Influenced by the Muslim community where he grew up, Arafat Magaula embraced Islam 18 years ago and has since dedicated himself to helping those in need in his country as a volunteer for the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV).
Born in the Mbezi Makabe neighborhood of Dar es Salaam, 36-year-old Arafat studied Turkish for one year and theology for two years at Marmara University after arriving in Türkiye in 2016. Impressed by the generosity of the Turkish people, he decided to continue his relationship with Türkiye through volunteer work upon returning to Tanzania.
Arafat now works with the TDV to deliver aid to impoverished communities, particularly in rural areas. His efforts include distributing food and opening water wells, improving both access to resources and local quality of life.
“Before the wells were built, people had to walk several kilometers for water. Now, they thank us and say, ‘May God bless you,’” he said.
To reach people in need and provide assistance, Arafat decided to become a TDV volunteer. In rural areas, he carries out activities such as food aid distribution and digging water wells on behalf of TDV.
He highlighted that before water wells were built, people had to walk many kilometers to access water, and they expressed their gratitude once wells were established. He concluded, "Here, I work as a TDV volunteer to help people and to contribute to the development of Islam."
