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Islamic Relief works in over 40 countries worldwide, providing life-saving humanitarian aid to those in need, and fighting poverty through sustainable development projects. Inspired by faith, we serve everyone in need regardless of gender, race or religion.
We help impoverished communities access basic services, including education, water, sanitation, and healthcare. Through livelihood projects, skills development and mentorship, we help communities break the cycle of poverty. Our integrated approach to progress helps transform lives worldwide.
By the Grace of God and your generous donations, we are grateful to share the impact of the work you have supported this year.
This impact report features a collection of all the projects we initiated this year, which continue to complement our previous and ongoing work from past years.
Because of you, are reaching over 3.2 million people in 2021 and implementing more than 100 projects to help bring relief and break the cycle of poverty. Every donation you made this year, helped fill someone’s heart with happiness.
She is known for her courageous and bold approach to challenge the treatment of minorities in Canada and has won high profile legal cases in recent years. In addition to her exemplary legal work that she does defending minorities and underrepresented communities she is also an active member of several community, political and religious organizations.
Alhamdulillah, it’s been my absolute privilege and honour to serve our community through Islamic Relief Canada over the last 10 years.
As I reflect back on the last decade, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the increasing level of need. The fractious nature of the disasters that have affected the most vulnerable communities is daunting. Hate, greed and malevolence seem to be abundant in the corridors and palaces of the powerful.
It would be easy for anyone to despair and reach the false conclusion that there is no answer to so much suffering. However, our Islamic values and the divine instruction from our Lord compels us to respond with positive energy and never give in to despair. It would be easy for anyone to despair and reach the false conclusion that there is no answer to so much suffering. However, our Islamic values and the divine instruction from our Lord compels us to respond with positive energy and never give in to despair.
Working together to respond with compassion and virtue is the only answer to suffering for those who believe in a kinder, fairer world. Islamic Relief Canada is an amazing reflection of our communities commitment to doing just that. Collectively, we have built the largest Muslim institution in Canada, I’m humbled by the efforts of so many Canadian Muslims who have rallied together to answer the call. From every corner of our community, mosque leaders, activists, professionals, workers, mothers and children have made it their mission to do good with Islamic Relief Canda.
Our new CEO, Usama Khan, the Board, and the leadership of Islamic Relief Canada are all razor-focused on building our collective capacity to respond to the most pressing challenges. The effects of the climate catastrophe, hatred of the ‘other’, gender injustice, and Islamophobia, all have a heartbreaking effect on the world’s most vulnerable. But together, with Islamic Relief Canada, we will continue to do our duty and tackle the challenges head-on. This way we can meet our Lord and say, we did the best we could. That’s all we are ever responsible for, doing our best.
Thank you for everything you do to help us support the most vulnerable communities both locally and globally. I ask for your valuable and continued support of Usama as he embarks on this great undertaking.
I hope and pray we all continue to support the amazing work of Islamic Relief Canada, that our efforts are grounded in pure intention, and are blessed with success in this life and the next.
Jazakum Allah khair
Your brother,
Zaid Al-Rawni Outgoing CEO, Islamic Relief Canada
After a few difficult years of loss, both of lives and livelihoods, of isolation and fear, our global village has begun to transition to a semblance of normalcy. Despite the state of our world, all of you continued to step up in unprecedented ways, choosing to answer the call.
The pandemic and its effects have worsened inequality. Communities around the world that we hold so close to our hearts are still struggling for dignity, for a chance to not be left behind.
As Canadians, we are blessed with incredible privilege, as Muslims, we have a divine obligation to not ignore the suffering of others. We keep them in our prayers. We raise our voice for the voiceless. We show tremendous generosity with our donations.
This year sees a leadership transition at Islamic Relief Canada. Zaid Al-Rawni has been an instrumental part of the Islamic Relief story for two decades – serving in various capacities in the UK and Sudan before becoming Islamic Relief Canada’s CEO in 2014. He has inspired us with his passion, commitment, warmth, and brilliance. We will honour his legacy by relentlessly pursuing excellence in being a trustworthy organization, an organization Canadians can wholeheartedly rely on to fulfil their obligation of relieving the suffering of people around the world.
May Allah continue to bless this organization, the team at Islamic Relief Canada, and all the donors and volunteers who are always ready to answer the call.
Jazakum Allah khair, and thank you, we cannot do any of this without you!
Usama Khan Incoming CEO, Islamic Relief Canada
While the pandemic required us to be flexible to adapt to changing circumstances and safety recommendations, your support allowed us to persevere and continue our service. Despite the lockdowns and extraordinary circumstances, your donations remained in safe hands.
The Covid-19 pandemic gave way to extraordinary circumstances over the past two years. As the crisis unfolded, our teams all over the world quickly pivoted to prioritize safety, protection and assistance for those who were most vulnerable.
In addition to Covid-19 relief responses, we also took care to adjust our work on the ground to account for the exacerbated needs that Covid-19 brought across all other sectors.
This allowed for a more comprehensive Covid-19 approach to help combat the spread of the virus as well as address the impacts of the pandemic as a whole.
By the grace of God and because of your support, the pandemic did not slow our resolve to continue our work. Rather it pushed us to become even more creative and work more collaboratively to reach those most in need.
With every precaution to protect our beneficiaries, staff and volunteers, we continued safely delivering your support in every way possible. This meant more careful planning and continuous fever checks, handwashing, protective gear, and physical distancing while preparing and delivering aid. Handwashing stations and distance markings on the floor were prepared in advance to protect our beneficiaries and reduce contact as much as possible.
We believe in putting the world’s most vulnerable first, and that an equitable approach is vital to responding to the needs of each community. In collaboration with communities, beneficiaries are chosen using a vulnerability and selection criteria process to ensure we are reaching the individuals and families most in need. The participation of beneficiaries before and during each project ensures that the provided support is specific to their needs
We understand the respective priorities and vulnerabilities of unique groups, including protection risks and accessibility needs. Our responses prioritize the dignity, safety and unique needs of these individuals and groups to mitigate risks and ensure an equitable approach for all.
We take steps to consider how the time and location of an aid distribution impacts people differently, ensuring access for disadvantaged groups such as female-headed households or people with disabilities. This means incorporating measures like designated lines for women, transportation support, or door-to-door delivery.
Our projects also target host community members, refugee communities, as well as internally displaced communities. We understand the sensitive nature of providing services to refugee communities while supporting the host communities they reside in.
Putting each community at the heart of our responses is imperative. This is why we work to ensure that the targeted beneficiary groups are consulted and involved in both the project design and its implementation.
Our responses are rooted in participatory community engagement that considers the needs, barriers, capacities, and opportunities of women, men, girls, and boys. Projects are created in collaboration with communities, where the members of the communities are consulted as they best understand their circumstances.
An example of this is directly involving women and girls in the selection of a water well location or bathroom facilities. This supports the unique safety concerns they may face, and facilitates their ability to partake in economic activities and attain a greater quality of life.
“When I wear this robe, I feel like a young scientist and this motivates me to strive harder to achieve my dream.”
This is Lamar, she’s part of our Empowering Orphans and Vulnerable Children project in Palestine. When we asked her what she thought about being in the program, she couldn’t stop talking!
“When I put my eyes on the telescope for the first time in my life, I didn’t want to close them because of the fantastic and accurate details that I saw there. This was not available in my science classes in school, because there is no telescope at our school. This dream came true once I became one of the beneficiaries of this program that’s run by Islamic Relief. We go on educational trips with Islamic Relief, for example, we went on a trip to the university laboratory. And there, we were able to do scientific experiments with the help of some teachers who instructed us.”
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When a body suffers immense physical trauma, it is not only the bones that break, the mind is pushed to its limits. 28 year old Ahmed was displaced from his village in Northern Hamam Rural and was residing in Al-Nuri camp when he decided to return to his village to retrieve his personal belongings. He was riding his motorbike when a warplane targeted the area he was in, destroying his home and leaving him injured in the debris.
Ahmed fell into a coma for the next month. Doctors at the local Syrian hospital treated him and referred him to a hospital in neighbouring Turkey to continue his treatment. When he woke up in Turkey he was informed of the extent of his injuries, Ahmed had multiple fractures and was suffering from incomplete paralysis of his right side, unable to move.
Once his condition stabilized, he was referred to the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department, an Islamic Relief supported department. Through our project that supports the Rehabilitation Unit in Sarmada, we aim to deliver life saving medical support to the most vulnerable inside Syria.
Skip to: Afghanistan Bangladesh Bosnia Ethiopia India Indonesia Lebanon Mali Nigeria Pakistan Palestine Philippines Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Tunisia Turkey Yemen
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Skip to: Afghanistan Albania & Kosovo Bangladesh Bosnia Chechnya Ethiopia India Indonesia Jordan Kenya Kosovo Lebanon Malawi Malaysia Mali Myanmar Nepal Niger Nigeria Pakistan Palestine Philippines Somalia South Sudan Sri Lanka Sudan Syria Tunisia Turkey Yemen
Islamic Relief employs an integrated approach in our emergency response and development work, and that is why we design our projects to combine multiple sectors.
This means our projects can address a number of cross-cutting issues at the same time, which allows us to serve communities in the way that best meets their needs.
This ensures both an amplified impact and sustainable change.
Supporting vulnerable women and girls with livelihood and educational opportunities Learn more▸
Improving livelihoods of women and youth through agriculture, water wells and livestock support Learn more▸
Empowering impoverished women from Rangpur and Kurigram through economic and livelihood support Learn more▸
Preventing early marriage practices in Rangpur through community awareness, livelihood and financial support Learn more▸
Community management and humanitarian response training for Rohingya women in Cox’s Bazar Learn more▸
Providing water systems, sanitation facilities and hygiene support across schools in Sherpur Learn more▸
Educational support for orphans, children with disabilities and single mothers in rural areas to improve economic opportunities Learn more▸
Providing hot meals, equipment, and training to low-income children and teachers across 11 vocational schools Learn more▸
Empowering women and youth in Meiso through economic support, livelihood, food, and clean water Learn more▸
Providing Syrian refugees and host communities with education, agriculture, psychosocial, hygiene, and cash support Learn more▸
Improving the resilience of Syrian refugees and host communities through livelihood and financial support Learn more▸
Providing clean water, sanitation facilities and climate, economic and protection support in Mandera and Kilifi Learn more▸
Providing education, hygiene, sanitation facilities, water tanks, and child protection support across 2 schools in Kilifi Learn more▸
Improving livelihoods through livestock, agriculture, water wells, and farming training for vulnerable families Learn more▸
Providing water wells, sanitation facilities and hygiene support for families and schools Learn more▸
Supporting refugee and host communities access free primary health care services through our funded pediatric clinic Learn more▸
Improving the well-being of children by providing education, psychosocial, hygiene kits and food support Learn more▸
Providing shelter repair, classroom construction, water wells, sanitation facilities and hygiene support in Blantyre Learn more▸
Improving livelihoods through business training and supportive community spaces for women, girls and people with disabilities Learn more▸
Enhancing resilience through agricultural, livestock, water storage, and protection support in the Circle of Douentza Learn more▸
Addressing concerns of displaced communities in Rakhine with health services, vocational training and building roads Learn more▸
Providing rural Rakhine communities with income, skills training, protection, water systems, sanitation facilities and hygiene support Learn more▸
Preventing gender-based violence through self-defence, education and gender-sensitive sanitation facilities in Rautahat Learn more▸
Improving school infrastructure, providing school materials, and hygiene support in Pokhara Learn more▸
Providing sustainable agriculture development, business support, and women’s rights and hygiene support in Dosso Learn more▸
Protecting vulnerable individuals through protection services, business development, water systems and sanitation facilities in Tillabery Learn more▸
Improving Fakara’s climate resilience with humanitarian aid and engaging in partnerships that protect community rights Learn more▸
Providing two villages with solar water systems, gardens, business equipment and livelihood support for women Learn more▸
Protecting climate and biodiversity through planting trees, constructing dams and climate sensitive policy action Learn more▸
Providing communities with water systems, agricultural support, hygiene support and policy advocacy in Quetta and Harnai Learn more▸
Economic upliftment through agriculture, skills training, grants and water systems for communities in North Waziristan Learn more▸
Improving the livelihoods of widows through business grants, healthcare and educational support Learn more▸
Empowering communities in Muzaffarabad by providing water systems, economic opportunities and farming support Learn more▸
Improving the lives of preschool children by integrating health services into schools and supporting education Learn more▸
Rehabilitating damaged health care clinics, schools and education centres in Gaza Learn more▸
Supporting recovery in Gaza through livelihood, food security, healthcare, and economic support Learn more▸
Providing financial and livelihood support to families and small businesses in Gaza, and repairing water and sanitation facilities Learn more▸
Planting olive trees and supporting the livelihood of farmers and environment conservation Learn more▸
Empowering Gaza’s children, orphans and youth through education and economic opportunities Learn more▸
Helping Gaza youth recover from loss and trauma through psychosocial support Learn more▸
Providing water and sanitation facilities, disaster risk reduction, education and economic support in Ranao Learn more▸
Barrage rehabilitation in the Sabun village to support local agriculture and livelihoods Learn more▸
Providing water supply systems and hygiene support to families in Sanaag Learn more▸
Providing health, education, agriculture, economic support and sanitation facilities to vulnerable communities Learn more▸
Providing displaced, returnee and host communities with agricultural support, livelihood and employment opportunities Learn more▸
Increasing access to safe drinking water through water systems, sanitation facilities and hygiene support in Al Rahad Learn more▸
Installing water pumps to increase access to safe drinking water in Damazine Learn more▸
Improving access to healthcare in Northwest Syria by rehabilitating facilities and providing supplies and counselling Learn more▸
Facilitating one-to-one family sponsorship for vulnerable and orphan families to support their basic needs Learn more▸
Supporting schools with education materials, literacy initiatives, and hygiene and sanitation support Learn more▸
Empowering women in Tataouine through business training, livelihood support, health care and protection support Learn more▸
Improving the lives of Libyan refugees through health, psychosocial, protection and educational support Learn more▸
Skip to: Emergency Response Empowering Indigenous Communities Empowering Vulnerable Youth Health & Medical Poverty Reduction Refugee Support Women Empowerment
With your support, our Orphan Sponsorship Program has helped transform countless lives, families, and communities around the world.
We’ve grown exponentially – just over ten years ago, we were sponsoring 198 orphans around the world. Today, this number is over 20,000. Alhamdulillah!
Your sponsorships protect the wellbeing, safety, health, education and social environments of orphans. We work hard to ensure the well being of the children in our care. Our field officers conduct yearly assessments, in addition to periodic check-ins to ensure the children are safe and looked after.
This allows them to be individually supported, improves family stability and helps sustainable development for the entire community. It’s your generosity that helps fill the gap in their lives. You’ve shown them that they are not alone.
With your support, we distributed food packs in impoverished communities to provide relief during the blessed month of Ramadan. Through this effort, we also distributed your Zakat al-Fitr, Fidya, and Kaffara payments in the form of food supplies to the poorest of the poor.
Food items are procured locally within each country whenever possible to ensure that they’re appropriate for the recipients and beneficial to the economy.
Depending on the region, each food pack holds around 65 pounds of food and is designed to help a family of 5-7 people for one month. The food items are purchased through local markets to help support local livelihoods and the economy. While the contents vary according to region, local diet customs and availability, each food pack usually contains:
Qurbani & Udhiya is among the first programs started by Islamic Relief in 1986 and recurs every year when Muslims around the world commemorate Eid Al-Adha and sacrifice livestock to feed the needy.
Our offices organized everything in advance to fulfill your sacrifice, including buying high-quality animals from local farms. On Eid, we ensured that your sacrifice was done humanely and hygienically. The meat was then immediately distributed to the most needy, without waste.
Your generosity reached families right here at home in Canada, all around the world, and especially in conflict zones like Yemen and Syria.
A total of 944 Aqiqah sacrifices were made this year to celebrate the births of our donors’ newborn children, with quality fresh meat distributed to families in extreme need. Priority for beneficiaries was given to orphans and vulnerable children, families caring for orphans, women, the elderly and people with disabilities in Ethiopia. We utilized a community-led approach in the process of sacrifice and distribution to involve community organizations and volunteers along with staff and provide dignified paid labour opportunities for those in need.
Providing families in vulnerable conditions with essential items to protect themselves against harsh winter conditions. Essential items include fuel and heaters, warm blankets and bedding, winter clothing and shoes, construction and insulation materials, as well as tents and shelter supplies. These efforts especially serve orphans, single mothers, refugees and poor families.
Follow Your Donation is an entire approach to elevate your experience as a donor with Islamic Relief Canada, so that you can truly know the difference your donation makes.
This means videos, reports, publications, blogs, and emails to help you see the impact of your donations, the people you’ve helped, and all the incredible stories that happen along the way.
Every donation we receive is more than just a transaction, it is a gift given with care and hope, as well as a means to uplift and heal.
The hard-earned trust of our donors is the foundation that makes our work possible. Our priority for 2022 is to make even greater strides in becoming an exemplary leader in both effectiveness and efficiency within the charity space!
Islamic Relief works incredibly hard to maintain one of the lowest admin fees and yet still adhere to the highest of standards when implementing our work.
We do our utmost to maximize the value of your donation. This means getting the best value for money to help deliver aid on the ground as well as raising more funds for the people who need it the most.
It costs money to deliver aid and to do it well, ensuring the people who need it most receive the best possible support and ensuring that money goes exactly to where it is needed.
Our admin fee helps us increase the quality and efficacy of our work and avoid duplication of efforts or any waste. It allows us to adhere to the highest standards of oversight, compliance and accountability.
That is why information on admin costs and our annual financial statements are readily available on our website. Our financial statements are independently verified and audited before the CRA deadline at the end of June each year.
Thank you for your continued support and kindness for the world’s most vulnerable.
Your support is so often the gift of life itself and we take special care to reach those who are most at risk. We’ve seen with our own eyes how their lives have been uplifted and transformed by what you give. We could not have done this without you, thank you.
A heartfelt and big thank you to our teams all around the world who work amidst very challenging circumstances, often at great personal sacrifice and risk, to deliver what is entrusted to our care with excellence and integrity.
To our incredibly dedicated volunteers, regional teams and staff, thank you for your tireless work and efforts to serve those in need. All your work does not go unnoticed, and we pray that Allah accepts from you in the greatest measure and rewards you manifold.