Generosity at Ramadan helps millions of vulnerable children around the world
Children in conflicts, Education in emergencies, Refugees and internally displaced people, Right to education, Teachers and learning
As Muslims mark the start of the holy month today, charities and relief organisations are ensuring their generosity makes a difference to聽those living in poverty and emergencies.
For 1.6 billion Muslims around the world, the holy month of聽Ramadan begins today. It is a time to fast, pray, reflect and do charitable acts.
Millions of people benefit from the generosity of Muslims at this time of year – including some of the most vulnerable children affected by poverty, conflict and disaster.
British 2.8 million聽Muslims gave 拢100 million ($130 million) to charitable causes during Ramadan last year – that’s about 拢38 per second. Much of that money went to helping children around the world into education.
In Dubai,聽3000 volunteers will assemble 50,000 school kits to be distributed to Syrian refugee children in Jordan. The film below shows a similar event last year.
The philanthropic organisation聽Dubai Cares聽is holding the聽Back to School edition of Volunteer Emirates during Ramadan from June 17 to 22.聽Get聽more information here.
Dubai Cares helps millions of children in 39 countries聽to access quality primary education. Among its projects are building and renovating schools, providing school meals,聽childhood education and聽teacher training.
At the launch of its Ramadan 2017聽campaign, Dubai聽Minister of State Reem Al Hashemi said:聽聽国产视频淚n the UAE, education has been made the number one priority. You all know how powerful our leadership is on education. We国产视频檙e trying to do that in other parts of the world. The power of partnership is unbreakable.”
At the British relief and development agency聽Muslim Aid,聽Ramadan accounts for about 50% to 60% of its annual income from individual donations, according to fundraising chief聽Basit Khan.
“We’re targeting 拢7 million this year from UK donors,” he told 国产视频.聽“More than half of our income at this time of year聽is Zakat (an annual compulsory payment for charity). But people also give聽extra donations on top of that.”
Muslim Aid operates in more than 70 countries and聽responds to emergencies. But it聽also works on聽strategic programmes to eliminate poverty – with one of the focuses being education. It helped almost two million people聽with their education last year.
“We are providing children with education, as well as paying for聽books and school fees,” said Basit. “We also provide聽families with support in terms of food, which will allow their children to聽go to school rather than have to聽work.”
This year, the focus of Muslim Aid’s聽Ramadan campaign is the people who give. There are four adverts聽showing people of different ages聽who are typical of those giving to Muslim Aid.
“The heart of the organisation is the donor,” said Basit.聽“We are a means of the donor to give to the beneficiary. We are trying something聽different this year聽that we hope will grow.”
Muslim Aid is also holding a series of Sunset Walks on Saturday, June 10, with people of all or no faiths. The walks will include聽Birmingham,聽Manchester and London, which will start at St Paul’s Cathedral at 7.30pm聽and finish at the East London Mosque at dusk.
Since 1984, Islamic Relief聽has saved and changed over 100 million lives. It has offices in more than 40 countries – carrying out聽disaster relief, as well as聽sustainable development work such as education.
Last year, the British-based charity received an amazing 拢10.2 million in donations during Ramadan. This allowed them to help thousands of families around the world and to reach the milestone of supporting 50,000 orphans.
Islamic Relief said:聽“During the blessed month of Ramadan, our fast serves as a reminder of the hardships that millions of people living in poverty endure daily.
“Right now we are on the ground in more than 40 countries around the world, ready to assist the most vulnerable people.”
Its current appeals include Syria, East Africa and Yemen, where emergencies have left聽millions of children are out of school and at risk of child labour, child marriage, abuse and exploitation.
Ramadan facts
Ramadan 2017聽begins on Friday, May 26 and ends on Saturday, June 24.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, which operates on a lunar system.
Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims whose savings meet or exceed certain values are obliged to give 2.5% of their annual savings to the poor and needy and for the welfare of the Muslim community.聽
Sadaqah is voluntary. It can be given to anyone at any time and be any value. It can include food, clothing or other gifts.
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