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VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 1 | MAY 2014

A quarterly overview of what we’ve been doing together

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Addressing UK Poverty

Prison Mentors Pave the Way

A Warm Heart Thank You

MA Sri Lanka Responds

MA Sweden Starts Work

Screaming Tears Event Raises 20k

Mushroom Cultivation Training

Myanmar In Figures-2014

Spotlight on Abdul Ghani

Tsunami 10 Years On

Voices From The FieldBeity

Restoring Hope Syria’s Child Refugees

I Want To Be An Optician

Development for BeginnersFood Security

Shakhura Visits Delaxan

I Want To Be A Nurse

Rucksack Challenge

School Harvest Empowers Kids

Al-Tirmidhi

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Do not turn away a poor man…even if all you can give is half a date. If you love the poor bring them near you…God will bring you near

Him on the Day of Resurrection.”

[ MA

supports water irrigation, post-tsunam

i Indonesia ]

The world in 2015 has already presented major challenges. While we rejoice at the

propect of the economy improving and the low cost of fuel in the UK, 13 million people

in Britain still don’t have enough to live on. When you think of the UK being the world’s

sixth largest economy, the reality of families not being able to afford food seems absurd.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies predict poverty levels in the UK will rise between 2015

and 2020. Our UK Development team are working on projects to improve the lives of

families and individuals who are struggling to get by. We fund soup kitchens, donate to

food banks, provide hardship funds and raise awareness of poverty so that the public can

help poor families within their own community. You can read about our school harvest

project for families living under the poverty line on page 11. Also through our Warm

Hearts campaign we’ve helped just under 900 homeless and 350 elderly people with warm

clothing and sleeping bags for those living rough on the streets.

Of course, Muslim Aid is very busy in other parts of the world. A decade ago, the tsunami

caused mass destruction all over Asia and parts of east Africa. Ten years on, Muslim Aid

has worked with partners and governments to reconstruct the infrastructure of many

countries that were hit badly by the tsunami, especially Indonesia, where a gruelling task

to rebuild the country has seen the region recover from the worst. We are proud of our

post-reconstruction work and you can read about what we achieved on page 16.

We only just entered the new year when flash floods in Sri Lanka caused one million

people to flee their homes. Our Sri Lanka field office responded with immediate effect

and as usual we responded with emergency aid to help people get by. You can read about

our work on page 18.

Since 1985 the driving force behind our staying power has always been one of faith and

resilience. Amidst the challenges presented by conflict, natural disasters and political

systems, we will continue to serve people in need.

We are, 30 years and still counting.

Amina Rafique, Editoramina@muslimaid.org

Addressing[ An Indonesian woman supported by MA’s post-tsunami reconstruction programmes ]

Muslim Aid News: UK Update

76

Prison Mentors MA SwedenPave theWay Starts it’s Work

Muslim Aid’s prison mentoring service supports

offenders during their difficult transition from

imprisonment to mainstream society. Since 2013,

Muslim Aid has been training mentors to engage in

one -to-one relationships with offenders regardless

of race, religion and gender, in order to guide

them to a better life outside of prison. Mentors

have also been trained to help support the

families of prisoners at designated visitor centres.

Yasmin Mulbocus was trained last year and works

hard at her role, especially as women prisoners face

greater stigma as the gender less likely to commit

crime. “Females tend to be branded as ‘doubly deviant,

doubly damned’ and therefore we empower women to

make informed choices to become better citizens. One

particular prisoner was very resilient to change. The

more I mentored her, the more her anger broke and she

now feels more positive about wanting to lead a good

life once she is released. She wants to get a new skill and

a job,” she said.

There’s also a ‘befriending’ service for offenders with

limited sentences. As their time in prison is short,

a befriending service is more suited than long-term

mentoring. Muslim Aid’s Prison Project Officer, Omar

Mulbocus explained how this service is an important

part of the mentoring programme: “Every single

prisoner needs to speak to someone for support in order

to deal with the eventuality of the outside world once

they are released. It helps them stay motivated not to

re-offend if they know society is looking out for them.”

The mentoring service doesn’t stop short here either.

Muslim Aid works in partnership with the Kensington

and Chelsea Volunteer centre. Ex-offenders can work

voluntarily at the centre and also receive training on

skills like plumbing. After completing the training, the

centre helps them to find paid plumbing work.

As Yasmin explained: “Prisoners are people, we can’t

judge them for their crime but must help them better

their lives to become valued members of our society.”

With the mentoring scheme, Muslim Aid aims to

reduce reoffending rates through support thus breaking

the cycle of crime. And, in just one sentiment, Yasmin

defined the mentoring scheme; “when they [offenders]

say ‘come back again, miss’….it makes me feel like, yes,

we’re doing our job well.”

For more information on the Prison Mentoring

Scheme and to become a mentor contact 020 7377

4200 or visit Muslimaid.org.

Since the grand opening of our Sweden office in

September 2014, over £10,000 has been raised for

campaigns and community based projects through

mosque collections, bazaars and other fundraising

events. Salman Mujtaba from Muslim Aid has been

overseeing the coordination of the office and said: “Our

message is to educate and inform the Swedish public

about the work Muslim Aid do and encourage active

involvement from volunteers to help out on community

based projects. Our support has been positive. Muslim

Aid will be doing some great work here.”

So far Muslim Aid Sweden have been supporting

a soup kitchen for the homeless in Stockholm and

will undertake further community fundraising and

volunteer engagement events, mainly in Stockholm but

also in Malmo and Gothenburg. Muslim Aid Sweden

has also scheduled an event in April 2015 where the King

of Sweden has been invited, in addition to international

NGO’s, Ministers and heads of faith groups.

[ A mentee being trained at HQ ]

[ Fundraising in action, MA Sweden ]

RucksackChallenge

In response to the suffering of those sleeping rough on Britain’s streets,

Muslim Aid launched it’s Rucksack Challenge to help bring warmth

to those who might otherwise brave the winter freeze without proper

clothing, food or even just a sleeping bag.

Launched in November last year, the Rucksack Challenge presents a

simple way for communities and individuals to engage with people who

currently have nowhere but the cold streets to lay their head at night. By

asking our volunteers to simply fill rucksacks with winter essentials like

a sleeping bag, hats, scarves and food items, Muslim Aid encouraged

its volunteers to act on the problem of homelessness that often gets

overlooked.

Speaking on his Rucksack Challenge experience, UK Programmes

Officer at Muslim Aid, Ahmad Teladia, said: “It makes you realise that

you need to go beyond stereotypes. Many of the people we have met were

working or studying, then suddenly everything falls apart and they’re

homeless. It can happen to anyone.”

So far, over 500 rucksacks have been distributed by Muslim Aid

volunteers up and down England. Through social media networks and

by word of mouth, volunteer teams were organised to distribute the

rucksacks to local people in need.

As part of the Warm Hearts Winter Campaign, the sharing of rucksacks

with rough sleepers is part of our yearly drive to come to the aid of our

most vulnerable neighbours in the cold winter months. It is estimated

that over 30,000 people die every year due to illnesses related to the cold

weather, many of whom are homeless on Britain’s streets.

Following on from this positive start, Muslim Aid will continue the

Rucksack Challenge throughout the year, with the aim of raising

awareness about homelessness and extending help to people in other

areas of the UK.

Muslim Aid News: UK Update

1110

Our Warm Hearts Winter campaign came to an end in

February. Thanks to you, we were able to reach so many

people who needed the extra help to keep warm and

safe over winter. We reached just under 900 homeless

people and 350 elderly people with our keep warm kits,

which included sleeping bags, warm clothing and food.

We also supported our regular fortnightly soup kitchen,

for the homeless and the elderly. Over £1,000 worth of

As part of Muslim Aid’s Warm Hearts Winter

campaign, pupils from different schools around London

were invited to take part in a harvest project to donate

canned and packet foods for the homeless and for

families living under the poverty line. UK Programme

Officer, Ahmad Teladia, who has been leading the

school harvest project, said: “The young have the power

to make a change for future generations. We’ve worked

with primary schools to ensure kids understand social

issues about the environment they live in and become

more active members of society.” Head Teacher at

London’s Gatton School, Rifat Batool, welcomed the

initiative: “The Warm Hearts Winter Campaign allows

our pupils to reflect deeply on appreciating what they

have to eat and the warmth their homes offer. This

further supports the instilling of the values we hold –

food was also donated to 46 families living under the

poverty line.

All this was made possible by our kind donors and the

200 nationwide volunteers who came to help us achieve

our goals. So here at Muslim Aid, we would like to say a

big thank you to you all. Please continue to support our

winter campaign at the end of the year again.

On 16th January 2015, Muslim Aid, along with the

Bishnat Regeneration Trust UK (BRTUK), organised

a fundraising event, ‘screaming tears’, to raise money

for the Rainbow Family Child Sponsorship programme

and the Myanmar emergency campaign. Over £20,000

was raised during the evening. Highlights of the event

included guest speakers, Ajmal Masroor and Yasmin

Khatun, both broadcast journalists and Sheikh Sham

Ad Duha Muhammed, Director of Ebrahim College,

London. Abul Kalam, MA’s senior fundraising officer

was pleased with the 200 strong turn out and said: “It

was good to see so many young professional Bengalis

show their support and generosity. 20 orphans were

sponsored at this event, that’s 20 little lives and their

families lives changed for the better.” The evening ended

with nasheeds sung by the up and coming artist, Faisal

Salah.

of teamwork, responsibility, equality and respect for

others.” As part of the project, the MA team attended

school assemblies to raise awareness amongst the kids

about poverty in the UK. The food was then distributed

to local food banks and soup kitchens, which are

frequented by homeless people and families who are

facing hardship. Mohammed Mamdani, Director of

the Food Bank, Sufra, in north London, shared his

appreciation of the project: “Each week, our food bank

supports 120 people who do not have enough to eat. We

are completely reliant on generous food donations from

schools, charities and the general public. We are very

grateful for the continued support of MA.” Overall, the

harvest project will be one of many that will encourage

local communities to do their part in addressing social

poverty in their respective areas.

A Warm Heart

Screaming Tears

School Harvest

Event Raises 20k

Empowers Kids

[ High-fives from pupils at London’s Gatton School ][ Broadcaster, Ajmal Masroor helps fundraise ]

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Meet Muslim Aid’s Desk Manager for Overseas

Programmes, Abdul Ghani Hussein. There’s more to

him than meets the eye as we find out about his keen

interest in swimming, dabbling with acting and being

a nomad at heart.

Tell me about yourself and what you do at MA?

I am one of the Desk Managers for Asia. I am also the

HQ focal point for the countries I look after. I support

the field offices through capacity building, project

implementation and monitoring, administration,

budgetary matters and proposals. In five years time I

would like to work for a larger International NGO such

as the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) to serve

more people in need.

Tell us something we don’t know about you already?

I used to act for a theatre group in Syria while I was a

student at University. I enjoy swimming, and although

I don’t cook, I am a professional at cleaning dishes – an

expert if I may say so myself. I have lived in various

countries. I was born in Somalia, brought up in UAE,

obtained my undergraduate degree from Syria, lived in

Yemen, Kenya and Denmark and now live the UK. I left

Somalia at the age of three and since then I have been a

nomad; home is where I lay my hat.

Why do you like working at MA?

Working at MA gives me the opportunity to be part

of the process of changing the lives of the poor.

MA is unique. Although we are smaller than other

International NGO’s, we still manage to reach

hundreds and thousands of people each year with our

programmes. We have a very good reputation among

the local community wherever we work. For me, that’s

proof of our success.

What does charity mean to you?

It means thinking of others who are less fortunate than

us, regardless of religion, ethnicity and gender - all for

the sake of humanity. Sometimes when I feel down, I

remember a woman I met in Gaza. She was born in

the camps for displaced people, and still lives there. She

has four disabled children and struggles because she is

very poor. But her courage and strength to continue

with life and her smile and confidence was the most

important lesson I learned about misfortune. Suffering

can either break or make you. Working in charity has

helped me shape how I feel about personal tribulations

in comparison to others who don’t have what I have.

Spotlight On

[ Abdul gives his best smile ]

NIGHT RIDERchallenge

Take in more than 50 sights in London for a uniquecharity bike ride at night, whilst raising money for Muslim Aid!

Breaking the cycle of poverty

events@muslimaid.org

muslimaid.org

Sign up now!

Muslim Aid News: UK Update

1514

Bukhari

“Those who work for you are your brothers. Allah (SWT) has made them

your assistants.”

[ MA’s housing project, post-tsunami Indonesia ]

A decade after the tsunami claimed the lives of 230,000 people and left around five million homeless in Asia and east Africa, Muslim Aid were one of the first agencies on the ground to respond with emergency aid and long-term development programmes. Ten years on and positive inroads have been made to build the infrastructure of many regions torn apart by the disaster. Large-scale reconstruction and aid efforts conducted by governments and international and local agencies has seen the region on the road to recovery.

Since 2005, Muslim Aid and its partners have provided 3,000 temporary shelters and 2,500 permanent houses for affected communities in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Somalia. Despite the numerous challenges faced in the wake of the disaster, including limited supplies and ongoing conflict in some regions, Muslim Aid worked with resilience to also provide communities with schools, roads and bridges, especially in Aceh, Indonesia, where the impact of the earthquake was felt the most. In India, Muslim Aid and its partners built 100 houses in Tamilnadu and construction for a further 50 houses are underway.

Muslim Aid Indonesia also included projects aimed at enhancing local capacities in the education sector, skills development, economic empowerment and other social activities. For example in 2004, MA Indonesia implemented a mangrove plantation project, with more than 15,000 seedlings provided. In addition, workshops and an awareness campaign to promote mangrove planting has also been implemented. Although mangroves cannot prevent tsunamis and floods, they can act as a natural barrier and minimise the damage caused to the environment.

The project itself is an excellent example of how donors, aid agencies and host governments can learn from each other to enhance community coordination and local strength. For example, in Sri Lanka, providing housing not only fulfilled a basic need but also helped calm tensions between ethnic groups, which were made worse by poverty and the lack of basic provisions.

Muslim Aid has also focused on better preparing affected communities by providing water and sanitation facilities, building flood mitigation systems and improving roads and drainage. People have also benefitted from education and livelihood support. For example, along with the construction of houses in Somalia, Muslim Aid provided 80 fishing boats with nets and supplies to help those who had lost their living to the tsunami.

Tsunami10 Years On

[ A cheerful woman enters the beginnings for her new house funded by MA, Indonesi]

Muslim Aid News: Overseas Update

1918

During January 2015, Sri Lanka experienced

destructive flash floods and mudslides which killed

39 people and caused more than 1 million people to

flee their homes. The flooding damaged over 15,000

homes with 5,000 houses completely destroyed. Muslim

Aid’s rapid response team delivered 1,000 emergency

packs consisting of items such as toiletries, mosquito

nets and bed sheets to assist people with the upheaval

of being homeless. Dry food packs and clean water

were also given to people affected by the flood. Recent

distribution of emergency relief includes dry food packs

for 1,380 families. Muslim Aid is currently cleaning

wells that have been contaminated in order to ensure

people have access to clean water.

MA Sri LankaResponds to Flash Floods

Muslim Aid Indonesia’s field office has been delivering

training in mushroom cultivation for the people of Tete

Batu village, Kecamatan Sikur, Kabupaten East Lombok.

Field Officer, Rama Aditya explained how the trainees are

involved in preparing 1,500 mushrooms which will be

harvested in two to three months. According to Muslim

Aid Indonesia, over 224,000 of East Lombok residents

live under the poverty threshold. Training residents will

be one solution to improve the communities welfare.

As part of Muslim Aid’s livelihood programme, people

will be trained in all aspects of mushroom cultivation in

order to work for a living. In addition, the training will

also introduce people to climate change and disaster

risk reduction. The entire program is expected to last a

duration of 10 months, ending in May 2015.

Mushroom CultivationTraining In Indonesia

[ Food distribution for flash floods victims ]

“I would like to be a specialist eye doctor so that I can

treat people who suffer from eye pain,” said a confident

Abdullah from Gaza. At just six years old, he has

already lived through three wars. Yet despite being

visually impaired by shrapnel wound, Abdullah smiles

beautifully for the camera and enjoys playing with his

school friends.

As an orphan, he lives with his aunt and six family

members in a two room dilapidated house, far from

public services such as transport, schools, and hospitals.

The entire family have to walk miles to get anywhere.

The house lacks basic amenities. There isn’t a fridge, TV,

heating or ventilation shaft in sight. The summers are

too hot and the winters are harsh. This is the sad reality

for hundreds and thousands living in Gaza. Decades

of conflict, economic sanctions and poverty have taken

its toll for Gaza’s residents. Children bear the brunt the

most, as access to education and healthcare is a challenge.

Abdullah’s wish to become an optician resonates deeply

for him as he suffers from convulsions and loss of

memory. Due to his eye condition, he needs constant

medical attention. His aunt was unable to afford the

medical treatment needed for Abdullah. She feared for

the future of his eyesight as she was also unable to afford

transport to get to the clinic. Thankfully, Abdullah was

enlisted under the Rainbow Family Child Sponsorship

programme and was given a donor. Since then all his

medical and transportation fees are covered. He now

has a new pair of glasses to protect his eyes from the

dust which was causing further damage to his eyes.

The Rainbow Family team pay frequent visits to his

home to check up on him. Abdullah’s school expenses

are also covered and food is given to the family. And,

just like every little child living in Gaza, he dreams the

same dream – to go to school to become someone.

I Want to bean Optician

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Food Security

For many in the developing world, access to long-term food has become a challenge as poverty, disasters, conflict and climate change play a detrimental role in hampering long-term food security and production. In this issue, we look at how food security affects poor communities in the developing world and how MA is committed to ensuring long-term food access for communities.

What is Food Security?

The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. Food security analysts look at the combination of the following three main elements:

Food availability: Food must be available in sufficient quantities and on a consistent basis. It considers stock and production in a given area and the capacity to bring in food from elsewhere, through trade or aid. Food access: People must be able to regularly obtain sufficient quantities of food, through buying, home production, borrowing or food aid. Food utilization: Consumed food must have a positive nutritional impact on people.

What are the challenges to achieving Food Security? The UN estimates 842 million people are undernourished in the world- the majority live in developing countries. Disruptions to the food supply chain can be caused by a number of factors such as political instability, conflict, climate change and natural disasters. In many parts of Asia, frequent flooding and droughts in Africa have meant soil degradation and has hampered agricultural production. Water deficits in Sub-Saharan Africa has placed a heavy burden on communities living in remote areas. Population growth is another issue as the challenge to feed the world’s population has become a rising concern.

How does MA address food security issues?

Emergencies

Our emergency programmes ensure people who have been affected by conflict and natural disasters have access to long-term food supplies to assist them with the upheaval of losing their livelihoods and home. For the past 30 years we’ve worked in the areas of livelihood,

emergency aid and religious dues to address food security issues. Our most recent work includes:

In 2014, during the recent conflict in Gaza, over 9,000 people were given food parcels to help them cope with being unable to work and get access to food.

The Syrian crisis has seen the biggest influx of refugees in this decade. We’ve delivered emergency food packs to over 18,000 refugees in 2014. Last year we also delivered 1,000 rice sacks to internally displaced families living in camps in Sittwe, Myanmar.

Livelihood Programme

Through our Livelihood programmes, we ensure that poor communities are given the opportunity to obtain an interest-free loan and get trained in a trade-skill for example in agricultural production, livestock rearing, sewing, and general business. This ensures they can earn a living to put food on their table. We’ve implemented livelihood programmes from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Sudan and Bosnia.

In Bosnia, we run a greenhouse, beekeeping and milk farm projects which allow the poor to grow their own vegetables, raise cattle to produce milk and undertake beekeeping to sell honey in the local markets.

Every year, natural disasters such as floods destroy agriculture. The floods in Pakistan in 2013 destroyed livelihoods for thousands. Muslim Aid implemented a programme to re-establish agricultural production and improve food security for 2,400 people. This included poultry support, and supporting agricultural production providing fertilizers, water and pesticides. In 2013 alone, over 47,000 people worldwide were supported through our livelihood programme.

Religious Dues

Our ‘Feed the Fasting’ programme is carried out during Ramadan, and ensures the world’s poorest communities a month’s supply of staple foods to help them through the fasting period. Last year we reached 252,275 people in 39 countries. Our Qurbani programme also reached hundreds and thousands in 40 countries, including displaced people in Syria who were given canned meat.

[ MA

’s gives livestock to families affected by the floods. Livelihood Program

me Pakistan ]

Muslim Aid News: Overseas Update

2322

MA Donor, Shakhura Dawood from West Yorkshire went to Sri Lanka in January to visit 14-year-old Delaxan, whom she supports through the Rainbow Family Child Sponsorship programme. She talks to MA news about her ‘life-changing’ and ‘inspiring’ trip.

Tell us about your decision to sponsor a child through Muslim Aid?

I have been sponsoring a child with Muslim Aid for over two years. I had previously spent time in Sri Lanka working for another charity and I had seen first hand how a child’s education is affected due to hunger, lack of transport, absence of family support and no money to pay for school materials. I knew that a small donation would help a child overcome some of the barriers that we may take for granted. The programme offers excellent opportunities for so many children, whom without this, would not be able to flourish. The programme has the potential to assist in eradicating poverty in the long-term. If children receive a good education they will become less dependent on others when they become adults.

What was it like meeting Delaxan?

I was very excited about my visit and slightly apprehensive as I did not know what to expect. Delaxan lives with his mother, who has a disability, and other relatives. His father went missing when he was very young. The family are Hindus. I was slightly concerned about the language barrier between me and Delaxan and concerned about how I would be received by him and his family but all of these concerns were resolved immediately as they were so welcoming.

What activities did you get up to with Delaxan and his family?

Spending time with him and all his family was memorable. He showed me his school books and I helped him with his homework. I also played cricket with Delaxan, his sister and cousins. The experience was enjoyable. In fact the whole time I spent with him and his family was truly memorable. Saying goodbye was not easy but I hope that an opportunity arises for me to visit him again.

Did you visit other MA programmes in Sri Lanka?

We were busy visiting a number of children that are supported under the Rainbow programme. I also learnt about MA’s microfinance projects, visited housing projects, schools and pre-schools and a day care centre for children with disabilities. I even participated in laying a foundation for the ceremony of a new pre-school. I helped distribute food rations to families in need and I met with many partners that MA work with. The MA staff both in the field and at the Colombo office were helpful, welcoming and supportive throughout my trip. They are very passionate about working for MA. It

[ Shakhura enjoys meeting Delaxan, second to right ]

[ Ramatu beams with confidence ]

was inspiring for me to spend time with such dedicated staff.

What message would you like to give to anyone thinking of sponsoring through Muslim Aid?

Make the pledge. To many of us the money we pledge is small compared to how we spend everyday. To the child and his family the benefits are immediate and long-term. The rewards to us are immeasurable. I have no doubt that my small contribution is making a big difference to Delaxan and his family.

Shakhura Visits Delaxan

I Want tobe a Nurse

15 year old Ramatu from Sierra Leone wants to be a

nurse. Yet she hasn’t always dreamt of becoming one.

Coming from a very poor family in Tonkolili, her life

changed when her father died suddenly in 2003. Her

mother fell sick and was unable to work, leaving her

elderly grandmother to take care of Ramatu and her

three siblings.

Ramatu could not afford to go to school. Her

grandmother used to make money from setting fish

traps for fishermen. With a meager income, she barely

made enough money to put food on the families table.

This all changed in 2011, when a kind donor decided

to sponsor Ramatu through our Rainbow Family Child

Sponsorship programme. Ramatu was able to go back to

school and receive the care a child needs to get through

life. The money through the sponsorship helped Ramatu

with schooling, clothes and medicine for her chronic

asthma. Her grandmother even stopped working as the

sponsorship also helped the family with food expenses.

Ramatu was delighted and now her dream to become

a nurse feels real. She is doing so well at school and

reached fourth in her class for the top exam marks.

Muslim Aid News: Overseas Update

2524

Last Ramadan, Muslim Aid began raising funds for

the running of the Beity orphanage for Syrian children

in Reyhanli, Turkey. Nine months later, a team from

Muslim Aid UK travelled to Turkey to see the progress

that has been made.

“Mother, father, sister, brother, where are you? Where

are you?” sang three year old Sara. “I want to see you;

I want to see you, every day. Every day,” she continued,

blushing with a smile that didn’t reflect the sad reality of

her words. This is because Sara lost her father in Syria,

and her mother to the mental trauma that followed.

Like the two million or so other Syrian child refugees,

Sara was swept from her homeland; her family torn

apart by a conflict that began just months before her

birth. Along with her four siblings, she now resides

at the Beity, a home for children orphaned by Syria’s

ongoing war.

When Muslim Aid visited the Beity Orphanage last

June, the former restaurant building was still being

renovated and refurbished. Less than a year later, the

clanging of construction work and hard labour is

replaced by the laughter of children and the pattering

of small feet. Beity is now a home with space for up

to 100 children to live and reclaim the childhood that

was violently snatched away from them. It is a place

where the children sleep, play, study and eat freshly

cooked Syrian meals; flavours from a place that some

of the children are perhaps too young to remember;

Mujadara, Maqlooba, freshly baked khobez.

“This place is different”, said Yakzan Shishakli, Director

of the Maram Foundation, the charity that runs Beity

orphanage. “They feel like they are at home. They come

inside and they don’t feel shy. And the treatment, I’m

sorry to say, is better than home.” Just a short distance

from the Beity, the truth of Yakzan’s words can be

easily seen. Finding shelter in disused shop fronts and

dingy basements, many Syrian refugees have found

themselves in unimaginable conditions. “We left Syria

and found ourselves living under a staircase,” explained

Umm Salha, a mother of a child at Beity. “Beity is

excellent”, she continued, speaking about two of her

children who currently stay at the home. “The kids have

better treatment and shelter there, treatment that I can’t

even provide for them myself.”

The joy displayed by the kids at Beity, however, is only

testament to the progress achieved by its dedicated

family of volunteers. Beneath many of the smiles are

deep scars, the mental wounds caused by the trauma of

war. Many had seen its horrors first hand, whilst others

had been exposed to the desperate acts that their parents

had sadly turned to in order to make ends meet. Some

had even been abused and neglected after their families

were torn apart. Sara’s oldest sister Dena, for instance,

came to Beity with her body covered in black and blue

bruises inflicted by a former guardian. Fortunately for

her and her young siblings, the Beity home ensures that

they receive medical care as well as help for dealing with

mental trauma. At Beity, the children are also given a

chance to achieve their ambitions. Thirteen year old

Ruba is one of the home’s eldest children, a girl whose

eyes shine with optimism and strength. “When I was

young my dad was ill. Before he died, he used to say to

me ‘grow up quickly, I want you to become a doctor one

day’” Ruba explained. “He gave me the affection that I

couldn’t get from my mum because she died when I was

very young”, she continued as her eyes began to reveal

some of the pain that she bore inside, “that’s why I love

him and remember him all the time.”

With such a difficult start in life, the optimism that

Ruba exudes is an inspiration for all. Her determination

to fulfil her father’s dream is unshaken despite the trials

she has faced, and at Beity she now finds the support

needed to achieve her goal. Attending a local school in

the mornings, Ruba comes home to Beity where she can

study and relax in a clean and safe environment. “If

I don’t understand any work from school, I bring my

books back to Beity and the teachers here always help

and explain in a way that is easy for me to understand.”

Whilst many of Syria’s child refugees are out of education

and facing the grim reality of the refugee camps, the

children of Beity are amongst a fortunate few. They are

still able to study, play freely and enjoy some degree of

comfort. Despite having been through the pain of war,

they remain confident, bright and hopeful. Thanks to

the generosity and support of Muslim Aid’s donors, the

children of Beity now have a place they can truly call

home. Now, with the right support and care, they can

recover, rebuild and one day achieve their dreams.

Some names have been changed to protect the identities

of the children.

[ Beity children on their way to school ]

Restoring Hope for Syria’s Child Refugees

Beity

[ Taufiq plays with Mahmood (right) and Irfan from the Beity Orphanage ]

Communications Officer, Taufiq Wan, went to Turkey

in February to visit the Beity Orphange which is

funded by MA. Here he talks to us about his heart-

warming experience meeting the wonderful children

of Beity.

Tell us about your trip to visit the Beity Orphanage?

What is this project about and what are MA doing?

Almost a year after Muslim Aid began raising money for

the upkeep of the Beity orphanage for Syrian children in

Turkey, we went to see the progress that has been made.

When Muslim Aid visited Beity last year, it was just an

empty shell of a building that was still being refurbished.

Now it is home to 50 Syrian refugee children, all of

whom have either lost one or both parents. I wouldn’t

call Beity an orphanage; it is truly a home where the

children are given a chance to recapture the childhood

that was almost snatched away from them. Beity’s staff

are like parents to the kids, many of them have fled

Syria as refugees themselves. They dedicate their time

and energy to raise the children as if they are their own.

How did you feel when you met the kids? How are

they getting on and what are some of their stories?

What experience can you share with us?

Meeting the kids was a truly moving experience. Despite

the terrible things that they have been through, they are

still able to laugh and play as children should. Many

of them have witnessed the horrors of war first hand,

some are psychologically traumatised and one child we

met had even suffered physical abuse. With access to a

broad range of support services, the kids are making

good progress. We met 13 year old Ruba, a girl who

lost both parents in Syria. Despite the calamities she

has faced, she is determined to fulfil her father’s dream

of her becoming a doctor. Then there was 10-year-old

Fatima who said that she wants to open an orphanage,

so that she too can help children one day. I hope that by

living at Beity they will have a good chance at fulfilling

their ambitions.

Is there a particular moment that struck you the most

when talking to the children and why?

After meeting two year old Mahmood, I will never forget

his mischievous grin and the way he would continually

giggle away whilst climbing up onto our shoulders.

Mahmood lost his father in Syria and lives at Beity with

his four older siblings. He would affectionately hug

us when we were there, but was also quick to try and

climb onto us! I left really hoping that the innocence

of children like Mahmood does not become replaced

with anger and negativity, as is sadly the case with many

children caught in conflict. I hope that Mahmood and

his siblings will be among those who will rebuild what

has been broken and do something positive.

What more needs to be done for the orphanage and

how can donors help?

Your donations mean that the children at Beity now

have a comfortable and fully functioning home where

they can play, study and live. This is just one example of

what we can do for the victims of Syria’s humanitarian

disaster. With the conflict ongoing, I would urge our

supporters to keep donating to our Syria related appeals

so that we can make a difference to more lives.

If you would like to make a donation and help the

children of Beity to realise their dreams, please visit:

http://tinyurl.com/syriabeity

35,000

21,000

15,000

21,000 food packsincluding staple foods

given to people in need

35,000 IDPs received rice sacks to ensure daily sustenance

15,000 people given food parcels to last them one month through

our ‘Feed the Fasting’ programme during Ramadan

3,700 children living in IDP camps get back into education as schools are

refurbished and equppied with furniture and kids are given

stationary, books and supplies to help them back into school. Teachers are

given training

3,700

3,330 people attended MA’s Health Clinic - providing outpatient and inpatient services. A delivery and emergency room with 10 hospital

beds were also included.

3,330

19 Hand Pumps built for different villages for

communities living in Sittwe ensuring permanent supply of

fresh clean water.

197 Medical Staff recruited,

including doctors and nurses, to treat patients daily.

7

We’ve been working in the centre of where the conflict began in the Rakhine State of Sittwe. We established a permanent

field office to ensure targeted relief work and long-term development delivery for internally displaced people living in

camps and nearby villages. The conflict meant thousands lost their livelihoods, homes and hope. Yet our donors helped us

to reach thousands in need. Thank you!

Myanmar In Figures 2014

3130

Mission

Volunteer

Comments

Muslim Aid’s mission, guided by the teachings of Islam, endeavours to tackle poverty and its causes by developing innovative and sustainable solutions that enable individuals and their communities to live with dignity and by supporting initiatives that promote economic and social justice. Vision: The alleviation of poverty, education for all, and the provision of basic amenities for those in need to create a world where charity and compassion produce justice, self reliance and human development.

We are always looking for dedicated volunteers. If you would like to contribute and help out at Muslim Aid please contact the Volunteer Department at volunteer@muslimaid.org

We would love to hear your feedback. Please send any comments about our magazine to amina@muslimaid.org

020 7377 4200muslimaid.org

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The silent killers

POVERTYKILLS A

CHILDEVERY

4 SECONDSEvery 4 seconds a child somewhere in the world will die due to preventable causes. Being born into

poverty reduces a child's access to healthcare and nutrition which are the fundamental foundations for a good start in life. Sound health should not be a privilege but a basic human right.

For just £3 a month you can help break the cycle of poverty.

[ Cover Photo: MA helps a man in Indonesia with food aid ]

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