BALING: Two hundred primary school pupils are ready to return to school in tailored uniforms, thanks to Islamic Aid Malaysia's (IAM) 'Back-To-School 2025' programme held at SK Siong here yesterday.
IAM president Zawahir Abdullah said the programme, co-organised with Etiqa Takaful, aimed to ease the burden of low-income families by providing school essentials.
"This initiative covers eight outreach sessions, with Kedah being the third stop after Selangor and Pahang.
"It will extend to Perak, Johor, Kelantan, Sarawak and Sabah, ensuring Etiqa Takaful's zakat contributions reach those in need.
"The programme will benefit 1,600 pupils nationwide.
"Today's event saw the distribution of school uniforms to 200 underprivileged pupils, including those from SK Siong and 'asnaf' (hardcore poor) children from Baling.
"For efficient distribution, the uniform measurements were taken during the event to ensure proper fitting," he said in a statement today.
The contributions were presented by Etiqa northern region director Hazli Mohamed Kassim.
Each pupil received two sets of uniforms, a school bag, a prayer mat and two pairs of shoes with socks.
In addition to the initiative, IAM and Etiqa Takaful provided outdoor water filters to a Desa Keda surau in the district under its "Clean Water Supply 2024" project.
Zawahir thanked Etiqa Takaful for the opportunity to collaborate on projects that benefit communities in need.
"Our goal is to ensure these children are well-equipped for school with essential supplies and to bring them joy through this assistance," he added.