It should be celebrated when local non-profit organizations get national recognition.
Zaman International, based out of Inkster, helps women and children who are in extreme poverty.
Founder Najah Bazzy is being featured this week as a CNN Hero.
“Zaman means time and its about how we spend our time in the stewardship of others.”
Time is measured in decades for Bazzy. She’s been helping the community since 1996, focusing on those in extreme poverty.
“Poverty line is $25,000 for a family of four and our clients love below $10,000.”
The mom of four and grandmother of three uses her maternal instincts in everything she does, like watching her organization be in the spotlight.
“I’m excited that it’s standing on its own two feet, kind of like graduating as though you would your own child.”
Zaman International helps women and children through their food pantry, with clothing and furniture donations, literacy programs and vocational training, like culinary arts and sewing.
“It’s really surrounded around hope and dignity.”
Bazzy says it’s important to help mothers succeed and as a former cardiovascular nurse says uses a great analogy.
“I see the mother of the family as the beating heart of that family and she has all these clogged arteries, the arteries being lack of food, lack of clothing, lack of shelter, lack of economic stability,” she explained.
CNN Heroes will narrow down a field and name a list of top ten heroes later this year. They posted Najah’s story Thursday, along with a link to donate.
“Ninety-four cents on every dollar toward programming so we are a stellar non-profit in that sense.”
Najah hopes this international recognition will help them continue their work.
If she is named as the CNN Hero, she gives all the credit to her volunteers and staff.
“Their recognition not just my recognition.”
To learn more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/12/us/cnnheroes-najah-bazzy-zaman-international/index.html
http://www.zamaninternational.org/
To donate: https://www.crowdrise.com/donate/project/najah-bazzy-zaman-international/zaman
