Bringing a Community Online
Ayman Edris and Dr Hamdi Saadi
Wow! 2020 has been one rollercoaster of a year so far. It has forced us to change, think differently and adapt. COVID-19 has disrupted a lot of the core functionalities and operations of the Hararian Organisation. Throughout the year, the Hararian Organisation caters to various individuals: young, old, Harari and non-Harari.
It all started in Ramadan 1441/2020. The Hararian Organisation went from planning multiple lessons, events, Iftars, and gatherings at the Markaz to being forced into quarantine and social distancing which rendered all previous plans obsolete. This initiated a major shift in which the organisation decided to move the whole community online in the space of 2 weeks during perhaps its busiest time of the year. With the move to an online platform, it was important that the community needed to maintain its services, albeit on a different medium. It leveraged video-conferencing application Google Meet to provide an extensive Ramadan Program consisting of online lessons, organisation meetings, discussion circles, interactive quizzes and even community check-ins.
Four general lessons, both in English and Harari, were provided every evening for various age-groups: primary youth (7-11 years), secondary youth (12-14 years), senior youth (15 years and over) and seniors. Throughout the day, lessons were provided in Qur’an recitation, Arabic and History. The combined numbers for the participants of the various online rooms would range from 160-200 people per night, with various international individuals tuning in and contributing. It was a great accomplishment by the organisation and many people appreciated the active presence of their community through these times of isolation.
With the Ramadan program being a success, the organisation began utilising different video conferencing and streaming platforms such as Zoom and YouTube live and thus expanding its reach to a wider audience than ever before. It expanded its online presence far more than Ramadan lessons; having now changed the way events are performed by moving Khatimat and Shawwal Eid online whilst maintaining strict social distancing guidelines. This allowed face-to-face online social meetups for the many people who had been stuck at home through isolation and more importantly the continuations of religious events amidst a pandemic.
Al-Huda School is the cornerstone of Islamic and language education for the Hararian Organisation and the start of its second semester was not immune to disruption. Having successfully transformed many of our events to an online platform, the school management began planning on how to put two campuses with approximately 200 students online. Following numerous internal discussions with teachers and parents, the 13th of June marked the start of a new era and achievement for the school. The second semester proceeded as initially planned, albeit a different medium but remained focussed and driven in providing quality education to its students.
Overall, it was an enormous accomplishment by the community and many people appreciated the active presence of their community through these times of isolation. Although circumstances prevented the organisation from celebrating the blessed month of Ramadan and other religious events in a previously accustomed format, the community adapted quickly in providing a unique experience that will be forever remembered.