, who despite their disadvantaged background, manage to improve and perform academically well, with the assistance of PROMAS.

Meanwhile, the Madrasah Student Awards (MSA) offers recognition to students who excel in secular and religious subjects. The awards are divided into four categories, which include the Secular Subjects Award, Religious Subjects Award, Secular Subjects Progress Award, and Religious Subjects Progress Award. Each award category acknowledges the top 5% of Singaporean Citizen students for every cohort level from the six Madrasahs based on their performance and improvement in either secular or religious subjects over a one-year period.

Since she was in primary school, Nur Herlyn Marsha, 16, has been involved with volunteer activities at the local mosques, mostly at Masjid Al-Falah or Masjid Al-Muttaqin during Ramadan. Now, a secondary four student in MAI, who will be taking her GCE ‘O’ Level examinations this year, she also participates in mosque camps regularly.

At the recent Nur Night series camp at Masjid Al-Mawaddah, she had the opportunity to bond and exchange ideas with other youth participants.

“As madrasah students, we have to be aware that the community helps fund our education. Hence, apart from studying hard to show our appreciation, it is also nice to contribute to the community whenever possible,” said Nur Herlyn Marsha.

On top of the PROMAS, Nur Herlyn Marsha, also received the Madrasah Student Award and Religious Subjects Progress Award.

The fourth child of seven siblings, has been selected for the Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) at Nanyang Polytechnic and has interests to pursue her tertiary education in business.

Sharing her passion in business, Nur Herlyn Marsha, said while growing up, she observed her mother selling food from home and found it fascinating how her mother managed the customers and finances.

Today, her mother has stopped selling food from home but still manages the family’s finances. Her father is currently the sole breadwinner of the family, working as a sepak takraw coach, while her first two elder siblings are currently applying for jobs.

Hoping to excel in her ‘O’ Level examinations where she is taking seven subjects – English, Malay, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Arabic and Islamic Religious Knowledge – Nur Herlyn Marsha feels that the madrasah education has instilled important values in her life.

“One such value is a constant reminder from my teachers who reminds us the importance of sharing our knowledge with others because the more we give, the more we will receive,” said Nur Herlyn Marsha.

Another student from MAI, Najiyyatul Marghfirah, aspires to engage with the community by working in the medical field in the future.

“I have always wanted to be a doctor since I was four or five years old so that I can help people and I hope I can realise my ambition one day,” said Najiyyatul Marghfirah who is in secondary two and has interests in becoming a neurologist or a psychiatrist.

She is currently taking the academic and ukhrawi subjects such as English, Malay, Arabic, Art, Geography, Mathematics, Dirasat Deeniyah, Islam and Science, Quran and Research Skills Program and hopes to be in the triple science class – studying physics, chemistry and biology – next year.

Najiyyatul Marghfirah, the youngest of four siblings, received her fourth PROMAS Performance Award in 2022. Previously, she received the award whilst in Primary 3 and 5 and in Secondary 1.

Other than the award, she has been honoured with two Madrasah Student Awards for the categories, Religious Subjects and Secular Subjects. She is also a beneficiary of the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

Her dad, who is the sole breadwinner of the family, works in the delivery line, while her three elder siblings are in universities.

Aware of the community’s support towards madrasah’s education, Najiyyatul Marghfirah said, “The community’s support has encouraged me to work harder so that I can one day, contribute back to the community.”

She added, “My education in madrasah has also allowed me to learn more about science and Islam and this encouraged me to work harder to pursue my dreams to be a doctor. I also feel closer to Allah s.w.t..”

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