Orphan Charity: Save a child’s life today
Through a one-to-one model of ongoing financial support, you can sponsor an orphan and care for their basic needs and wellbeing. Your monthly donation ensures that they have a safe home, food to eat, and access to health care and education.
- As a donor, you will be paired on a true 1-1 basis with an orphan in need.
- Our case workers conduct regular home visits to ensure a safe environment and that funds are utilized correctly.
- Our Orphan Sponsorship Program reaches orphans in nearly 25 countries around the world, including: Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kosova, Lebanon, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine (Gaza), Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Yemen
How Sponsorship Works
Step One:
As a donor, you will be paired one-to-one with an orphan in need. Your monthly gift is sent to our field offices on a quarterly basis and distributed to the same orphan every time. Your sponsorship allows for the life of the same orphan to be continuously transformed long term.
Step Two:
As an orphan sponsor, you will receive:
1) An initial biodata report that shows the current status of your orphan.
2) An annual progress report.
Our case workers take great measures to get to know each orphan and their family. They conduct regular home visits to ensure a safe environment and that funds are utilized correctly.
Step Three:
Your sponsorship allows for the life of the same orphan to be continuously transformed long term, which means they are able to truly rise above their circumstances, gain the opportunities they deserve, and build a better life for themselves and their families.
Testimonials
Mother of Mariam, a sponsored orphan in Gaza
“When I received the notification that my child would receive sponsorship, I cried tears of joy. My words are insufficient to express the gratitude I feel towards Mariam’s sponsor for their support during our dire circumstances.”
Mother of Sawitra, a 12-year-old sponsored orphan in Indonesia
“Everything has changed. All of my hardships have changed. All of my daily needs are fulfilled, and my kid’s educational needs are fulfilled, unlike before we got the sponsorship.”
Mother of Hamza, a 6-year-old sponsored orphan in Pakistan
“I’m happy to have your kind support. There are no words to express my feelings. The financial assistance you are providing to me and my family helped us be at ease in our lives. I always remember you in my prayers.”
Orphan Sponsorship FAQs
Here’s a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Our Orphan Sponsorship Program targets orphans younger than 18 and their families when they fulfil either of the following criteria:
- The father or both parents have passed away
- A child whose father’s whereabouts have been unknown for two years or more (one year or more for refugees and internally displaced people)
A Sponsorship can continue past the age of 18 up to the age of 24 if the orphan is in higher education or if the orphan has medical needs which require the sponsorship to continue.
Children who are identified for sponsorship are usually within a family home, living with their mother or extended family members such as aunts, uncles, or grandparents.
Islamic Relief sponsors children regardless of race, gender, religion, or ethnicity, if they meet the requirements set out in the program selection criteria.
To select an orphan for sponsorship, Field Offices use a scoring system which analyzes the orphan family situation based on five main criteria:
- Vulnerability
- Financial need
- Family size
- Housing conditions
- Health
Through using a scoring system covering the above factors, the field offices are able to prioritize orphans based on their needs.
Official documentation is required to confirm an orphan’s sponsorship, and the selection of children must not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, age, gender, or disability.
The Orphan Sponsorship Program is one of the oldest running programs within Islamic Relief, having started in 1986, and has since grown to support over 80,000 orphans worldwide. It serves orphans around the world, including Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, where we have Field Offices.
The program provides life-saving necessities to orphans, improving their health and nutrition, implementing projects within the community and supporting the orphan educationally, socially, and morally.
This program is uniquely a true 1-1 sponsorship model which means donors are paired on a one-to-one basis with an orphan. This allows for the life of the same orphan to be continuously transformed long term, which means they are able to truly rise above their circumstances, gain the opportunities they deserve, and build a better life for themselves and their families.
Many orphans also benefit from other Islamic Relief run programs such as, micro-finance, Ramadan food parcels, Qurbani packages, water projects, social activities, health, vocational and educational projects.
As an organization, Islamic Relief works with a wide range of communities, both Muslims and non-Muslims. We do not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, race or ethnicity but give aid to those who are most in need.
For those who are interested, our orphan sponsorship program is Zakat eligible. If you would like to designate your orphan sponsorship as part of your Zakat donations, kindly let us know. We can pair you with a Muslim orphan.