























The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Newsletter March 2014 Rabi’ul Thani / Jumada Al Awwal1435 A.H.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons, Assalamu Alaykum Secure your seat at the LFT’s annual Gala Dinner for 2014 We are just under 2 weeks away from the Trusts’ 8th annual Gala Dinner. A few seats remain if you have not secured your place for this year’s exciting event. A limited number of tables of 10 or 12 seats remain which you may want for your family or friends to enjoy the evening together. We are pleased to announce that we will be joined by Vartan Melkonian who is the UN Ambassador for Street Children and the Co-Patron for the Consortium for Street Children, a body he co-founded with the former UK Prime Minister. Vartan will deliver a short address at this year’s Gala Dinner with an amazing life story and a passion for helping street children around the world. Hear it first hand from the man as only he can tell the story that is a true reflection of his own like. At the start of the year we made a commitment to improve the Trust’s work in recognition of the birth of the most famous orphan to walk the earth, none other than the father of Lady Fatemah, Propher Muhammad (saw). The plight of the orphans who are reduced to living on the streets must be one of the most tragic plights to hit humanity. Vartan is well placed to talk first-hand about these issues and how to empower then through education, healthcare and mentoring. One of the items specially created to benefit the work that the Trust carries out with orphans has been donated by the artist Sr Anam al-Katib. It is a canvas painting of 18” x 16” dimensions and aptly depicts the saying of the Holy Prophet in Arabic whose English translation reads: I and those who care for the orphan will be in Jannah. Those of you who are not able to attend the dinner may wish to pledge your donation for this piece. If successful we will ship it to you free of cost. Orphan care – #ICareIActWeBenefit Our partnership with the Development and Relief Organisation serving Orphans in Karbala is also going to strengthen the Trust’s work with nearly 500 orphans supported every month in Karbala and over 1,000 orphans in Iraq. In addition to Iraq, the Trust has established fostering programs to care for children in India, Pakistan, Iraqi and Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees in Gaza. One such orphaned child from Gaza is Sajid al Nirab, a nine year old boy, living in the Jabalia refugee camp with his mother and younger deaf sister. In October 2013, he lost his father, an event that left both him and his sister traumatised. With the help of the LFT, both children have been receiving counseling sessions and guidance on a regular basis to help them overcome their loss. At its heart, the LFT’s orphan sponsorship program intends to reach the most destitute of families. Frequently, such families do not have access to charitable organisations or public welfare departments. Disease, lack of information, or simply abject poverty prevents them from seeking assistance. In some cases, mothers cannot even afford the cost of transportation, and find it difficult to travel if they have no one to look after their young children whilst away. For £30 a month, you can sponsor an orphan, and give a child the chance for a better future. Will you make today the day when you increase your assistance to these young lives who will have a bright future with your love and concern? Let us turn our concern into action and see the benefits in their smiles to hope for a better future for the benefit of all humanity. Solar Lighting – Iraq’s marshlands In the marshlands of Southern Iraq the inhabitants live in a way that has been largely untouched for millennia. It is one of the most underdeveloped regions in the country. The residents of the marshes suffered extensively during the years of Saddam’s rule and large tracts of the region were drained and the waters poisoned. A decade on from the fall of his regime the areas are recovering and their activity normalizing. The residents mainly rely on agriculture and fishing for their sustenance. Most of this vast region and has little or no electricity. They rely on kerosene lamps for lighting which are expensive polluting and do not illuminate their houses to be safe at night let alone for them or their children to be able to read. This has resulted in a high rate of illiteracy in the area thereby continuing to limit the economic prospects of these people. Many of the modern conveniences we take for granted need electricity. The residents need to travel several miles for the simple task of charging their mobile phones, if they own one. The generosity of the N2K walkers over the Arbaeen in 1434 has so far enabled the Trust to distribute solar lighting to 233 households in the marshland regions, impacting on the lives of 1,912 people. The lamps not only light up their homes but enable their children to play and read after dark, in safety. It also allows them to charge their mobile phones at home. After installation these units have no operational cost other than the changing of a light bulb at the cost of US$1, when required. With your generosity, solar units are being distributed in Iraq and Tanzania. Solar cookers are also being distributed in Iraq, Pakistan and Tanzania. There remains a huge need for this clean form of energy that is transforming lives. Please do help is light up more homes so they too can be safe and able to learn. It costs a mere US$25 to provide a home with safe lighting or US$15 to provide them with a safe means of cooking. LFT eye-care – Cataract Appeal With your generous support, in the first three quarters of 2013, nearly 1,000 people were given the gift of sight through a simple and inexpensive cataract operation every year. Although almost no one goes blind from a cataract in the developed world, this condition is still the major cause of blindness in developing countries, where health insurance schemes are patchy or non-existent, and people are too poor to afford the cost of surgery. For a mere £15 or £30 a month, you can provide a cataract operation for someone in Pakistan or East Africa respectively, and give someone the gift of sight. Since the project began in Kashmir and Pakistan in January 2007, over 10,000 people have benefitted from this simple operation. With your help, this number could rise and pave the way for a situation in which no one in the developing world goes blind from such an easily curable affliction. LiFT Lebanon After the July 2006 war in South Lebanon, the LFT launched a project to assist mentally and physically disabled children in Nabatiyeh. This region has 400 known cases of handicapped children out of a population of 120,000 inhabitants. This is a greater than average proportion and can be linked to the psychological trauma of war and the land mines that continue to litter the countryside. Most of the affected children come from the most vulnerable strata of Lebanese society. Their families live in poor and disadvantaged areas and a large number lost their original homes or their source of incomeduring the wars. As a result, they are unable to pay for the cost of the rehabilitative services their children need. These 400 children are an understatement of the true number of disabled children. In a society where disability is still severely stigmatised, many fam ilies are reluctant to come forward or to admit their child may be suffering from a disability. Still others assume that they will be unable to pay for treatment and so consider it futile to apply for financial assistance. Ironically, with proper care, many of these children can be helped without the development of a permanent disability. As a result, the LFT is offering rehabilitative services to handicapped children. Currently, the LFT covers part of the cost of rehabilitative care for 129 handicapped children from vulnerable families in three main categories: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. The annual cost of providing this is more than $100,000 or US$250 per child per annum. Please help the LFT continue to offer this vital service by donating generously. LiFT Pakistan The LFT’s partner in Pakistan, the Madinatul Ilm Charitable Trust (MICT), has always sought to serve the needs of the poorest segments of Pakistan’s society. In a country where public healthcare services are inadequate, MICT has helped provide much needed medical support to impoverished patients, in addition to its many other humanitarian activities. To this end, it is seeking sponsorship to help fund the medical treatment of seven patients suffering from a variety of conditions. The total cost of these treatments amounts to just under £5,000 and further detail on the patients and their conditions, as well as the individual costs of treatment can be found here. LiFT Tanzania As part of the Bibi Sakina Water Project, the LFT has already provided water storage facilities to seven villages in one half of the Island of Pemba in Tanzania. The LFT is now set to assist a further 10 villages in the second half of the Island to ensure that all residents have access to clean, safe water when required. The provision of water sto rage facilities to the villages of Pungua, Mtemani, and Maungani Majenzi will result in the benefits of the Project being extended to a furth er 2,000 people at a mere cost of $10,500 (USD). For the residents of these villages, gaining access to clean water has always been a challenge. Water comes from mainland Pemba, under the sea, to distant water spots, but the supply is irregular and far from where villagers live. This means that a meager amount of water is available a few times a week and that residents have to walk between one and two kilometers daily to fetch water that may not be even be available on their arrival. Access to regular and uncontaminated water is a basic human right. Please suppo rt the LFT in ensuring that the members of these villages are able to secure their access to this fundamental human right. LiFT Palestine Early diagnosis of hearing loss is essential for effective treatment and successful rehabilitation. It helps improve the development of language and communication skills by providing deaf children with practical intervention services. As a result, adults who as children had the advantage of early diagnosis and intervention, are better equipped to participate in economic life and are less likely to be resigned to lives of economic dependence and deprivation. The Atfaluna School for Deaf Children (ASDC) in Gaza runs a community outreach programme for the early detection of hearing loss, and provides free hearing screenings to more than 12,000 children and adults from impoverished and marginalised districts. Recently, ASDC audiologists have been inundated with requests for screenings from community organisations and in particular pre-schools and kindergartens in deprived areas. However, the large number of hearing tests carried out to meet the increased demand has resulted in equipment failures.As a result, the ASDC is seeking funds to repair its equipment and allow it to continue providing screening services to the mo st vulnerable members of Palestinian society. The total cost is just over $5,500 (USD). In a country plagued by war, conflict, and poverty, having a disability only adds to the difficulty of breaking free from the hopeless cycle of violence and destitution. By supporting the LFT, you could help make a difference in a deaf child’s life and light up what might otherwise be a desolate existence. Gala Dinner 2013: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/video-gallery Video Gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/video-gallery Image gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/image-gallery Solar Cooker Training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDG-ZV8xv4w https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/lady-fatemah-charitable-trust/id598326331?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 twitter.com/#!/LFTrust http://www.facebook.com/LadyFatemahTrust We recently registered BT’s ‘My Donate’ where you can donate to the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust To support the LFT’s Appeal we have now set up a system of donating to your favourite charity via your mobile phone. To donate £1 text LFCT141 to 70070 To donate £2 text LFCT142 to 70070 To donate £3 text LFCT143 to 70070 To donate £4 text LFCT144 to 70070 To donate £5 text LFCT145 to 70070 To donate £10 text LFCT1410 to 70070 The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust is one of the first charities to use its own unique text code, LFCT14, to raise funds by using JustTextGiving. In the spirit of the LFT, this is a new service which has no set up or associated costs for the LFT and every penny donated via text goes directly to the LFT. Once your donation has gone through, you can also add Gift Aid to the donation, which we recommend as it gives us an extra 25% on your donation. From today, LFT supporter can make donations of up to £10 by texting LFCT14 and either 1,2,3,4,5 or 10 to 70070. The text message is free and all funds will go to worthy causes. Ijaza:Tel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.
Bismillahi rahmaani Rahim
Dear Patrons,Assalamu Alaykum As you are aware, this year, we have focused our attention on increasing the work that the LFT does with your generous support in supporting the needs of the orphaned child and widowed mothers. We are pleased to announce the entering into an Agreement for Mutual Co-operation with the Development and Relief Foundation to facilitate our donors in the USA to be able to donate to supporting orphans in Karbala and the LFT’s numerous other projects in Iraq in a transparent and tax efficient manner. Each month we try and feature the life of an individual who has been touched by your generosity. The individual we feature this month did not let his upbringing in the Ejipura slums in Bangalore from stopping him working hard to gain entry to Shirdi Sai Engineering College in Bangalore to study for a BEng in Mechanical engineering. Through working with a partner organization, the LFT has secured work experience for Mohammad in a manufacturing plant where he is gaining experience in designing automotive parts. Mohammad’s dedication and hard work have got him this far and he works tirelessly to support the children from the Ejipura slums with their homework in weekly tuition classes for boys and girls aged 8 – 18 years. He is currently supporting 81 children. He has expressed a desire to bring the standard of these slum children’s literacy up to the same as private international schools in Bangalore and we are keen to support him achieve this transformation in the lives of the children he works with. Secure your seat at the LFT’s annual Gala Dinner for 2014The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Newsletter April 2014 Jumada Al Awwal / Rajab 1435 A.H.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons,
Assalamu Alaykum I congratulate you all on the onset of the Month of Rajab when Muslims around the world will start their preparations for the Holy Month of Ramadhan. Across the globe over a billion Muslims will observe fasts for the whole month. However, many will have meagre resources with which to break their fast with and having had no food or water all day may not have enough sustenance with which to break their fast. It is these most vulnerable victim of war and natural disasters that the LiFTaar program reaches out to every year for the past 17 years. This year we aim to continue our food distribution program in Gaza, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan and Tanzania. Last years’ program reached out to over 40,000 individuals at a cost of £150,000. We aim to maintain this level of support at the very least and with your generosity reach out even further. LFT’s 9th Annual Gala Dinner for 2014 The LFT would like to thank you for your support at our 9th Annual Gala dinner. With the grace of God, the evening was an immense success and allowed us to showcase some of the key projects that we have engaged with this year, and to share with you the Trust’s vision for the next 12 months. Our inspirational keynote speaker, Vartan Melkonian, UN ambassador for Street Children and Co-Patron (with the former Prime Minister, John Major) of the Global Consortium of Charities working with Street Children, astounded the audience with his life story. Orphaned at a very young age with no recollection of his mother, Vartan’s earliest memories stem back to arriving at an orphanage, where his clothes were immediately incinerated for fear of what they might be host to. Some years later, though still very young, he left the orphanage to scrape a meagre living off the streets of Beirut, selling chewing gum to US sailors. Despite his disadvantage from childhood and the subsequent hardships that he endured, Vartan went on to reach the top of his profession as a world-renowned composer and conductor of classical music. He credits his transformation to a belief in the Almighty and says he is the voice of the unheard and speaks for the troubled lives of millions of children across the globe. His story is truly remarkable and inspires all of us working with orphaned and vulnerable children, particularly during the LFT’s Year of the Orphaned Child. In line with the practice of previous years, attendees at the Dinner were invited to donate their £60 contribution to one of three causes that the LFT supports, and a large proportion voted to help the Trust continue its invaluable work with orphans. If you were not able to participate in this initiative at the Dinner, you are still welcome to purchase LFT£s in multiples of £60 and vote where you wish for this to be spent. As has always been the case, the Trust deducts no administration charge or commission from your donation so every £1 that you donated is an LFT£1 used for the purpose you select. Why not give a loved one the gift of an LFT£60 voucher for a birthday, wedding or anniversary and put a smile on two faces for the price of one. To help the Trust continue its focus on orphans in its ‘Year of the Orphaned Child’, please support Eisa Ali as he soars to great heights help orphans in Iraq. Eisa will jump out of a plane from 13,000 ft to raise funds for children who have to navigate the world alone, and give them a chance to maximise their potential by safeguarding their immediate food, shelter, education and healthcare needs. You can find Eisa’s Justgiving page at http://www.justgiving.com/Eisa-Ali2. Remember each £30 donation will look after an orphan in Iraq for a month. Please help him reach his £2,000 target, which will provide comprehensive care to three orphans for a whole year. LiFT Gaza – Education The LFT recognizes from its programs in Gaza, Pakistan and Tanzania that the educational performance of students can be greatly impacted by malnourished students in school. The teachers find students who don’t respond in lessons because they have come to school without having had any food and often go without food for the whole day. One such program to alleviate hunger from students and make them better nourished is at the Atfaluna School for the deaf in Gaza. Here is a video to show you the impact of the program: LiFT Syria – food distribution to the most vulnerable The Syrian civil war shows no sign of abating and the refugee crisis continues to deteriorate. I write this newsletter on a monthly basis and each month add an additional 10,000-20,000 to the estimated number of women, men and children who have lost their lives as a result of the Syrian people’s struggle for freedom. The estimated figure now stands at a staggering 150,000. In addition to the number dead, the UN estimates that 2.7m people have been externally displaced, with a further 4.25m internally displaced, meaning that nearly a third of Syria’s pre-crisis population has been uprooted. Lebanon is one country that has opened its doors to over a million refugees and repeatedly called on donor countries to fulfill their financial pledges to help it support the Syrian refugee crisis that has left its administrative capacity beleaguered. In conjunction with its partner organisation in Lebanon, the LFT has been able to help over 5,000 Syrian families in Lebanon since the start of the crisis. This has included distributing over 2,000 food parcels, stocked with essential food items, during the month of Ramadhan, 1,000 mattresses, 2,000 pillows, and 2,000 winter tracksuits to help ref ugees brave the bitter cold winter that afflicted the country this year. In addition to this, they have provided healthcare facilities to those in need and have initiated numerous microfinance projects to help refugees rebuild their lives and sustain themselves with dignity. With the coming of Ramadhan, the LFT would like to start raising funds to distribute Ramadhan food parcels to the most vulnerable elements of Lebanese society – the Syrian refugees. For them, every day is a struggle and Ramadhan is a month of additional hardship. Uprooted and in unfamiliar countries, these refugees are in desperate need of shelter, food and water. For those who have fled, the battle for survival is far from over, and by donating to the LFT, you can help alleviate some oftheir hardships. LiFT solar lighting in Africa “Kerosene is costly, it smells bad, the light is dim, the smoke hurts the eyes. It was that or darkness.” This was a testi monial from the recipient of a solar lantern on The Elder’s bold program to eradicate the kerosene lamp from Africa by 2020. The LFT recognizing the fire and health hazard of this common device together with the environmental harm and economic burden on the families has begun a visionary program of distributing solar lighting, as well as 500 solar cookers, to needy families near Arusha in Northern Tanzania. A total of 720 families have been assisted by this scheme with solar lanterns and a supply of spare bulbs and we hope that with your generosity even more families can be assisted to LiFT them out of the causes of their economic impoverishment into healthier and safer living conditions for them and their families. Each unit has the ability to charge a mobile phone as well as a separate reading light that is used independent of the lantern’s main beam. The choice of fumes or darkness costing up to £15 per month to purchase the kerosene has now been transformed into free clean bright smokeless light for families to continue to socialize, work and read after sundown all for a cost of just £30 per family. LiFT Iraq – Marshlands of southern Iraq The LFT has initiated a solar lighting project in the Mesopotamian Marshes of Iraq. Once home to several hundred thousand people, the Marshes are now home to as few as 20,000. Under Saddam, the 90% of the Marshes were drained (in what the UN described as “one of the world’s greatest environmental disasters”), destroying the economic life of those who depended on it for their subsistence. As a result, the people living in the Marshes tend to be poor and lack basic facilities. Most houses don’t have electricity and in a bid to remedy this, the LFT has initiated a solar lighting project in the area. Under Phase 1, over 1,200 families have benefitted from the introduction of electricity, and nearly 2,000 people now have access to it. The provision of electricity to these families will transform their lives in more ways than one. It will end the use of carbon fuels, which emit hazardous fumes, allow children to study after dark, and can stimulate enterprise by allowing women to work after their children have gone to bed. The LFT hopes to extend this project to thousands more in its subsequent phases and asks you to donate generously to help make this possible. LFT Healthcare – Cataract Appeal With your generous support, in the first quarter of 2014, 360 people were given the gift of sight through a simple and inexpensive cataract operation. Although almost no one goes blind from a cataract in the developed world, this condition is still the major cause of blindness in developing countries, where health insurance schemes are patchy or non-existent, and people are too poor to afford the cost of surgery. For a mere £15 or £30 a month, you can provide a cataract operation for someone in Pakistan or East Africa respectively, and give someone the gift of sight. Since the project began in Kashmir and Pakistan in January 2007, nearly 11,000 people have benefitted from this simple operation. With your help, this number could rise and pave the way for a situation in which no one in the developing world goes blind from such an easily curable affliction. Gala Dinner 2013: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/video-gallery Video Gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/video-gallery Image gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/image-gallery Solar Cooker Training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDG-ZV8xv4w https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/lady-fatemah-charitable-trust/id598326331?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 twitter.com/#!/LFTrust http://www.facebook.com/LadyFatemahTrust We recently registered BT’s ‘My Donate’ where you can donate to the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust To support the LFT’s Appeal we have now set up a system of donating to your favourite charity via your mobile phone. To donate £1 text LFCT141 to 70070 To donate £2 text LFCT142 to 70070 To donate £3 text LFCT143 to 70070 To donate £4 text LFCT144 to 70070 To donate £5 text LFCT145 to 70070 To donate £10 text LFCT1410 to 70070 The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust is one of the first charities to use its own unique text code, LFCT14, to raise funds by using JustTextGiving. In the spirit of the LFT, this is a new service which has no set up or associated costs for the LFT and every penny donated via text goes directly to the LFT. Once your donation has gone through, you can also add Gift Aid to the donation, which we recommend as it gives us an extra 25% on your donation. From today, LFT supporter can make donations of up to £10 by texting LFCT14 and either 1,2,3,4,5 or 10 to 70070. The text message is free and all funds will go to worthy causes. Ijaza:Tel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.
Dear Patrons,
Assalamu Alaykum and welcome to this month’s newsletter. As always, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you for your support and generosity.
Without it, we would be unable to continue the work that we do. We pray that all your efforts are accepted and that your kindness is rewarded. Ameen.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) has said:
“…. Blessed is the wealth of a
Muslim from which he gives to the poor, the orphans and to needy travellers….” and the Trust is named after the daughter of the Holy Prophet, whose example in giving to the needy is quoted in the Holy Quran.
Empowering Street Children – KarbalaTel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.
The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Newsletter September 2014 Thul-Qedah – Thul-Hijjah 1435 A.H.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons This month, I would like to share with you the story of a member of the LFT family that you have assisted in Kashmir. Mohammad Siddiq is a 42-year-old construction worker who supports a family of five from his meagre wages. A few months ago he noticed blurred vision in his right eye. At work, he developed clumsiness, knocked over things and bumped into objects and people at his right side because he did not perceive them. His employer warned him to get treatment for his eye condition or be laid off. However, he was unable to afford the high cost of eye surgery. After being introduced to the free eye hospital in Akora Khattak by a neighbour, he was examined there and diagnosed with right eye cataract. Due to his difficult socio-economic situation, he was given an emergency appointment. His employer agreed to grant him sick leave until he recovered from surgery. Mohammad has now returned to his job and is happy that he can support his family as before. Besides restoring his vision, free cataract surgery performed by dedicated and caring hospital staff brought about another change in Mohammad’s life and outlook: He is now trying to help those members of his community who need support to the best of his ability Your generosity ensured that not only will Mohammad Siddiq and his family remain free of need but that he will now be an ambassador for empowerment and support to members of his community who are needy of assistance. Orphan care In countries where war, famine or poverty is part of everyday life, millions of children are orphaned and left to struggle for survival. Over the last decade alone, armed conflict has resulted in six million children being wounded or disabled for life, and one million orphaned. The Trust has established fostering programs to care for children in India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. The orphan sponsorship program intends to reach the most destitute of families. Frequently, such families do not have access to charitable organisations or public welfare departments. Disease, ignorance or simply abject poverty prevents them from seeking assistance. In some cases, mothers simply cannot afford the cost of transportation, and find it difficult to travel if they have no one to look after their young children whilst away. The LFT focus on educating the orphan and providing skills and materials to the widows to earn their own income and become self-sufficient. This is the most effective means to empowering the orphaned child and his or her mother to escape from a lifetime of grinding poverty and need. For £30 a month, you can sponsor an orphan, and give a child the chance for a better future. Did you know that 499 orphans in the city of Karbala and a further 1,500 in other parts of Iraq who receive regular receive monthly support though your generosity and thousands more can be assisted? I strongly encourage you to pledge a donation of at least £30 per month for this project in remembrance of the orphans of the family of Imam Hussain (as) after the tragedy of Karbala. LiFT Kashmir It’s been a month since torrential rains devastated Jammu and Kashmir; experts estimate that this is the worst flooding to affect the area in 60 years. The floodwaters have caused landslides, damaged roads, bridges, buildings, homes, and agricultural land. As a result, over one million people have been cut off from basic services. Hundreds of villages have become completely submerged and thousands of people have been rendered homeless. In addition to killing over 400 people and injuring 540 people, the floodwaters have damaged 1.68 million acres of cropland and damaged nearly 46,000 houses. While any relief effort must focus on rebuilding the area’s long-term infrastructure, there is a very real and desperate need for basic food items, clothing, and immediate shelter. The LFT has decided to focus on the former and is looking to provide basic food items to as many households as it can. With your help, it can reach out and help those suffering from unimaginable hardship, so please donate generously. LFT eye-care – Cataract Appeal Although almost no one goes blind from a cataract in the developed world, this condition is still the major cause of blindness in developing countries, where health insurance schemes are patchy or non-existent, and people are too poor to afford the cost of surgery. For a mere £15 or £30 a month, you can provide a cataract operation for someone in Pakistan or East Africa respectively, and give someone the gift of sight. Since the project began in Kashmir and Pakistan in January 2007, 11,387 people including Mohammad Siddiq whose story I told above, have benefitted from this simple operation. With your help, this number could rise and pave the way for a situation in which no one in the developing world goes blind from such an easily curable affliction. Many others have received assistance for improving eye care in Iraq and Tanzania. We continue to support the Imam Al-Hujjah Hospital in Karbala with equipment for their ophthalmology unit and would encourage you to show your support for this project by pledging the cost of purchasing one or more units of equipment. LiFT Pakistan MICT, in partnership with the LFT, has embarked on an emergency relief programme to provide immediate support to some of the worst affected victims of this year’s floods. As result of heavy monsoon rainfalls, large swathes of the country have been left devastated. According to estimates gathered by the Pakistani government and aid agencies, more than two million people have been directly affected by the floods and over 500 people have been killed as a result of them. In addition to this, there has been unimaginable damage to private property and infrastructure. Across the Punjab province, including District Sargodha, Chiniot, Jehlum, Hafizabad, Gujranawala and the southern districts of Jhang, Khanewal, Muzaffar Garh, Multan, Layyah, and Dera Ghazi Khan, there has been large-scale damage to property and livelihoods. Graphic images on Pakistan’s TV channels serve as a daily reminder of the scale and continuing suffering of the people. Thousands of women, children and the elderly are living under the open sky, struggling to survive. Those who receive basic meals twice a day consider themselves lucky relative to those who have been left with nothing. The catastrophe has also unleashed a host of medical challenges; for example the lack of sanitation has resulted in the breakout of epidemics, and water borne diseases are rife. As a result, the LFT, in partnership with MICT has instigated a plan to help the most vulnerable members of society in specifically targeted areas. The initiative is looking to provide short-term assistance to individuals, until they can begin sowing crops and are once again able provide for themselves. The plan is being executed in a number of separate phases to ensure the maximum transparency and a targeting of the areas most in need. As in previous years, the LFT will provide food packs to families, containing supplies of basic commodities like rice, flour, cooking oil, sugar and other essential goods. Additional items will be added depending on their availability and whether the LFT is able to raise sufficient funds. According to present estimates, each basic food pack will cost approximately 3,200 PKR and the LFT is looking to provide 2,000 families with such packs. These flood victims have lost everything – their homes, their belongings, and their livelihoods. Please donate generously, and help alleviate a small portion of their suffering. LiFT Iraq With ISIS in control of large swathes of Northern and Western Iraq, the number of refugees fleeing from their reign of terror has reached unprecedented levels. Thousands have fled to the South, where ISIS have struggled to gain a foothold. Although the number of internally displaced persons within the South is unknown, their need is clear. They have left their homes, belongings, and livelihoods behind, and live in uncertainty on how they will survive from one day to the next. Many are forced to congregate in far off locations, which makes it difficult for mainstream aid agencies to provide them with assistance. As a result, the LFT has decided to work with hundreds of families spread across tens of locations, by providing them with essential items. With the grace of God, and the receipt of thousands of dollars in donations, it has managed to provide essentials ranging from clothing to diapers and shampoo to just under 5,500 displaced people as part of Phase 1 and 2 of this project. With your continued financial support, it hopes to extend this provision in the upcoming phases, so please donate generously. Best Wishes Ms Khadija Gulamhussein, Public Relations volunteer Gala Dinner 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-b4I-_7EzE&feature=youtu.be Video Gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/video-gallery Image gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/image-gallery Solar Cooker Training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDG-ZV8xv4w https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/lady-fatemah-charitable-trust/id598326331?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 twitter.com/#!/LFTrust http://www.facebook.com/LadyFatemahTrust We recently registered BT’s ‘My Donate’ where you can donate to the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust To support the LFT’s Appeal we have now set up a system of donating to your favourite charity via your mobile phone. To donate £1 text LFCT141 to 70070; To donate £2 text LFCT142 to 70070 To donate £3 text LFCT143 to 70070; To donate £4 text LFCT144 to 70070 To donate £5 text LFCT145 to 70070; To donate £10 text LFCT1410 to 70070 The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust is one of the first charities to use its own unique text code, LFCT14, to raise funds by using JustTextGiving. In the spirit of the LFT, this is a new service which has no set up or associated costs for the LFT and every penny donated via text goes directly to the LFT. Once your donation has gone through, you can also add Gift Aid to the donation, which we recommend as it gives us an extra 25% on your donation. From today, LFT supporter can make donations of up to £10 by texting LFCT14 and either 1,2,3,4,5 or 10 to 70070. The text message is free and all funds will go to worthy causes. Ijaza:Tel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.
The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Newsletter September 2014 Thul-Qedah – Thul-Hijjah 1435 A.H.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons This month, I would like to share with you the story of a member of the LFT family that you have assisted in Kashmir. Mohammad Siddiq is a 42-year-old construction worker who supports a family of five from his meagre wages. A few months ago he noticed blurred vision in his right eye. At work, he developed clumsiness, knocked over things and bumped into objects and people at his right side because he did not perceive them. His employer warned him to get treatment for his eye condition or be laid off. However, he was unable to afford the high cost of eye surgery. After being introduced to the free eye hospital in Akora Khattak by a neighbour, he was examined there and diagnosed with right eye cataract. Due to his difficult socio-economic situation, he was given an emergency appointment. His employer agreed to grant him sick leave until he recovered from surgery. Mohammad has now returned to his job and is happy that he can support his family as before. Besides restoring his vision, free cataract surgery performed by dedicated and caring hospital staff brought about another change in Mohammad’s life and outlook: He is now trying to help those members of his community who need support to the best of his ability Your generosity ensured that not only will Mohammad Siddiq and his family remain free of need but that he will now be an ambassador for empowerment and support to members of his community who are needy of assistance. Orphan care In countries where war, famine or poverty is part of everyday life, millions of children are orphaned and left to struggle for survival. Over the last decade alone, armed conflict has resulted in six million children being wounded or disabled for life, and one million orphaned. The Trust has established fostering programs to care for children in India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. The orphan sponsorship program intends to reach the most destitute of families. Frequently, such families do not have access to charitable organisations or public welfare departments. Disease, ignorance or simply abject poverty prevents them from seeking assistance. In some cases, mothers simply cannot afford the cost of transportation, and find it difficult to travel if they have no one to look after their young children whilst away. The LFT focus on educating the orphan and providing skills and materials to the widows to earn their own income and become self-sufficient. This is the most effective means to empowering the orphaned child and his or her mother to escape from a lifetime of grinding poverty and need. For £30 a month, you can sponsor an orphan, and give a child the chance for a better future. Did you know that 499 orphans in the city of Karbala and a further 1,500 in other parts of Iraq who receive regular receive monthly support though your generosity and thousands more can be assisted? I strongly encourage you to pledge a donation of at least £30 per month for this project in remembrance of the orphans of the family of Imam Hussain (as) after the tragedy of Karbala. LiFT Kashmir It’s been a month since torrential rains devastated Jammu and Kashmir; experts estimate that this is the worst flooding to affect the area in 60 years. The floodwaters have caused landslides, damaged roads, bridges, buildings, homes, and agricultural land. As a result, over one million people have been cut off from basic services. Hundreds of villages have become completely submerged and thousands of people have been rendered homeless. In addition to killing over 400 people and injuring 540 people, the floodwaters have damaged 1.68 million acres of cropland and damaged nearly 46,000 houses. While any relief effort must focus on rebuilding the area’s long-term infrastructure, there is a very real and desperate need for basic food items, clothing, and immediate shelter. The LFT has decided to focus on the former and is looking to provide basic food items to as many households as it can. With your help, it can reach out and help those suffering from unimaginable hardship, so please donate generously. LFT eye-care – Cataract Appeal Although almost no one goes blind from a cataract in the developed world, this condition is still the major cause of blindness in developing countries, where health insurance schemes are patchy or non-existent, and people are too poor to afford the cost of surgery. For a mere £15 or £30 a month, you can provide a cataract operation for someone in Pakistan or East Africa respectively, and give someone the gift of sight. Since the project began in Kashmir and Pakistan in January 2007, 11,387 people including Mohammad Siddiq whose story I told above, have benefitted from this simple operation. With your help, this number could rise and pave the way for a situation in which no one in the developing world goes blind from such an easily curable affliction. Many others have received assistance for improving eye care in Iraq and Tanzania. We continue to support the Imam Al-Hujjah Hospital in Karbala with equipment for their ophthalmology unit and would encourage you to show your support for this project by pledging the cost of purchasing one or more units of equipment. LiFT Pakistan MICT, in partnership with the LFT, has embarked on an emergency relief programme to provide immediate support to some of the worst affected victims of this year’s floods. As result of heavy monsoon rainfalls, large swathes of the country have been left devastated. According to estimates gathered by the Pakistani government and aid agencies, more than two million people have been directly affected by the floods and over 500 people have been killed as a result of them. In addition to this, there has been unimaginable damage to private property and infrastructure. Across the Punjab province, including District Sargodha, Chiniot, Jehlum, Hafizabad, Gujranawala and the southern districts of Jhang, Khanewal, Muzaffar Garh, Multan, Layyah, and Dera Ghazi Khan, there has been large-scale damage to property and livelihoods. Graphic images on Pakistan’s TV channels serve as a daily reminder of the scale and continuing suffering of the people. Thousands of women, children and the elderly are living under the open sky, struggling to survive. Those who receive basic meals twice a day consider themselves lucky relative to those who have been left with nothing. The catastrophe has also unleashed a host of medical challenges; for example the lack of sanitation has resulted in the breakout of epidemics, and water borne diseases are rife. As a result, the LFT, in partnership with MICT has instigated a plan to help the most vulnerable members of society in specifically targeted areas. The initiative is looking to provide short-term assistance to individuals, until they can begin sowing crops and are once again able provide for themselves. The plan is being executed in a number of separate phases to ensure the maximum transparency and a targeting of the areas most in need. As in previous years, the LFT will provide food packs to families, containing supplies of basic commodities like rice, flour, cooking oil, sugar and other essential goods. Additional items will be added depending on their availability and whether the LFT is able to raise sufficient funds. According to present estimates, each basic food pack will cost approximately 3,200 PKR and the LFT is looking to provide 2,000 families with such packs. These flood victims have lost everything – their homes, their belongings, and their livelihoods. Please donate generously, and help alleviate a small portion of their suffering. LiFT Iraq With ISIS in control of large swathes of Northern and Western Iraq, the number of refugees fleeing from their reign of terror has reached unprecedented levels. Thousands have fled to the South, where ISIS have struggled to gain a foothold. Although the number of internally displaced persons within the South is unknown, their need is clear. They have left their homes, belongings, and livelihoods behind, and live in uncertainty on how they will survive from one day to the next. Many are forced to congregate in far off locations, which makes it difficult for mainstream aid agencies to provide them with assistance. As a result, the LFT has decided to work with hundreds of families spread across tens of locations, by providing them with essential items. With the grace of God, and the receipt of thousands of dollars in donations, it has managed to provide essentials ranging from clothing to diapers and shampoo to just under 5,500 displaced people as part of Phase 1 and 2 of this project. With your continued financial support, it hopes to extend this provision in the upcoming phases, so please donate generously. Best Wishes Ms Khadija Gulamhussein, Public Relations volunteer Gala Dinner 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-b4I-_7EzE&feature=youtu.be Video Gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/video-gallery Image gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/image-gallery Solar Cooker Training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDG-ZV8xv4w https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/lady-fatemah-charitable-trust/id598326331?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 twitter.com/#!/LFTrust http://www.facebook.com/LadyFatemahTrust We recently registered BT’s ‘My Donate’ where you can donate to the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust To support the LFT’s Appeal we have now set up a system of donating to your favourite charity via your mobile phone. To donate £1 text LFCT141 to 70070; To donate £2 text LFCT142 to 70070 To donate £3 text LFCT143 to 70070; To donate £4 text LFCT144 to 70070 To donate £5 text LFCT145 to 70070; To donate £10 text LFCT1410 to 70070 The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust is one of the first charities to use its own unique text code, LFCT14, to raise funds by using JustTextGiving. In the spirit of the LFT, this is a new service which has no set up or associated costs for the LFT and every penny donated via text goes directly to the LFT. Once your donation has gone through, you can also add Gift Aid to the donation, which we recommend as it gives us an extra 25% on your donation. From today, LFT supporter can make donations of up to £10 by texting LFCT14 and either 1,2,3,4,5 or 10 to 70070. The text message is free and all funds will go to worthy causes. Ijaza:Tel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.
The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Newsletter September 2014 Thul-Qedah – Thul-Hijjah 1435 A.H.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons This month, I would like to share with you the story of a member of the LFT family that you have assisted in Kashmir. Mohammad Siddiq is a 42-year-old construction worker who supports a family of five from his meagre wages. A few months ago he noticed blurred vision in his right eye. At work, he developed clumsiness, knocked over things and bumped into objects and people at his right side because he did not perceive them. His employer warned him to get treatment for his eye condition or be laid off. However, he was unable to afford the high cost of eye surgery. After being introduced to the free eye hospital in Akora Khattak by a neighbour, he was examined there and diagnosed with right eye cataract. Due to his difficult socio-economic situation, he was given an emergency appointment. His employer agreed to grant him sick leave until he recovered from surgery. Mohammad has now returned to his job and is happy that he can support his family as before. Besides restoring his vision, free cataract surgery performed by dedicated and caring hospital staff brought about another change in Mohammad’s life and outlook: He is now trying to help those members of his community who need support to the best of his ability Your generosity ensured that not only will Mohammad Siddiq and his family remain free of need but that he will now be an ambassador for empowerment and support to members of his community who are needy of assistance. Orphan care In countries where war, famine or poverty is part of everyday life, millions of children are orphaned and left to struggle for survival. Over the last decade alone, armed conflict has resulted in six million children being wounded or disabled for life, and one million orphaned. The Trust has established fostering programs to care for children in India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. The orphan sponsorship program intends to reach the most destitute of families. Frequently, such families do not have access to charitable organisations or public welfare departments. Disease, ignorance or simply abject poverty prevents them from seeking assistance. In some cases, mothers simply cannot afford the cost of transportation, and find it difficult to travel if they have no one to look after their young children whilst away. The LFT focus on educating the orphan and providing skills and materials to the widows to earn their own income and become self-sufficient. This is the most effective means to empowering the orphaned child and his or her mother to escape from a lifetime of grinding poverty and need. For £30 a month, you can sponsor an orphan, and give a child the chance for a better future. Did you know that 499 orphans in the city of Karbala and a further 1,500 in other parts of Iraq who receive regular receive monthly support though your generosity and thousands more can be assisted? I strongly encourage you to pledge a donation of at least £30 per month for this project in remembrance of the orphans of the family of Imam Hussain (as) after the tragedy of Karbala. LiFT Kashmir It’s been a month since torrential rains devastated Jammu and Kashmir; experts estimate that this is the worst flooding to affect the area in 60 years. The floodwaters have caused landslides, damaged roads, bridges, buildings, homes, and agricultural land. As a result, over one million people have been cut off from basic services. Hundreds of villages have become completely submerged and thousands of people have been rendered homeless. In addition to killing over 400 people and injuring 540 people, the floodwaters have damaged 1.68 million acres of cropland and damaged nearly 46,000 houses. While any relief effort must focus on rebuilding the area’s long-term infrastructure, there is a very real and desperate need for basic food items, clothing, and immediate shelter. The LFT has decided to focus on the former and is looking to provide basic food items to as many households as it can. With your help, it can reach out and help those suffering from unimaginable hardship, so please donate generously. LFT eye-care – Cataract Appeal Although almost no one goes blind from a cataract in the developed world, this condition is still the major cause of blindness in developing countries, where health insurance schemes are patchy or non-existent, and people are too poor to afford the cost of surgery. For a mere £15 or £30 a month, you can provide a cataract operation for someone in Pakistan or East Africa respectively, and give someone the gift of sight. Since the project began in Kashmir and Pakistan in January 2007, 11,387 people including Mohammad Siddiq whose story I told above, have benefitted from this simple operation. With your help, this number could rise and pave the way for a situation in which no one in the developing world goes blind from such an easily curable affliction. Many others have received assistance for improving eye care in Iraq and Tanzania. We continue to support the Imam Al-Hujjah Hospital in Karbala with equipment for their ophthalmology unit and would encourage you to show your support for this project by pledging the cost of purchasing one or more units of equipment. LiFT Pakistan MICT, in partnership with the LFT, has embarked on an emergency relief programme to provide immediate support to some of the worst affected victims of this year’s floods. As result of heavy monsoon rainfalls, large swathes of the country have been left devastated. According to estimates gathered by the Pakistani government and aid agencies, more than two million people have been directly affected by the floods and over 500 people have been killed as a result of them. In addition to this, there has been unimaginable damage to private property and infrastructure. Across the Punjab province, including District Sargodha, Chiniot, Jehlum, Hafizabad, Gujranawala and the southern districts of Jhang, Khanewal, Muzaffar Garh, Multan, Layyah, and Dera Ghazi Khan, there has been large-scale damage to property and livelihoods. Graphic images on Pakistan’s TV channels serve as a daily reminder of the scale and continuing suffering of the people. Thousands of women, children and the elderly are living under the open sky, struggling to survive. Those who receive basic meals twice a day consider themselves lucky relative to those who have been left with nothing. The catastrophe has also unleashed a host of medical challenges; for example the lack of sanitation has resulted in the breakout of epidemics, and water borne diseases are rife. As a result, the LFT, in partnership with MICT has instigated a plan to help the most vulnerable members of society in specifically targeted areas. The initiative is looking to provide short-term assistance to individuals, until they can begin sowing crops and are once again able provide for themselves. The plan is being executed in a number of separate phases to ensure the maximum transparency and a targeting of the areas most in need. As in previous years, the LFT will provide food packs to families, containing supplies of basic commodities like rice, flour, cooking oil, sugar and other essential goods. Additional items will be added depending on their availability and whether the LFT is able to raise sufficient funds. According to present estimates, each basic food pack will cost approximately 3,200 PKR and the LFT is looking to provide 2,000 families with such packs. These flood victims have lost everything – their homes, their belongings, and their livelihoods. Please donate generously, and help alleviate a small portion of their suffering. LiFT Iraq With ISIS in control of large swathes of Northern and Western Iraq, the number of refugees fleeing from their reign of terror has reached unprecedented levels. Thousands have fled to the South, where ISIS have struggled to gain a foothold. Although the number of internally displaced persons within the South is unknown, their need is clear. They have left their homes, belongings, and livelihoods behind, and live in uncertainty on how they will survive from one day to the next. Many are forced to congregate in far off locations, which makes it difficult for mainstream aid agencies to provide them with assistance. As a result, the LFT has decided to work with hundreds of families spread across tens of locations, by providing them with essential items. With the grace of God, and the receipt of thousands of dollars in donations, it has managed to provide essentials ranging from clothing to diapers and shampoo to just under 5,500 displaced people as part of Phase 1 and 2 of this project. With your continued financial support, it hopes to extend this provision in the upcoming phases, so please donate generously. Best Wishes Ms Khadija Gulamhussein, Public Relations volunteer Gala Dinner 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-b4I-_7EzE&feature=youtu.be Video Gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/video-gallery Image gallery: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/lft-in-action/image-gallery Solar Cooker Training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDG-ZV8xv4w https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/lady-fatemah-charitable-trust/id598326331?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 twitter.com/#!/LFTrust http://www.facebook.com/LadyFatemahTrust We recently registered BT’s ‘My Donate’ where you can donate to the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust To support the LFT’s Appeal we have now set up a system of donating to your favourite charity via your mobile phone. To donate £1 text LFCT141 to 70070; To donate £2 text LFCT142 to 70070 To donate £3 text LFCT143 to 70070; To donate £4 text LFCT144 to 70070 To donate £5 text LFCT145 to 70070; To donate £10 text LFCT1410 to 70070 The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust is one of the first charities to use its own unique text code, LFCT14, to raise funds by using JustTextGiving. In the spirit of the LFT, this is a new service which has no set up or associated costs for the LFT and every penny donated via text goes directly to the LFT. Once your donation has gone through, you can also add Gift Aid to the donation, which we recommend as it gives us an extra 25% on your donation. From today, LFT supporter can make donations of up to £10 by texting LFCT14 and either 1,2,3,4,5 or 10 to 70070. The text message is free and all funds will go to worthy causes. Ijaza:Tel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.
The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Newsletter July 2014 Ramadhan / Shawwal 1435 A.H.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons Eid Mubarak to you all. I pray that the blessing of the Holy Month lives with you all year round. I thank you for your generosity during the Holy Month that enabled the LFT to reach out to 10,000 of individuals during this special time of the month. This month, I would like to share with you the story of Dr Till Mostowlansky, Institute for the Science of Religion and Central Asian Studies from University of Bern, Switzerland who visited one of the LFT’s water projects in Lucknow, India. From New Dehli, India, he said:Tel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.
The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Newsletter June 2014 Shaban / Ramadhan 1435 A.H.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons Ramadhan Mubarak to you all. As we enjoy the blessings of being the Guests of the Merciful one at the banquet of Ramadhan, and gather together to break our fasts as families and communities, let us spare a moment for those for whom hunger and thirst are an all year round reality. In the past few weeks we have seen thousands more refugees flee their homes adding to the millions who have lived in temporary shelters for years. Often the education of their children is disrupted the vulnerability of these families is exploited by uncouth businessmen and women who employ them to work long days in factories. Sometimes this is even presented as an act of charity saying it is necessary to do in order to put food on their tables. These vulnerable families have much worse access to healthcare facilities meaning they are made to needlessly suffer for ailments that are easily curable. However, as Guests of the Merciful one during this month, I invite you to ask – would you desire this for your own family? Despite their meagre shelters in the sweltering heat and basic medical facilities, having suffered long days of menial labour, these brothers and sisters in faith will be fasting like us during the Holy month – will you lighten their burden by ensuring they get one square meal a day for iftaar? With the #LiFTaar scheme from the LFT, we have embarked on an even wider program of distribution of Iftaar to needy families around the world including orphans and widowed families. Having felt some of their hunger and thirst let us reach out to help them in this special month, and see how we can empower them to lead better lives all year round. Iftaar Charity dinner to raise funds for fresh water – the gift of pure water during the Holy Month Tel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Newsletter November 2014 Muharram – Safar 1435 A.H.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons In memory of Imam Hussain’s (as) valiant stand for human rights, we have dedicated this month’s update to your efforts in preserving human dignity through the work of the Trust. LFT Water! – Students at Harrow Primary School donate Hand pump in Dheri Maira near Havelian, Abbottabad, PakistanTel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.
The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Newsletter December 2014 Safar – Rabi Al Awwal 1436 A.H.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons – Salaamun Alaikum As the year 2014 draws to a close and people all around the world will be celebrating the start of a New Year, let us spare a thought for the less privileged around the world. For millions of family, the New Year will be a continuum of the challenges faced in past years with no hope of a change in their circumstances in 2015. With your support in previous years we can continue to transform lives and for some families your reaching out to them in 2015 will be the difference between a life of self-sufficient independence and a struggle for basic survival. So why not start the New Year on a benevolent note and Donate a Day’s Salary for a blessed 2015. Go on, make 2015 the Year of Change for as many lives as you can. LiFT Orphan Care in the Year of the Orphaned ChildTel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org, Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286, Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20 Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
This Trust operates on ZERO admin cost since 1997 and helps thousands of impoverished people around the world through projects covering education, humanitarian relief, medical assistance, basic food, water provision, eye clinics and orphan care. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy it, use it or disclose its contents. Please notify info@ladyfatemahtrust.org immediately and destroy your copy. Internet communications including e-mails cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free. While the LFT has taken steps to control the spread of viruses on its systems it cannot guarantee that this email (including any attachments) is free of any virus or other harmful matter and accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from the recipient receiving, opening or using it.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons – Salaamun Alaikum
Education is a highly empowering tool and your support at the LFCT has meant that over the past 17 years the Trust has been able to reach out to empower students at various levels from supporting orphanages with poultry microfinance in Kibowa, Tanzania to the teacher development sessions in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. You have assisted orphans and refugees get educated from Iraq to Gaza where students with hearing disabilities put on a wide smile to say thank you. In total 62 students have graduated with your generous support in India, Pakistan, Lebanon and Palestine. In many instances these graduates return to their communities whilst studying to run tuition centres for other students from destitute backgrounds succeed in school. A total of 3 graduates from Bangalore’s slums have been mentored in work experience to be able to get good graduate placements. This sits at the core of the LFCT’s ethos of empowerment to self-sustaining families who have a future to look forward to that is brighter and more independent. Their prayers for you and gratitude for your selfless lifeline to them will never be forgotten.
One such individual is Syed Afshar Husain Kazmi from Gigit Baltistan in Pakistan who the Trust has supported after he was turned down by several NGOs. His family sold land to support him and he ran into financial hardships soon after starting his course at Politecnico di Torino, Italy in Mechanical and Production engineering and a Masters degree in Engineering and Management. During his Bachelors degree, Afshar spent a year in China on a research project and he has returned there for further research to complete his PhD project. The completion of his doctoral thesis will be a rewarding moment for Afshar and his family, made possible by you, the family of LFCT patrons. He remains eternally grateful for support in his darkest moments and constant encouragement to complete his studies and achieve the highest grades.
Whilst the Holy Month of Ramadhan is over four months away, we would invite you to start pledging your donations towards this flagship project of the Trust. Every year, your generosity ensures the distribution of food parcels to needy families across Iraq, Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Kenya and Tanzania so that they can at least enjoy one square meal a day after fasting. The logistics of getting food to their homes before the onset of the Holy Month means that food needs to be ordered this month and transported to distribution centres near their homes and given to them by the end of Shabaan. The process of vetting families for eligibility has begun and we would request you to continue donating generously as many times as you can in the lead up to the Holy Month so we can reach out to even more beneficiaries particularly orphans, widows and refugees. Food parcels comprise of the most nutritious compliment of the local diet and the distribution is monitored by local partners who are expected to submit detailed accounts of the distribution to maximise effectiveness.
LiFT Tanzania
The LFCT has initiated its first ten microfinance projects on Pemba Island, Tanzania. In the first case, for a cost of £80.00 it provided two goats to a family of ten, which is expected to transform their standard of living. At the moment, the family’s agricultural pursuits do not even cover a quarter of their food requirements, and the family is forced to live on one meal a day. The new microfinance project will allow the family to generate additional income, not only to feed themselves adequately, but to also allow their children to access education, thus improving their prospects for the future. The projects are on-going and your continued support will enable us to roll out further work.
The LFT is continuing its appeal to provide goats to destitute widows in the Thar Desert in Pakistan. To date, the LFT has distributed 102 goats, and the appeal is to extend this figure to 122. Goats are easy to raise and maintain, and multiply rapidly. Every year, a goat will give birth to 2-3 offspring, which in turn will be ready to reproduce after three years. For this reason, they tend to be a profitable source of income. In addition to being able to sell the milk of goats for profit, widows can also sell a few of their stock, once the numbers reach a sustainable level. Whilst the conditions in the Thar Desert make it difficult to grow crops, the climate easily sustains grass and shrubs, which are an ideal food-source for goats. For this reason, the rearing of goats is one of the only feasible ways in which these women can generate income in order to live self-sustaining lives. The LFT strongly believes in empowering women to lead independent lives of dignity. Its microfinance projects are geared towards this end, and the LFCT humbly requests you to support it in its efforts.
LiFT Iraq
In 2006, the LFCT and its partner organization in Iraq joined hands to care for then eleven unaccompanied elderly and chronically ill Iraqi refugees living in the Sultaniyeh refugee camp. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) has said that “Those who do not show mercy to our young ones and do not realise the right of our elders are not from us” and it was in this spirit that the LFCT took on the care of these elderly refugees. At the end of 2013, only three of the eleven original beneficiaries were still alive. In January 2014, the LFCT’s partner received an appeal to take on the care of a further five beneficiaries. A visit to the camp by LFCT volunteers showed that the five potential new beneficiaries were living in abject poverty, as they were unable to work due to old age or chronic disease. From February 2014, the LFCT decided to take on the care of these five new beneficiaries, and also expanded the scope of their programme. The total cost of the project in 2014 came to just over £4,600, and LFCT would like to continue its work into 2015, with the seven remaining beneficiaries. Every human being has the right to live in old age with dignity and care, and the LFCT humbly requests you to support it in ensuring that this happens.
LiFT Medical Education Project, Lebanon
Furthering the Trust’s promotion of education in Lebanon, we provides bursaries for impoverished students in developing countries who wish to undertake medical education, including nursing, dentistry, general practice and other medical professions. Since its inception, the project has had multiple beneficiaries. Under its thirty-ninth appeal, the LFT would like to fund the education of eighteen year old Aya Ali Rida from South Lebanon. Her father’s modest income of US$ 800.00 per month is insufficient to support the basic needs of his four children, and Aya’s education. As a result, Aya has appealed to the LFCT to fund her nursing course for the next four years at a cost of just over $4,000. Her desire to study nursing will be intellectually empowering, will allow her to become financially independent, and will give her the means contribute positively to the society in which she lives. The LFT humbly requests that you help empower Aya, and give her hope for a better future.
Ms Khadija Gulamhussein, Public Relations volunteer
Dear Patrons – Salaamun Alaikum
10th Annual Gala Dinner
Gala Dinner will be held on 06th June 2015 at Thistle Hotel Heathrow. The Keynote speaker will be Dame Claire Bertschunger. Nurse and Humanitarian whose work during the famine in Ethiopia inspired Band Aid. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at https://www.tickettailor.com/checkout/view-event/id/24812/chk/f8e0/ref/website_widget
Ramadan 1436 A.H.
As Ramadan approaches, the LFCT would like to highlight the plight of the many Syrian refugees in Lebanon, displaced Iraqis within Iraq. Displaced by the ongoing, bloody conflict, over two million Syrians have taken refuge in Lebanon. They now make up nearly half of the population. They are living on the margins of society, in makeshift camps and abandoned buildings. Life continues in a state of limbo, where desperate adults cannot work and frustrated children await the promise of school. We must also remember that Lebanon itself is a country stretched for resources and now host to nearly two million Syrian refugees, the country enters into an uncertain future.
During the month of Ramadan, we will be appealing for funds to support the refugees, poor and aged with food to break their fasting. Your continued support is much appreciated.
LFCT in Tanzania
Clean, safe drinking water will be made available to over 1800 inhabitants of Jungani, Mtende and Jambang’one coastal villages on Pemba Island. After previous, unsuccessful attempts to provide safe water, the villagers are desperate for clean water within easy reach of their homes and livelihoods. Due to the proximity to the coast, during high tide, the sea water mixes with the fresh water in the wells, causing high levels of salinity in the well water which can have dangerous health impacts. Villagers are left with no alternative but to travel great distances, often by foot to collect water from alternative safe water sources, currently a long way from their homes. The use of this precious time for collecting water often falls upon women or children, reducing their ability to strengthen their livelihoods, care for the family and prepare for the future.
Piped water from the main island of Pemba has been made available for the three villages, however the connections remain far away, which means currently, water still has to be transported great distances by the villagers. The Lady Fatemah (as) Trust will assist them in bringing water from where the water work department has reached, to their villages.
Wello WaterWheels
In addition, the LFCT are partnering up with Wello WaterWheels to provide 250 durable, readily transportable water containers to Pemba Island residents. The WaterWheels, are a convenient, highly mobile water transportation and storage unit that means water can easily be ‘wheeled’ from where it is collected in much higher quantities than can be carried by hand. The wheel holds up to 45 litres, the equivalent of what four women can carry on their person, traditionally, on their heads in jerry cans. Women spend 25% of their time on water collection each day walking for miles with burden of a water container which equals a standard airline checked bag. The WaterWheel is a low cost, culturally appropriate solution that the LFCT hopes the Trust’s supporters will rally behind.
LFCT in Pakistan
122 widows benefit from a highly successful microfinance project that has provided goats in Abbottabad, Haripur, Rawalpindi, Ghotki, Shikar Pur and Tharparkar Districts. Goats provide marginalised and destitute widows with improved financial, social and nutritional security. Goats quickly reproduce, giving birth to up to two young each year and readily survive in mountainous and desert areas. Women who previously had very little possessions including no land, an irregular income and access to only the most basic, subsistence food where it was not uncommon for their children to be malnourished, now live with much greater security and sustainability. The impact of this project runs even deeper, having a continued effect on children and the wider family as all become more self-sufficient. Many more widows continue to seek support under this highly successful and self-sustaining project. The LFCT plan to reach out to 10 additional widows at Rs.12.000.00 per goat for transportation and distribution. This is just GB£78.00 per goat.
Providing access to safe drinking water also remains a priority for the LFCT in Pakistan. This month the Trust is able to report supplying 10 more villages with safe drinking water since December 2014 through hand pumps. Rs. 95,635 (£634) is currently left over and will be utilised in forthcoming schemes in hard to reach and desert areas of Pakistan. The LFCT have committed to providing clean water to a further 10 villages between March and June 2015 through hand pumps and wells at a cost of £5,304 which includes the money saved from the previous 10 schemes.
Water services in Pakistan are at best intermittent, with poor drinking water quality and sanitation leading to major outbreaks of waterborne diseases across the country in 2006. Estimates suggest that each year more than 3 million Pakistanis become infected with waterborne diseases. The LFCT’s commitment to helping towards providing safe water in Pakistan will alleviate suffering and restore health and dignity to numerous villages across Pakistan. Please support generously.
LFCT support promising Veterinary Doctor
The LFCT, with the generous support of its donors aims to support promising student Yadullah Baqir with the final year of a five program of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at The University of Agriculture, Peshawar. Though from an impoverished background, Yadullah Baqir hopes to become a qualified practitioner of Veterinary Medicine and embark on a career where he will be able to take care of his financially challenged family. Yadullah Baqir’s family have struggled to support his studies as Yadullah has 4 siblings and survive on the wage of his retired father (pension approximately £50 per month).
Yadullah Baqir has scored a CGPA 3.23/4.00 in his first year of DVM, but because of his family’s financial situation, Yadullah Baqir faces the risk of discontinuing his education. The Trust appeals for donors continued support with this promising student which will cost £580.
LFCT support Iram Fatima
Sister Iram Fatima is attending the third semester of an Eight Semester program at Government College University, Faisalabad studying for a BS degree in Chemistry. From an impoverished background, Iram Fatima hopes to become a qualified graduate and embark on a career where she will be able to take care of her financially disadvantaged family. Iram Fatima’s family are supported by her father who is a shopkeeper, earing just £65 (approximately) each month. Iram Fatima has 3 siblings, making it difficult for her father, Muhammad Hussain to support her education. Fatima faces the risk of discontinuing her education unless she receives timely help. The LFCT is working with MICT to provide funding (£355) for Iram Fatima’s remaining five semesters. MICT under the direction of LFCT will closely monitor Iram Fatima’s progress.
The LFCT continues to support MICT to aid multiple students with their studies as education is vital for self- sufficiency.
Sister Syeda Bushra Parveen graduates
“Many Thanks & Duas to the LFCT-UK to support my daughter for her educational dues” says the mother of Bushra Parveen
Sister Syeda Bushra Parveen graduates in BA Eastern medicine and Surgery (BEMS) after the support of the LFCT. Syeda Bushra Parveen’s father Syed Shafqat Hussain died of cardiac failure in 2005, leaving behind five children. Her late father was a low income shopkeeper and Bushra’s younger brother Syed Sajjad Haider had to discontinue his education after graduating from high school, in order to support his family. He is presently working as salesman in a cellular phone company on a monthly wage of approximately £98, with little hope of significantly improving his financial situation.
Bushra Parveen approached MICT for sponsorship for the remaining three years of her BEMS course. With the support of LFCT, MICT arranged an amount of £1634 to be transferred. Bushra Parveen was an intelligent and hardworking student. She has successfully completed her Bachelor of Eastern Medicine & Surgery BEMS with first division and is an example of the great success sponsorship of promising students can have. Bushra Parveen and her family conveyed their Duas and Thanks to all the Trustees of Lady Fatemah Trust-UK.
Dear Patrons – Salaamun Alaikum
Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust Annual Gala
We would also like to take this opportunity to remind the Trusts valued supporters that the Annual Gala is fast approaching! The Gala takes place this year on Saturday 6th June at the Thistle Hotel London Heathrow. It is set to be the Trust’s main event of the year and a fantastic night of entertainment, inspiration, socialising and fundraising. The keynote speaker this year is Dame Claire Bertschinger; Nurse and humanitarian and Sadia Azmat, BBC Stand-up Comedian. Tickets cost £60 and all proceeds go to a LFCT project of your choice. Tickets can be purchased through the website, emailing tickets@ladyfatemahtrust.org or calling 07702794401. A night not to be missed!
Ramadan Eftar Appeal
This year the LFCT aim to provide basic food items for 2,614 Mo’min Refugee Families, approximately 13,070 persons. Ramadan is a very special time, however fasting in the holy month will be difficult this year as it is in summer and days will be long and hot. Proper nutrition is essential so that the fasting person has the necessary energy to fast through the day and still derive the spiritual benefit of additional prayers and reciting the Holy Quran. This fasting is made increasingly difficult to families living with food insecurity, as the beneficiaries of the joint Eftar Assistance Program of LFCT and its partner, who already work with these families, do. Assisting them with food relief during the holy month will enable them to derive the same spiritual benefit as economically secure families. With just GBP £31.80 you can provide basic, not perishable food items for a family of five and earn their heartfelt prayers. Please, paint a smile on the faces of the beneficiaries of the 2014 Eftar Assistance Program who hope for the same assistance in 2015. LFCT Will also provide Ramadhan Eftar Food Baskets to Widows and Poor families of Iraq and Pakistan
Yemen Emergency Appeal
This month we have several ongoing and emergency appeals, starting with the terrible plight that is being afflicted upon Yemen’s vulnerable and innocent civilians as they face civil war. Vital services and amenities have been severed and families begin to go hungry, without shelter and uncertain of what the next days might bring. Thousands have been injured, including many children and the death toll continues to rise. The psychological effects of the conflict are beginning to surface and it is vital that shelter, food, water and medical supplies reach the affected. The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust is working directly with a local NGO on the ground to deliver aid. This means any donation you make to the Trust can have an immediate impact with no administrative cost. Please donate generously today to help alleviate the suffering.
Al Hujjah Hospital, Karbala Appeal
LFCT Donors Please donate generously towards Al Hujjah Hospital Karbala Karbala Hospital, a project of Development and Relief Foundation, which is a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization whose mission is to bring healing and hope to broken hearts for a promising future by providing quality education to children, offering income-generating training for low income individuals, distributing nourishing food to underserved families, sponsoring orphans and less fortunate children, and building a hospital with comprehensive and compassionate care. Karbala Hospital is committed to improving the health and lives of the population the region.
In 2007, DRF started constructing an 8-story, 145-bed hospital in Karbala. The surgical theatre consists of seven operation rooms and pre and postoperative holding areas with a total area of 1600 square metres. There will be two specialized operation rooms in cardiology and orthopaedics, and three general ORs, in addition to one cardiac catheterization lab and one minor surgery room in the ER. Karbala Hospital will be able to medically serve a population of 3 million at an affordable cost and supply between 600 to 900 jobs.
Due to the lack of medical services related to the past international blockade under the former regime and the current perilous political and security conditions, the holy city of Karbala, in particular, has been deprived from an adequate number of health centres and hospitals. Currently, the healthcare state is suboptimal in the province of Karbala. The total number of hospital beds available in the province is 1,163 for a total population of 1.2 million, which puts the rate of bed/population in Karbala below 1%, smaller than 14 other provinces out of 18 total in Iraq.
‘Partnerships and Advisers Team Karbala’ is a medical advisory group of highly dedicated and renowned medical professionals who volunteer in assisting the project with their expertise. Their expert opinions provide valuable information on the functional capabilities, opportunities, threats and limitations of the future operation of the project. Karbala Hospital has several other partnerships with medical institutions and universities including Hardin Memorial Hospital, World Sight, and the Institute of International Health at Michigan State University, The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust and Development and Relief Foundation.
A unique feature of Karbala Hospital is that it solely relies on contributions from generous philanthropists and good-hearted people and charitable believers worldwide to establish and expand the vital projects and programs that improve the quality of healthcare. Your gift is an investment in the future of quality healthcare in the province of Karbala and each gift is deeply appreciated regardless of its kind and amount, since it will certainly help the hospital’s physicians and medical staff to provide excellent services using advanced technology and treatment methods. Contributions from the US made through Development and Relief Foundation are tax deductible and can be made through DRF’s website. Donations can also be made through the LFCT website where the following levels of Sponsorship are available: Platinum-$10,000.00 Gold-$5,000.00 Silver-$1,000.00 Bronze-$500.00. For more information about Karbala Hospital, visit its website. http://karbalahospital.com
Provision of Clean and Sufficient Water for Deaf Children and Adults and their Families in the Gaza Strip Appeal
UN reports revealed that the Gaza strip faces a water crisis that will soon make it unliveable. Water for the 1.8 million people – half of them children and two-thirds refugees – who live in just 365 sq. km of land bordering the Mediterranean comes entirely from the shallow coastal aquifer shared between Gaza, Israel and Egypt, which is only partly replenished each year by rainfall. Decades of over pumping and heavy pollution from salts and waste water has left the aquifer highly degraded, contaminated and in danger of irreparable damage. The scale and severity of the water crisis facing the Gaza Strip are enormous, and with the absence of immediate action to resolve this urgent issue due on-going tightened siege imposed against the Gaza Strip and recent conflicts, the damage to the Gaza Strip natural resources will be irreversible.
Recently, ASDC, an NGO in Gaza, that serves more than 15,000 deaf and hearing impaired children, adults and their families annually, has encountered a challenge in securing healthy water for its beneficiaries, as the available water is heavily polluted and is not healthy for the human usage. ASDC is seeking urgent assistance from the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust to support the installation of a deep water well pump in ASDC premises along with the installation of a medium scale water desalination plant that will guarantee the provision of sustainable, clean, and healthy water for the beneficiaries of ASDC and will protect them from any risks emerging from polluted water diseases that can be fatal. The trust will support the installation of clean water hardware totalling USD$10,500. This support will be of high value as it will save the lives of thousands of deaf children and adults, their families and outpatients.
Ongoing support for Iraq’s Orphans
The LFCT continues its long term support to Orphans in Iraq, where just GBP£30/USD$45 per month can pay for vital education, clothing, health and welfare. With all orphans of school eligible age, the funding is dependent upon them continuing to attend an educational institution. Their progress is followed closely and the impact this small monthly support makes is perfectly summed up by this Widow and her daughter when the daughter asked, “Why can’t I buy all the things I need for school? Is it because I don’t have a father, like the other children?” After receiving the sponsorship, her mother told her, “Allah has provided the means to purchase what you need through LFT.”
With 15 million children caught up in major conflicts, UNICEF declared 2014 a devastating year for children. It is with this sentiment that the LFCT will continue to support as many orphaned children as possible. Please donate generously to make this project an ongoing success. 154 Orphans and 63 extremely vulnerable families were sponsored in the fourth quarter of 2014. A Total of 2,613 Sponsorships Were Paid in 2014
Ophthalmic Care in Lebanon
This month the LFCT has begun supporting The Imam Sadr Foundation (ISF), a non-governmental organisation in Lebanon who will provide ophthalmic care management in Marjeyoun Region, Lebanon, to complement their existing health programme within the region.
With the aim of providing preventative and curative interventions for at risk populations, the project will provide care for 300 people over 600 visits. At risk populations include the chronically ill (i.e. Diabetics, on the increase in the region), people with eye difficulties or deficiencies, children in schools (as preventive detection) and Syrian refugees and other vulnerable populations. The Foundation began constructing and running health clinics in 1985 and each institution adopts a holistic approach (as defined by the WHO) in accordance with national strategies set by the Ministry of Health and in association with local and international partners, programme policies and health services. Dayr Syriane Primary Healthcare Centre, located in Dayr Syriane village (near Al-Taybeh village with estimated 16,000 inhabitants) in the district of Marjeyoun (South Lebanon), will now be able to offer ophthalmic care alongside its existing services. This centre offers various primary care services (an average of 12,000 per year delivered to 5,000 visitors) and programs such as; general and specialized consultations, essential drugs, children vaccination, pre- and antenatal care, reproductive health, elderly care, mental health, laboratory tests, and social animations amongst others. According to the assessment of needs of the population and client satisfaction survey’s claims and suggestions, the centre has set a strategic goal to expand its services to an “ophthalmic clinic” for the disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. The cost of providing this is just GBP£16,460/USD$25,000.
By the will of God, the dream of many people will begin inshallah to come true this year before the holy month of Ramadan, with the call for Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust Association to sustain the root seeds of this project so it can flourish from year to year and enable many people to keep the Amanah Allah gave to them: Sight.
LFCT building houses for Flood Victims
Recipients are Brother Ali Mohamed Matoo, father of two children and his aged parents and Victim Brother Mohammed Yousef Ganayee, father of two children whose aged parents are living with him.
Costing just over GBP£3,216/USD$4,770, each the houses will provide shelter and security once more to victims of a terrible natural disaster in which all their belongings were lost.
Cancer patient with three children supported by LFCT
Under the LFCT’s Patient Welfare Program for Poor and Needy (Helping People – Changing Lives)
Faitma aged 45 and mother of 3 children belongs to an impoverished family of District Hunza Nagar in Pakistan’s Northern Gilgit Baltistan Province. Recently, Fatima`s life turned for the worst when she came to Islamabad for a minor Gall bladder surgery. After surgery the biopsy report revealed that she is suffering from Gall Bladder cancer. Her elder son Ghulam Hussain rushed her to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for further examinations. The doctors recommended an immediate surgery to stop the cancer from spreading to other organs. Her son, Ghulam Hussain who is a school teacher, is seeking help for immediate treatment of his mother. In view of his limited income, Ghulam Hussain has requested a sum of GBP£4,626/USD$6,869 as per the doctor’s prescription to afford the surgery.
LFCT is the first NGO to visit the people living in the Marsh Lands, Iraq
Mr. Karim recently visited Iraq to pursue relief activities undertaken by the LFCT and to visit the Marsh Lands area and their people in the Southern regions of Iraq. To date, the LFCT has successfully distributed devices that use solar energy to generate electricity for light and to charge mobile phones – a great need in this area.
Inhabitants of these areas depend on the marsh water to carry out their daily activities such as cooking, drinking and washing. This is of concern as the water obtained from marshes has high salinity and an abundance of dead fish and other aquatic animals. Dogs and buffalos swim and utilize these waters too for drinking and defecating. According to our knowledge, cancer is a common disease that spreads among the residents of these areas and neighbouring southern Iraqi cities. Mr. Karim commented that he will discuss with Trustees to embark an appeal to supply simple water purification equipment so that the people of Marshes may have access to safe, filtered water. However it is likely that the partnership to work with the people of the Marsh Lands will be longstanding as they are impoverished and face many other issues including food insecurity, a lack of electricity, high levels of illiteracy, out of school children and lack of access to basic healthcare services.
21 Villages supplied with clean water
9,378 inhabitants over 21 villages have benefited from the provision of safe water since 2013. The benefit this has bought is best summarised by the inhabitants themselves, ‘Having solved our water problem, we now have time to tend to our farms’, ‘We never thought we could one day all spend time at our farm, as one of us was always out getting water for home’ and ‘We can now think of what more we can grow, to increase our income, and therefore uplift out living standard. All because we now have running water at our door step’. The water project for the population of Pemba has been very well received by all, solving the water collection issues. Prior to the project villages had to travel, often by foot, up to 2km each time they needed to draw water. Now they can simply step out of their homes and turn a tap on. This has made an incremental difference to the lives of over 9,378 villagers.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Patrons – Salaamun Alaikum
Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust Annual Gala
We would also like to take this opportunity to remind the Trusts valued supporters that the Annual Gala is fast approaching! The Gala takes place this year on Saturday 6th June at the Thistle Hotel London Heathrow. It is set to be the Trust’s main event of the year and a fantastic night of entertainment, inspiration, socialising and fundraising. The keynote speaker this year is Dame Claire Bertschinger; Nurse and humanitarian and Sadia Azmat, BBC Stand-up Comedian. Tickets cost £60 and all proceeds go to a LFCT project of your choice. Tickets can be purchased through the website, emailing tickets@ladyfatemahtrust.org or calling 07702794401. A night not to be missed!
APPEAL: Ramadan Eftar Appeal
This year the LFCT aim to provide basic food items for 2,614 Mo’min Refugee Families, approximately 13,070 persons. Ramadan is a very special time, however fasting in the holy month will be difficult this year as it is in summer and days will be long and hot. Proper nutrition is essential so that the fasting person has the necessary energy to fast through the day and still derive the spiritual benefit of additional prayers and reciting the Holy Quran. This fasting is made increasingly difficult to families living with food insecurity, as the beneficiaries of the joint Eftar Assistance Program of LFCT and its partner, IRAC, who already work with these families, do. Assisting them with food relief during the holy month will enable them to derive the same spiritual benefit as economically secure families. With just GBP£31.80 you can provide basic, not perishable food items for a family of five and earn their heartfelt prayers. Please, paint a smile on the faces of the beneficiaries of the 2014 Eftar Assistance Program who hope for the same assistance in 2015.
APPEAL: Al Hujjah Hospital, Karbala Appeal
LFCT Donors Please donate generously towards Al Hujjah Hospital Karbala Karbala Hospital, a project of Development and Relief Foundation, which is a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization whose mission is to bring healing and hope to broken hearts for a promising future by providing quality education to children, offering income-generating training for low income individuals, distributing nourishing food to underserved families, sponsoring orphans and less fortunate children, and building a hospital with comprehensive and compassionate care. Karbala Hospital is committed to improving the health and lives of the population the region.
In 2007, DRF started constructing an 8-story, 145-bed hospital in Karbala. The surgical theatre consists of seven operation rooms and pre and postoperative holding areas with a total area of 1600 square metres. There will be two specialized operation rooms in cardiology and orthopaedics, and three general ORs, in addition to one cardiac catheterization lab and one minor surgery room in the ER. Karbala Hospital will be able to medically serve a population of 3 million at an affordable cost and supply between 600 to 900 jobs.
Due to the lack of medical services related to the past international blockade under the former regime and the current perilous political and security conditions, the holy city of Karbala, in particular, has been deprived from an adequate number of health centres and hospitals. Currently, the healthcare state is suboptimal in the province of Karbala. The total number of hospital beds available in the province is 1,163 for a total population of 1.2 million, which puts the rate of bed/population in Karbala below 1%, smaller than 14 other provinces out of 18 total in Iraq.
‘Partnerships and Advisers Team Karbala’ is a medical advisory group of highly dedicated and renowned medical professionals who volunteer in assisting the project with their expertise. Their expert opinions provide valuable information on the functional capabilities, opportunities, threats and limitations of the future operation of the project. Karbala Hospital has several other partnerships with medical institutions and universities including Hardin Memorial Hospital, World Sight, and the Institute of International Health at Michigan State University, The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust and Development and Relief Foundation.
A unique feature of Karbala Hospital is that it solely relies on contributions from generous philanthropists and good-hearted people and charitable believers worldwide to establish and expand the vital projects and programs that improve the quality of healthcare. Your gift is an investment in the future of quality healthcare in the province of Karbala and each gift is deeply appreciated regardless of its kind and amount, since it will certainly help the hospital’s physicians and medical staff to provide excellent services using advanced technology and treatment methods. Contributions from the US made through Development and Relief Foundation are tax deductible and can be made through DRF’s website. Donations can also be made through the LFCT website where the following levels of Sponsorship are available: Platinum-$10,000.00 Gold-$5,000.00 Silver-$1,000.00 Bronze-$500.00. For more information about Karbala Hospital, visit its website. http://karbalahospital.com
APPEAL: Ongoing support for Iraq’s Orphans Appeal
The LFCT continues its long term support to Orphans in Iraq, where just GBP£30/USD$45 per month can pay for vital education, clothing, health and welfare. With all orphans of school eligible age, the funding is dependent upon them continuing to attend an educational institution. Their progress is followed closely and the impact this small monthly support makes is perfectly summed up by this Widow and her daughter when the daughter asked, “Why can’t I buy all the things I need for school? Is it because I don’t have a father, like the other children?” After receiving the sponsorship, her mother told her, “Allah has provided the means to purchase what you need through LFT.”
With 15 million children caught up in major conflicts, UNICEF declared 2014 a devastating year for children. It is with this sentiment that the LFCT will continue to support as many orphaned children as possible. Please donate generously to make this project an ongoing success.
154 Orphans and 63 extremely vulnerable families were sponsored in the fourth quarter of 2014. A Total of 2,613 Sponsorships Were Paid in 2014.
Live Goats Project Pakistan
During May, 10 more live goats are distributed to vulnerable widows in the Tharparkr region of Pakistan. The goats bring security and sustainability, rapidly reproducing and producing milk, hide and meat which can be used by the family or sold on for additional income. Goats are renowned for being easy to look after, able to survive with minimal food, on hardy shrubs in desert and hilly area. This project continues to be a success and the LFCT will assist more widows in the future.
Three more villages receive clean water in Pemba
9,015 women, children and men can now benefit from clean, safe water directly to their villages on Pemba Island, through a piped water scheme and storage tank. This is a dream come true for the villagers who, prior to the LFCT’s assistance, had no choice but to travel great distances to fetch dirty, contaminated water. Although villagers had attempted to dig a well, the water table in Pemba has high levels of saline intrusion which can have a drastic effect on health and longevity with links to hypertension and putting pregnant women in great danger during their pregnancy. The Trust has assisted the three villages in brining clean water through a piped water supply and sanitary storage tank, restoring health, happiness and dignity and freeing time for villagers to work on sustaining the family, growing their income and focussing on supporting their children. The final touches and LFCT signboard has been completed, giving the each village 10,000 litres of clean water, a huge weight off their shoulders and freeing up invaluable time and resources.
“We pray LFCT is given the strength to continue with this noble deed, and provide water to more villages, thus making life easier in these trying times.” Villager
11 More water wells are built in Pakistan
Between March and May 2015, 11 more water wells have been built in Pakistan helping over 800 gain access to safe sources of clean water. 10 schemes were planned however LFCT’s partner in Pakistan, the Pravalli Welfare Trust was able to save Rs. 151,691.00 and install one additional water pump than planned. In Pakistan, only 92% of the population have access to clean water. A further 500,000 individuals need to gain access to water each year up to 2030 in order to reach 100% water access across Pakistan by 2030 – the sustainable development goals’ endpoint. By installing low cost, low technology solutions and working with a local partner, the LFCT is able to bring fresh, clean water to some of this vulnerable and marginalised community.
Food Baskets for 154 Orphaned and 104 very vulnerable refugee families
In the first quarter of 2015 the LFCT assisted the most vulnerable families with food baskets. The quarterly food distributions of LFCT’s partner are a lifeline for destitute refugee families. By receiving basic food items free of charge, they can use their limited cash to purchase vegetables and small amounts of meat or chicken, thus improving their nutrition. Many of these families are headed by women who eke out a living working in industrial sewing from their homes, so that they can gain an income and at the same time tend to their children. During each distribution they tell the Middle East partner how much they appreciate this assistance. “We cannot do anything for the kind donors but pray for them. They are in our prayers every night.” During this distribution, LFCT’s partner in the Middle East included hygienic items as well as sanitary napkins for ladies as it had become obvious that the refugees are unable to keep up proper hygiene due to the high cost of soap, shampoo and detergent. LFCT Donors Please donate generously. Let us bring smile on more Refugee Families. The average cost for a food basket per family is just £44.
A lifeline of support for Philippine families after Typhoon Haiyan
November 2013’s Cyclone Haiyan turned out to be the deadliest in Philippine history claiming 6,300 lives and making 11,000 homeless. It left utter devastation in its path, splitting apart families and communities, destroying schools and washing away livelihoods. The LFCT sent much needed aid to the victims of this powerful natural disaster. Here is one vivid account of their experiences and what the Trust’s assistance meant to them.
Eleanor: “We waited and waited for more news, a call from our love ones, a call from our family and friends. Come darkness and night, there was still no concrete news. We called around but nobody could give us news. We were in front of the television, hoping that the international and local news network would give us more information, or just a glimpse of what was really happening. As the mages of the devastation reached our screens, our hearts sunk as we saw shattered houses, dead bodies lying, no water, food or electricity. We still had no news from our family. My 5 year old daughter asked why I was crying and I told her, with the heaviest heart that her Grandfather, Aunt, Uncles, Cousins, other relatives and friends are missing. As the weekend came and went, we still had no news. News began to reach us telling us that all houses along the coast had perished; this was where my family were. As my brother and I prepared to drive to the Tacloban coast, the phone rang. I heard my sisters’ voice, trembling and crying ‘Daddy is alive and ok, we cannot find Mano Eddie (our eldest brother), we no longer have a house to go home to. Help us, there is no medicine, the food and water for Dad is about to run out’. On Monday we finally reached Tacloban. Although I had some idea of how the city was, I still wasn’t prepared – dead bodies next to a child, a mother and father staring into an empty space, still in a state of shock whilst others searched the debris. Houses were flattened and completely destroyed totally with people making temporary shelters out of whatever they could find. We continued to search for our brother but our father was ill and so we had to leave the city to get him correct medical care. Leaving the city, it was so hard to tell him the lovely house he had built with our mother, the home to his eight children, was gone. On top of this, his eldest son was missing. Our father moved temporarily to Manila, and survived the typhoon, but wasn’t free from intermittent pneumonia. He was in and out of hospital every month. Eventually he needed a gastrostomy as he wasn’t tolerating food orally. He survived Haiyan, but the emotional and physical stress made him weak. Sadly, my father joined The Lord last May without seeing his family house rebuilt and knowing he lost his son. On behalf of my family, we are so grateful for the financial gift the LFCTs sent us. We may not have been able to rebuild the house, but it helped us during the toughest 6 months of our lives, in and out of hospital, relocation, and buying expensive medicines and doctors’ fees. For this, we thank you.
Microfinance support in Delhi
This month the Trust has provided micro-finance to a promising young orphan in Delhi in order to help him set up his own Tutorial Centre. Shanjah Imam resides in Bihar region, India. His father passed away 3 years ago and since then Shanjah has taken a leading role in supporting his mother, siblings and cousin. Shanjah has a promising life ahead of him but needs some immediate financial to support him in setting up his future. This positive start would not have been possible without the assistance of the Trust. 2-3 students have already joined classes at the Centre and the orphan is enjoying his independence and ability to make a sustainable and dignified livelihood. He is truly thankful to the Trust for this life changing opportunity.
Great benefits at Bagamoyo Hospital, Dar es Salam after much needed refurbishment
The refurbishing of what was a very dilapidated evacuation (minor theatre) room in the gynaecological ward of Bagamoyo district hospital has supremely lifted the morale of the ward staff. After refurbishment, the room became operational in November 2014. Thanks to the LFCT for making all these possible.
The room was initially in a very poor state: worn out cement flooring, dark and dirty walls, poor lighting, wooden, termite eaten windows and doors, and damaged wash basin, on top of the absence of running water. The lack of water meant that most of the minor operations could not be performed and had to be rescheduled to the only other theatre in the hospital, lengthening the waiting list. In addition, the toilets and washrooms at the hospital were in a very bad state, including broken pipes, damaged and stained ceramic tiles, all compounded by the lack of regular running water supply.
The evacuation room now boasts a brand new tiled floor and walls, new ceiling with fan, an aluminium glass door and aluminium glazed window. The theatre is also equipped with a new wash basin with running tap water, serviced by two 2000 litre capacity water tanks just outside the room (larger than the capacity supplying the main operating theatre). The toilets are now cleaner and tolerable for the patients and the cleaning staff. In actual fact, the refurbished ward has now become the supplier of water to the other wards when water shortages develop across the hospital which is a common occurrence. Thanks to the LFCT for making all these possible.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Supporters – Salaamun Alaikum RAMADHAN KAREEM
APPEAL: Ramadan food for over 15,000 needy families in Kenya, Gaza, Lebanon, Tanzania, West Bank, Iraq, Pakistan and Ethiopia
LFCT donors, please donate generously, together we can make a difference.
As Ramadan 2015 begins, the Holiest month in the Islamic calendar, poor families across the world face breaking their fast with no nourishment. This Ramadan, fasting will reach up to 19 hours in the UK, but each day there will be a break to our fasting with a meal. For some, food to break the fast is scarce. Just one case in Kenya brings this plight to life, as 404 families in Chengoni, Kenya, are in great assistance of food baskets this Ramadan, to enable them break their fast each day with a nourishing meal. Please help to provide to them as you do your own family this Ramadan.
LFT’s local partner in Kenya work directly with poor families through centres embedded in local communities. It is through these centres that 404 families, who are predominantly subsistence farmers, have been identified as being in the greatest need of assistance this Ramadan to help them break their fast with dignity. They have increasingly precarious livelihoods, on a knife-edge from by the risk of drought due to inconsistent rainfall, disease and soil degradation which can cause famine and undernourishment in this already poor community. There are thousands of families just like this across the world that are in great need of your help this Ramadan.
Will you reach out? It costs just £5 to feed an individual for the month, £40 for a family and £10,000 to feed a whole village. Together we have the power to make a difference.
APPEAL: LFCT in Pakistan – Shining the Light for a better tomorrow
Workshop for preparation of College Entrance Examination for Higher School Graduates
Madinatul Ilm Charitable Trust in partnership with The Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust is seeking to raise funds to support up to twenty-four bright young students who belong to the Baltistan region of Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan province. Each of these students have completed their college education with most of them having attained grades between 70 to 85 percent. Coming from a largely underdeveloped region, these students offer the promise of entering professional colleges to attain higher education and eventually become top rate professionals in life.
With LFT’s support MICT feels that a strong effort to allow these students to prepare for their college entrance tests for next year will be a timely intervention in supporting the needs of these individuals who all come from low income households. Just £436.25 per student, a total of £10,470.00 will finance these students through a three month summer camp in Islamabad. In the past, thirty-two students who entered a similar summer camp have qualified to enter well reputed professional Institutions in Medical and Engineering institutions of Pakistan.This was made possible through the generous support of The Lady Fatemah (A.S) Charitable Trust channeled through MICT.
Please donate generously towards these students to make their future brighter.
APPEAL: Al Hujjah Hospital, Karbala Appeal
LFCT donors, please donate generously towards Al Hujjah Hospital Karbala Karbala Hospital, a project of Development and Relief Foundation, which is a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization whose mission is to bring healing and hope to broken hearts for a promising future by providing quality education to children, offering income-generating training for low income individuals, distributing nourishing food to underserved families, sponsoring orphans and less fortunate children, and building a hospital with comprehensive and compassionate care. Karbala Hospital is committed to improving the health and lives of the population the region.
In 2007, DRF started constructing an 8-story, 145-bed hospital in Karbala. The surgical theatre consists of seven operation rooms and pre and postoperative holding areas with a total area of 1600 square metres. There will be two specialized operation rooms in cardiology and orthopaedics, and three general ORs, in addition to one cardiac catheterization lab and one minor surgery room in the ER. Karbala Hospital will be able to medically serve a population of 3 million at an affordable cost and supply between 600 to 900 jobs.
Due to the lack of medical services related to the past international blockade under the former regime and the current perilous political and security conditions, the holy city of Karbala, in particular, has been deprived from an adequate number of health centres and hospitals. Currently, the healthcare state is suboptimal in the province of Karbala. The total number of hospital beds available in the province is 1,163 for a total population of 1.2 million, which puts the rate of bed/population in Karbala below 1%, smaller than 14 other provinces out of 18 total in Iraq.
‘Partnerships and Advisers Team Karbala’ is a medical advisory group of highly dedicated and renowned medical professionals who volunteer in assisting the project with their expertise. Their expert opinions provide valuable information on the functional capabilities, opportunities, threats and limitations of the future operation of the project. Karbala Hospital has several other partnerships with medical institutions and universities including Hardin Memorial Hospital, World Sight, and the Institute of International Health at Michigan State University, The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust and Development and Relief Foundation.
A unique feature of Karbala Hospital is that it solely relies on contributions from generous philanthropists and good-hearted people and charitable believers worldwide to establish and expand the vital projects and programs that improve the quality of healthcare. Your gift is an investment in the future of quality healthcare in the province of Karbala and each gift is deeply appreciated regardless of its kind and amount, since it will certainly help the hospital’s physicians and medical staff to provide excellent services using advanced technology and treatment methods. Contributions from the US made through Development and Relief Foundation are tax deductible and can be made through DRF’s website. Donations can also be made through the LFCT website where the following levels of Sponsorship are available: Platinum-$10,000.00 Gold-$5,000.00 Silver-$1,000.00 Bronze-$500.00. For more information about Karbala Hospital, visit its website. http://karbalahospital.com
APPEAL: Ongoing support for Iraq’s Orphans Appeal
His pillow is hard but his heart is soft.
“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive” Chapter 76:8 Revealed in the honour of Sayyidah Fatemah a.s. and her family
To you the helpless can entrust their cause; you are the defender of orphans.” – Psalm 10:14
The LFCT continues its long term support to Orphans in Iraq, where just GBP£30/USD$45 per month can pay for vital education, clothing, health and welfare. With all orphans of school eligible age, the funding is dependent upon them continuing to attend an educational institution. Their progress is followed closely and the impact this small monthly support makes is perfectly summed up by this Widow and her daughter when the daughter asked, “Why can’t I buy all the things I need for school? Is it because I don’t have a father, like the other children?” After receiving the sponsorship, her mother told her, “Allah has provided the means to purchase what you need through LFT.”
Never in recent memory have so many children been subjected to such unspeakable brutality (Unicef, 2014). With 15 million children caught up in major conflicts, UNICEF declared 2014 a devastating year for children. It is with this sentiment that the LFCT will continue to support as many orphaned children as possible. Please donate generously to make this project an ongoing success. 154 Orphans and 63 extremely vulnerable families were sponsored in the fourth quarter of 2014. A Total of 2,613 Sponsorships Were Paid in 2014.
Your generous donations will help provide Iraqi orphans with nutrition, shelter, clothing, sanitation, medical care and education, all basic rights, within a home. Just £30.00 per month will provide an orphan child with shelter, food, water and cloth
Another fantastic Annual Gala – thanks to LFCT’s generous supporters and dedicated volunteers
The LFCT’s Annual Gala Night 2015 was a huge success – a night of inspiration and time to reflect back and look forward to yet another fantastic year for the LFCT, supporting more vulnerable and needy communities around the world.
The night saw Dame Claire Bertschinger and Sadia Azmat take to the stage providing fascinating stories and great entertainment. A huge thank you to all those that were involved with the Gala this year – the volunteers and organisers, presenters, guests and donors. It is not too late to make a donation in recognition of the Annual Gala. If you didn’t get chance to attend this year you can make a donation to a project of your choice at any time through the Trust’s website.
LIFESAVER Systems
Many of the LFCT supporters that attended the Gala this year would have been lucky enough to experience and see LIFESAVER Systems products in action, filtering dirty, contaminated water into clean, fresh water, right in front of our eyes! Shortly after the gala the LFCT visited LIFESAVERS offices and production facility, learning much more about the company and the product and learning about other NGO’s experiences in the field. LFCT and LIFESAVER are very excited to be working together and are looking forward to starting their first project together in the Marshlands area of Iraq in the next few months. More news to follow on this.
Ophthalmology Department, Karbala – Transforming darkness into light
This year, the LFCT has committed to transforming the lives of thousands in Karbala. A person forced to imagine the beauty of nature; a parent that can’t watch their child blossom into adulthood; a child that cannot see the comfort of a mothers embrace – these are all unfortunate realities of many people living in the Middle East. Unlike many other epidemics such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, where the cure is difficult to discover, over 80% of blindness is preventable. This equates to a staggering 800 million people that suffer unnecessarily. As we know that the eyesight of an individual naturally deteriorates with age; this proves to be the least of problems in the Middle East when acknowledging studies similar to one done in Lebanon where 231 children were studied in three blind schools in the age range of 6-20 years of age. Of these students, 70 % were blind before the age of two, meaning that the quality of life is not entirely enjoyed and many young children are forced to live a life of additional hardships. A more recent study revealed that out of 137 blind Jordanian children, 122 cases (77.7%) were found after 1970 some in which could have been treated with ease given the resources the developed countries have today. The time and date of these statistics mean that the problem is not getting better it is in fact taking a change for the worse.
The feasibility of curing blindness in middle eastern countries may appear to be a daunting task but at closer inspection one will realize that cataracts contributes up to 6.4% of health conditions in the middle east which contributes to nearly 7 million individuals that must live with blindness for the rest of their lives. Due to the recent surge in blindness in the Middle East from 1970 to present day, the gross domestic product has dwindled as blindness has an indirect relationship with the financial stability of that country. When a person is struck with a debilitating disease that results in blindness in the Middle East, that person then loses his/her opportunity to support their family. A domino effect then begins to play out as that person is forced into poverty and thus cannot contribute to the economy through buying and selling goods as he/she could’ve prior to the disease. The majority of people living with blindness are women, most blind people need someone to care for them, and this is usually a child, more often than not a little girl, and that child often misses out on the chance of an education because of their responsibilities. A further 190.6 million people were visually impaired to the point that their ability to function, to participate, to learn and to work is negatively impacted.
The burden that many Middle Eastern people bare is one that could be fixed in less than 20-30 minutes if supplied ample recourses to deliver the surgery which is still much cheaper in cost when compared to other major surgeries. The LFCT is supporting the Ophthalmology Department in Karbala by proving the full equipment to work with 20,000 patients per year. Karbala Hospital will be able to medically serve a population of 3 million at an affordable cost and supply between 600 to 900 jobs. It will serve people around Karbala and the South including Basra. We can help turn a new page for those suffering with preventable and curable blindness and turn these nightmares into things of the past. LFCT supporters, please donate generously. Dear donors donate generously and FLOOD light into the lives of the masses living in darkness unnecessarily….
LFCT in Palestine – Project completion with the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children
Improving the livelihood condition of Sister Yosra Abu Quta and her Family, Gaza, Palestine.
Yosra Abo Qota, is a thirty-eight-year-old mother with eight children, six boys and two daughters. The family lives in Deir Al Balah city, in the middle area of the Gaza Strip. Six of Yosra’s children suffer from Thalassemia and her husband has cartilage problems and mental disorders. She has great difficulty caring for all of her children and husband alongside managing a crumbling house with no window and a damaged ceiling.
In December 2013, ASDC’s team carried out several home visits to assess the needs of sister Yosra’s family. The main needs were identified and included: carrying out repairs for the house, financial assistance for the family for medications, and financial support for launching a micro-finance project.
Directly, upon receiving the fund, ASDC team started working with Sister Yosra on having the house repaired:
– Fitting of windows
– Plaster works to fix the ceiling and the gaps in the walls
– Electricity works and maintenance
After the completion of all repairs, the family was very excited to see their house in a new and healthy condition. The children expressed their happiness and comfort that they will no longer be afraid from winter as they have windows to protect them. Sister Yosra received financial assistance to pay for the medications and treatment fees needed for her children and husband. This support has eased her worries, as for her seeing her children in good health is the most important thing in life. All of this was possible through the generous support of the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust.
The second step for the support was launching a small business for sister Yosra in order to have an income so she can provide for her children’s needs – a small business in her home, selling cosmetics and children’s clothing. Her business is successful, and she is now paying every effort to make a progress, in order to be able to support the needs of her family. The whole family is now in a stable condition, their sense of fear and discomfort has disappeared. She can now provide her family with needed medications, can secure healthy food for them, and can afford the fees for their education through having a sustainable source of income.
LCFT in Pakistan – 10 more villages receive water at their doorsteps in time for Ramadhan
The total number of water projects now supported by the LFCT has reached 236 across the world.
The Tharparkar region in Pakistan has seen the successful installation of another 10 Water Wells in the form of hand pumps. These pumps will service the poor and needy communities whom before were forced to drink dirty and saline water which they often had to travel distances of up to 1.5kms to collect. All 10 were installed in June 2015 in the following villages Doonjh, Soojavery, Manjthi, Sirnghwaro, Lonai, Sonsan, Godhio, with several villages having multiple pumps if they are sizeable. The total cost for the scheme was £4,439.00.
Earlier in the month, two more hand pumps were installed, one in Mohalla School, Sataura Village and one in Maira Gujarat. In both cases, the bore was made by the villages. A prime example of the LFCT enabling people to help themselves. Together the total cost was £645.00. Many more villages are waiting for your generous donation.
LFCT Assists Blood Cancer Patient
LFCT assists Sister Farzana with a stem cell transplant as vital, lifesaving treatment in her battle against blood cancer. She is now recovering in hospital until the end of June. The LFCT have assisted Sister Farzana with the cost, approximately £4,498/UD$7,075. Asking the LFCT for financial assistance has been the family’s last option.
Dear Supporters – Salaamun Alaikum EID MOUBARAK
APPEAL: LIFESAVER No person should be forced to drink dirty water – Help provide 5 million litres of safe water with a LIFESAVER C2 straight from the River Euphrates
1.1 billion people are living in water poverty as you read this today (WHO). You can help by donating to this vital appeal and provide the elixir of life – clean water.
In Iraq, only 86.3% of the population have access to safe, clean water (WASHWatch, 2015). The LFCT want to increase this by working with a local partner to spread water, sanitation and hygiene education and install a LIFESAVER C2 system to provide needy communities with safe water at the turn of a tap. This will save lives and restore health, allow children to attend school free from sickness and families to maximize their productive time tending to their livelihoods. The LFCT has identified a site, on the River Euphrates, close to the Holy Shrines of Imam Hussein a.a. and his brother Hadhrat Abbas a.s. With your help, this significant river restore health and provide safe water to nearby communities and passers-by for up to 18 years.
Developed in 2012, the C2 is a 750 litre water container and filtration system that will take water straight from the River Euphrates and filter it at a rate of 12 litres per minute at the turn of a tap. Nearby communities can utilize this intuitive technology that takes just one hour to install in the knowledge that they have perfectly safe drinking water at their fingertips.
Please help the LFCT to provide a LIFESAVER C2 which will provide 5 million litres of water straight from the River Euphrates. Support this appeal today and each time you turn on the tap, boil the kettle or wash your clothes, think of those you have also helped to gain access to safe, clean water in Iraq at this significant site.
APPEAL: Ongoing support for Iraq’s Orphans Appeal
His pillow is hard but his heart is soft.
To you the helpless can entrust their cause; you are the defender of orphans.” – Psalm 10:14
The LFCT continues its long term support to Orphans in Iraq, where just GBP£30/USD$45 per month can pay for vital education, clothing, health and welfare. With all orphans of school eligible age, the funding is dependent upon them continuing to attend an educational institution. Their progress is followed closely and the impact this small monthly support makes is perfectly summed up by this Widow and her daughter when the daughter asked, “Why can’t I buy all the things I need for school? Is it because I don’t have a father, like the other children?” After receiving the sponsorship, her mother told her, “Allah has provided the means to purchase what you need through LFT.”
Never in recent memory have so many children been subjected to such unspeakable brutality (Unicef, 2014). With 15 million children caught up in major conflicts, UNICEF declared 2014 a devastating year for children. It is with this sentiment that the LFCT will continue to support as many orphaned children as possible. Please donate generously to make this project an ongoing success. 154 Orphans and 63 extremely vulnerable families were sponsored in the fourth quarter of 2014. A Total of 2,613 Sponsorships Were Paid in 2014.
Your generous donations will help provide Iraqi orphans with nutrition, shelter, clothing, sanitation, medical care and education, all basic rights, within a home. Just £30.00 per month will provide an orphan child with shelter, food, water and cloth.
APPEAL: Ophthalmology Department, Karbala – Transforming darkness into light
This year, the LFCT has committed to transforming the lives of thousands in Karbala. A person forced to imagine the beauty of nature; a parent that can’t watch their child blossom into adulthood; a child that cannot see the comfort of a mothers embrace – these are all unfortunate realities of many people living in the Middle East. Unlike many other epidemics such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, where the cure is difficult to discover, over 80% of blindness is preventable. This equates to a staggering 800 million people that suffer unnecessarily. As we know that the eyesight of an individual naturally deteriorates with age; this proves to be the least of problems in the Middle East when acknowledging studies similar to one done in Lebanon where 231 children were studied in three blind schools in the age range of 6-20 years of age. Of these students, 70 % were blind before the age of two, meaning that the quality of life is not entirely enjoyed and many young children are forced to live a life of additional hardships. A more recent study revealed that out of 137 blind Jordanian children, 122 cases (77.7%) were found after 1970 some in which could have been treated with ease given the resources the developed countries have today. The time and date of these statistics mean that the problem is not getting better it is in fact taking a change for the worse.
The feasibility of curing blindness in middle eastern countries may appear to be a daunting task but at closer inspection one will realize that cataracts contributes up to 6.4% of health conditions in the middle east which contributes to nearly 7 million individuals that must live with blindness for the rest of their lives. Due to the recent surge in blindness in the Middle East from 1970 to present day, the gross domestic product has dwindled as blindness has an indirect relationship with the financial stability of that country. When a person is struck with a debilitating disease that results in blindness in the Middle East, that person then loses his/her opportunity to support their family. A domino effect then begins to play out as that person is forced into poverty and thus cannot contribute to the economy through buying and selling goods as he/she could’ve prior to the disease. The majority of people living with blindness are women, most blind people need someone to care for them, and this is usually a child, more often than not a little girl, and that child often misses out on the chance of an education because of their responsibilities. A further 190.6 million people were visually impaired to the point that their ability to function, to participate, to learn and to work is negatively impacted.
The burden that many Middle Eastern people bare is one that could be fixed in less than 20-30 minutes if supplied ample recourses to deliver the surgery which is still much cheaper in cost when compared to other major surgeries. The LFCT is supporting the Ophthalmology Department in Karbala by proving the full equipment to work with 20,000 patients per year. Karbala Hospital will be able to medically serve a population of 3 million at an affordable cost and supply between 600 to 900 jobs. It will serve people around Karbala and the South including Basra. We can help turn a new page for those suffering with preventable and curable blindness and turn these nightmares into things of the past. LFCT supporters, please donate generously. Dear donors donate generously and FLOOD light into the lives of the masses living in darkness unnecessarily….
Early Intervention Programme for deaf children in the Gaza Strip
An early intervention programme is a dire need to deaf and hearing impaired children to ensure that they acquire language and achieve age-appropriate communicative, cognitive, academic, social, and emotional development. The programme empowers the parents to take positive actions on behalf of and with their deaf children and reduces the heavy social and economic burden of hearing disability on individuals, families, and the community. The programme targeted a total of 77 (planned: 70) deaf and hearing impaired children. The program supported the deaf children and their families by providing them with the much needed early intervention services that includes: home-based educational sessions (220 total sessions carried out), mother-child sessions (total 915 carried out) and speech therapy sessions and social work services including home visits and family counselling.
The programme activities resulted in improving the speech, language and cognitive skills of the deaf children. They now know how to sign their needs to their mothers and can play and communicate with their siblings at home. The children are becoming more balanced, confident, brave, initiative and are clearly more involved in their family circle. Also, the activities are helping the deaf children and their families to overcome their psycho-social problems specially those raised after the last war on Gaza (July-August, 2014).
“Before attending the early intervention sessions at Atfaluna, I faced many difficulties in dealing with Kamel. He was hyper-active and stubborn, but now Kamel’s behaviour changed a lot. He has learnt many things and he is becoming more balanced. Now I can easily communicate with my deaf son.” Kamel El Asha’l’s mother.
Provision of clean and sufficient water for deaf children and adults; their families and general public in the Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip continues to face dire situations due to the political turmoil and the ongoing siege that has been imposed for more than 8 years. According to the Palestinian Water Authority, 95% of the Gaza Strip water is contaminated which poses significant health risks to the 1.8 million residents living in the area. Families of deaf children enrolled in ASDC’s programs are always assured that their children are in a safe and healthy environment. Therefore, it is of importance to have clean and healthy water in ASDC’s premises available for ASDC’s beneficiaries and the public. Accordingly, ASDC sought urgent assistance from the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust to support the installation of a deep water well pump in ASDC along with the installation of a medium scale water desalination plant that will guarantee the provision of sustainable, clean, and healthy water for the beneficiaries and the public. ASDC started the required procedures and started the installation works on the 8th July 2015. Works included drilling in the ground, installing pumps and finalizing all plumbing and extension works. The installation works were finalized on 22nd July 2015. The water well depth is 66 sq m. As the well installation works were finalized, the next step will be the installation of the water desalination plant that will be responsible for producing fresh water suitable for human consumption. The works for the desalination plant are expected to be finalized by 30th July 2015.
A father of a deaf child expressed: “The water in Gaza is not clean, and we always face problems in securing healthy water. However, having clean water through this well, for sure, will be of great benefit to our children and families benefitting from ASDC’s services. I am relieved and assured that my child is in a safe environment.”
Unemployment Microfinance for Goats Project in the Thar Desert region of Pakistan The LFCT and their local partner in Pakistan are working on an innovative pilot scheme project to bring individuals out of unemployment and help to sustain their families with the help of some goats.
In this pilot scheme, 4 goats have been given to two individuals, Imitaz and Devji, both of whom are unemployed but have families to look after who depend on them. Imitaz and Devji have been identified as particularly needy individuals by the staff and volunteers who know all of the communities they work with very well. One male goat will be bought to help all 8 female goats to breed. The Brothers will become shepherds, rear the goats and see the goats through rearing up their young. These 4 female goats will always remain with the shepherds. A goat will produce up to 2/3 kids per litter each year. In a goats lifetime it can produce up to between 8 – 10 times. These goat kids will be brought up and after two years, the male goats from the litters will be sold on and any female goats from the litter will remain with the shepherds for future breeding. Any proceeds from this sale will shared equally between the villagers, meaning they too can benefit. This is a very exciting project and the LFCT hope to learn from how it works in order to replicate it in the future.
LFCT APP ready on Google Play Store and Apple App store
. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ladyfatemah
The LFCT is delighted to announce that it has developed an App for iPhones and Android devices. The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust App provides users with all the information they need to stay up to date with the latest appeals and information about the Trust and its projects. The App allows users to donate directly to the Trust’s very latest work and make a difference to the lives of the neediest across the world. Please follow the links below to download the App and stay up to date with the latest developments, appeals and projects.
Food Supply for Deprived Areas of District Rawalpindi – IFTAAR Program to Serve Needy People – Host The Allah’s Guests
The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust (LFCT) UK and Madinatul Ilm Charitable Trust (MICT) Pakistan has successfully distributed Ramadan food support packs among 200 families from low income neighborhoods of Rawalpindi city.
This program has been an on-going project for many years. The food packs were delivered to 200 families comprising of just over 1500 individuals. The recipients of these packages include the elderly, widows, orphans, single mothers as well as other helpless and poverty stricken individuals. The packages included rice, flour, sugar, cooking oil and lentils among the basic ingredients. Each food package cost PKR 3,600.00/£22.79/$USD35.35.
Ramadan Iftar for 500 Needy Palestinian Refugee Families in the West Bank
4000 handicapped, unemployed, aged, widowed and orphaned individuals across 500 families received Ramadan Iftar between the 25th June and 5th July 2015.
One million refugees in Gaza – 70% of the population – is characterized by chronic unemployment, inadequate and unreliable access to electricity and water, health hazards from a highly inadequate sewage system, and sub-standard housing with thousands living in tents or the rubble of their former homes, dispossessed of all earthly belongings. Many refugees are facing the very real possibility of enduring the harsh summer, without the financial means to buy Ramadan basic needs – vegetables and fresh water. As a result of the blockade, refugees are increasingly reliant upon the assistance provided charity organizations.
The Humanitarian Relief Society has partnered with the LFCT to successfully deliver vital Ramadan Iftar parcels across the West Bank this Ramadan. Each basket contained Corn oil, rice, sugar, tea, semolina and dates. The food package for each family included; 3 kilos of corn oil, 5 kilos of rice, 4 kilos of sugar, 5 kilos of semolina, 1 kilo of dates, and 1 kilo of tea. The total cost for this project was £11,521.39.
Chronic Drugs Program at Imam Sadr Foundation, Funded by The LADY FATEMAH (a.s.) Charitable Trust
Imam Sadr Foundation (ISF) is a Community Based Organization, with its headquarters based in Tyre (South-Lebanon), striving towards a modern society that embraces social justice and combats illiteracy, poverty, illness and violence.
The ISF Health Department which monitors seven Primary Health Care Centres, two Mobile Clinics and one School Dispensary, is offering preventive and curative care to people in need from all ages, regardless of their belief or political affiliations. Respecting their human dignity and the principle of Equity in Health, ISF Health Department insures these people with quality primary health care services, such as specialized medical consultations, nursing care, Mental Health support, dental care, physiotherapy, laboratory tests, health education, psycho-social animations and medicines from the Essential Drugs Program. Regarding that a lot of efficient medicines cannot be afforded by the patients, especially those who are not covered by the National Security, Lady Fatemah Charity Trust (LFCT) association is playing a major role in saving lives of the Poor, through its sustainable support in medicines prescribed to ISF patients.
A bright future: Be a part of helping to LiFT a widow out of poverty today
The LFCT dreams of helping Sister Hiam to support her two young daughters with the construction of a modest room to conduct her stitching business from. Be a part of this amazing, self-sustaining project and donate today.
Sister Hiam Shamas Izzedine was widowed in 2006. Living in Nabatieh District South Lebanon, Sister was already impoverished, her husband’s informal source of income as a daily worker prior to his death meant he had no fixed income and his wife was left with no compensation after his death. After his passing away, Sister Hiam was left to look after their two daughters, then aged just 5 and 1. Sister does not work and they were left struggling to source their every meal.
This was no way for anyone to exist, especially a vulnerable widowed mother with two young children.
This family was involved in the orphanage program and the LFCT has closely studied Sister’s situation and recommended implementing a convenient micro-finance project that suits her and allows her to stay close to her daughters as she has no one else to look after them, she is their sole carer. For this reason the LFCT have encouraged Sister Hiam to learn stitching, an ideal vocation, as she can work from her house and look after her daughters.
Sister Hiam is very conscientious and receptive and has gladly listened to all of the advice. She has now been in training for six months, mastering stitching for blankets, bed covers, pillows and sheets. Sister Hiam is progressing well in her stitching classes. Unfortunately, her house is small and cramped and in order to progress her business further and work towards a secure future for her daughters, a separate room is needed for Hiam to designate for her stitching. LFCT’s partners have managed to get good price to build room measuring 4X5 meters; enough space for Hiam to work and run her business. The total cost will be £2,128.54/$USD3,350.
LFCT believes in uplifting this widow into being a successful entrepreneur. Now the opportunity has arisen to convert a widow, who previously begged for her next meal, into a successful entrepreneur and future donor, ”I want to work and not need to receive any monthly support,” explains Sister Hiam. However, the LFCT can ONLY achieve this together with YOUR valued support and donations. A little donation really can go a long way in helping Sister Hiam and her daughters realise a sustainable and happy future, away from the need for monthly support and future donor herself.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Supporters – Salaamun Alaikum
APPEAL: Ophthalmology Department, Karbala – Transforming darkness into light
This year, the LFCT has committed to transforming the lives of thousands in Karbala. A person forced to imagine the beauty of nature; a parent that can’t watch their child blossom into adulthood; a child that cannot see the comfort of a mothers embrace – these are all unfortunate realities of many people living in the Middle East. Unlike many other epidemics such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, where the cure is difficult to discover, over 80% of blindness is preventable. This equates to a staggering 800 million people that suffer unnecessarily. As we know that the eyesight of an individual naturally deteriorates with age; this proves to be the least of problems in the Middle East when acknowledging studies similar to one done in Lebanon where 231 children were studied in three blind schools in the age range of 6-20 years of age. Of these students, 70 % were blind before the age of two, meaning that the quality of life is not entirely enjoyed and many young children are forced to live a life of additional hardships. A more recent study revealed that out of 137 blind Jordanian children, 122 cases (77.7%) were found after 1970 some in which could have been treated with ease given the resources the developed countries have today. The time and date of these statistics mean that the problem is not getting better it is in fact taking a change for the worse.
The feasibility of curing blindness in middle eastern countries may appear to be a daunting task but at closer inspection one will realize that cataracts contributes up to 6.4% of health conditions in the middle east which contributes to nearly 7 million individuals that must live with blindness for the rest of their lives. Due to the recent surge in blindness in the Middle East from 1970 to present day, the gross domestic product has dwindled as blindness has an indirect relationship with the financial stability of that country. When a person is struck with a debilitating disease that results in blindness in the Middle East, that person then loses his/her opportunity to support their family. A domino effect then begins to play out as that person is forced into poverty and thus cannot contribute to the economy through buying and selling goods as he/she could’ve prior to the disease. The majority of people living with blindness are women, most blind people need someone to care for them, and this is usually a child, more often than not
APPEAL: Please remember Iraq’s Orphans today – Agylaa’s story:
Never in recent memory have so many children been subjected to such unspeakable brutality (Unicef, 2014).
One story the LFCT would like to share, is the story of Agyla’a Kamal Kameil and her two young daughters, Rabbab, aged 10 and Safa’a aged 12. On the 2ndOctober 2005, when Rabbab and Safa’a were just toddlers, terrorists killed their father, Agyla’s husband. They killed him because of his Shia faith and because he followed the doctrine of Ahl al – Bayt. He was a carpenter, and led a simple life where he could support his family.
Two years after her husband’s killing, Agyla’s and her daughters were forced to migrate from their district and live in a remote, rural area, Khana Village with relatives. Whilst here, terrorists found out that Agyla’a and her family were Shia and a planted car bomb killed her father in law and resulted in Agyla’a losing her left arm serrated by shrapnel from the blast. Rabbab’s arm was also badly injured and required cosmetic surgery. It is badly scared, but she can move it now. Safa’as leg was injured and she too had surgery and cosmetic surgery to cover the bad scarring. Soon after, they fled to Karbala and live in relative safety. The children are supported by the LFCT which helps to enable them to go to school, of which, both are doing very well, but their housing remains temporary and they have a great deal of insecurity.
The story of Agyla’a and her young family is harrowing and although they may never have their father back and be forever scarred by the terrible bombing; with some assistance from the LFCT, the girls have a regular routine and their mother does not have to worry so much about their future.
Agyla’s story is typical, and the LFCT continues its long term support to Orphans in Iraq, where just GBP£30/USD$45 per month can pay for vital education, clothing, health and welfare. With all orphans of school eligible age, the funding is dependent upon them continuing to attend an educational institution. Their progress is followed closely and the impact this small monthly support makes is perfectly summed up by this Widow and her daughter when the daughter asked, “Why can’t I buy all the things I need for school? Is it because I don’t have a father, like the other children?” After receiving the sponsorship, her mother told her, “Allah has provided the means to purchase what you need through LFT.” Please help today.
APPEAL: Help a budding computer engineer complete her studies today at the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip, Palestine
Mariam Murshed Mohammad Shaheed resides in Buriej camp, Gaza Strip, Palestine. She has 4 siblings and is hoping to start at University this September. Mariam has always performed well in exams, receiving nearly 92% in her final Secondary School examinations. A mixture of borrowing from relatives and a loan from the Ministry of Education has enabled her to complete her studies so far, but she dreams of studying Computer Engineering at University. At the moment this dream remains a hope for her and she is uncertain about what her future will hold. Generous LFCT supporters can change all of this by making a donation towards Mariam’s future today.
Mariam’s family have been greatly disadvantaged. The recent war on Gaza Strip has badly affected the family. They were forced to leave their house due to the explosions and rockets on the surrounding areas and there was great damage to their house (the walls, the windows, the roof, as well as the solar system). Much of their house still lies in a state of disrepair. This makes their economic situation extremely delicate and they dream of sending their daughter to University but their finances cannot be stretched any further. Due to the family’s bad economic situation, Mariam started studying at Al Aqsa University – in the chemistry department, where the tuition fees were less than in other Universities, but this wasn’t her true ambition and she was deeply unhappy.
Her entire course of Computer Engineering is due to last 10 semesters, over five years and tuition is expected to cos £6,236 in total, or £660 per semester with another £200 required for transportation, books and other educational materials needed for Mariam to successfully complete her studies. Just £880 will cover the first semester for Mariam. This will give her a great head start and huge advantage knowing that her studies are paid for. Please donate generously today if you would like to help Mariam.
APPEAL: The LFCT is partnering with the Ali Model School in Pakistan to provide nutritious lunches to 208 of its deprived students
The Ali Model English School was established back in 2009, near Korangi Industrial area in Karachi, to look after the education, development and welfare of the local community. This is a very low-income community and the standard of living is below poverty line. By keeping a very minimal fee structure the school encourages children to study. More than 70% of the students are girls. The school is run by a local trust and has been running for 10 years. It aims to provide a holistic approach to education and healthcare with a focus on addressing the chronic educate gap in poorer households in Pakistan.
The school is providing excellent education and students are receiving great results, with over 85% passing. However the school’s holistic approach encompasses more than just education. The school focuses on health and nutrition, one particular aspect of which is proving lunches for children during the school week. For some children, the lunch they receive at the school will be the only lunch they would have. If lunch is not provided, most children would skip lunch and carry on studying, hungry and undernourished. Research shows there is a direct link between nutrition and growth. Children from 5 to 12 years grow very rapidly and can be very active. In Pakistan malnutrition for under 5’s in 32% (UNICEFF, 2011). By providing lunches at the school this can be avoided and children will have better concentration, health and vitality for learning.
It costs just £27 per day to provide 208 needy children with a nutritious lunch.
When Pakistan still has such huge levels of malnutrition in the under 5’s, general food insecurity in the very poor and is a country that frequently suffers catastrophic flooding and natural disaster, this meal will be a staple meal the children can be guaranteed to receive. See what a difference your £27 could make today and feed 208 children. If just 30 generous supporters gave this amount each month, these 208 children would all have at least one nutritious meal a day to count on.
APPEAL: Give water and give life today – help 2,025 residents of Mgoli, Lakolikoje, Jambonia and Mgongeni Villages, South Pemba
Water can bring life. At the moment it is bringing sickness and poverty to residents on Pemba Island. With a small donation, you can help the LFCT to relieve this sickness and let water bring life once more.
Shamiani Island is situated in South Pemba. It has 2,025 residents over 233 families including the elderly and young. The residents face a serious lack of services, including fresh and safe water supplies. Although wells have been dug, the water they yield is brackish, salt water from the sea, which protrudes into the water table due to the low lying island. During the summer, the wells dry up and the women of the families are often tasked with searching for a fresh water supply which often includes a journey across the sea, a perilous journey by boat. This journey is dangerous and searching for water takes up precious time that could otherwise be spent on income generation activities including agriculture, animal husbandry, crafts and fishing that can all help to lift the families out of poverty.
The LFCT have decided to partner with PEDEO to deliver a water tank and piped supply with the help of the Department of Water. There are a total of 8-9 villages on the Island of Shamiani, and the for the first phase, Lady Fatemah (as) Charitable Trust are going to assist four villages, costing £7,090 with villagers themselves will work with the government to bring the construction materials; sand, stone and pebbles and dig the necessary foundations. Please help to make this a realization and make a donation to this appeal today.
Water is such a simple necessity taken for granted at the turn of a tap. Can you imagine having to fetch water by a perilous boat journey every time you needed a glass of water? Please donate generously today.
LFCT in Pakistan: LFCT Answers the call of promising students. Working with the, Madinatul Ilm charitable trust, the trust will regularly monitor the academic progress of these students and provide regular updates to the LFCT. Remember, a timely intervention to support a single student will not only go a long way in changing lives for our coming generations but also help earn a special place for you in the eyes of Allah.
LFCT Answers the call of Sister Sara Batool who wishes to complete her BDS Degree
Madinatul Ilm charitable trust (MICT) through the continuing support of the Lady Fatemah Trust (LFT) is seeking to raise funds for Sara Batool who is attendingthe 2nd semester of an eight semester degree program of BDS at the Fatima Jinnah Dental College, Karachi, in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Sara hopes to become a qualified Dentist and embark on a career where she will be able to take care of her financially challenged family.
Sara Batool belongs to a middle class family of Karachi District in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Her father, Syed Jaffer Abbas works for a bank with a monthly income of approximately PKR 70,149.00. Her mother is a private school teacher with a monthly income of approximately PKR 15,000.00. Syed Jaffer Abbas is altogether responsible for supporting four children including Sara, making it highly difficult for him to afford his daughter’s education fee at FJ Dental College, Karachi. Faced with financial need, Sara Batool needs your financial support. She is a brilliant student and has scored Grade-A in her Higher Secondary School Certificate. It will cost just £1,480 for Sara to realise her dreams which the LFCT hope to support with generous donor’s help.
LFCT Answers the call of Syed Ali Hassan who wishes to complete his Bachelor degree of Computer Science BS (CS)
Madinatul Ilm charitable trust (MICT) through the kind support of Lady Fatemah Trust (LFT) is seeking to raise funds for Syed Ali Hassan who is attending the first semester of an eight semester program of BC (CS) at FAST University, Faisalabad Campus. Though from an impoverished background, Syed hopes to obtain a graduate degree of Software Engineering and embark on a career where he will be able to take care of his financially challenged family.
Syed Ali Hassan belongs to low income family of Rawalpindi District of Pakistan’s Punjab province. His father, Syed Sibtul Hassan Shah is a school teacher with a monthly income of PKR 29,220.00. Sibtul Hassan Shah is altogether responsible for supporting three children including Syed Ali Hassan, making it extremely difficult for him to afford his son’s education at FAST University, Faisalabad Campus. Because of his family’s financial challenges, Ali Hassan faces the risk of discontinuing his education. Faced with deep financial distress, Syed needs your financial support. Help Syed to continue his studies, where he can continue achieving top ‘A’ grades, as he did in his Higher Secondary School Certificate. The cost is just £1,184.
LFCT Answers the call of Brother Zeeshan Hussein, a helpless child
Zeehan Hussain, aged four, belongs to a low income family of Lahore in Pakistan’s Punjab Province. He is suffering from a chest infection and was been diagnosed with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, NM scoliosis 70 degree rigid LT sided, right just three months after his birth. Recently, a Professor of Orthopedics, M Asad Qureshi at the Combined Military Hospital CMH, Rawalpindi recommended a preanaesthesia evaluation for surgery to deal with this ailment. Unfortunately Zeehan’s impoverished family cannot afford the cost of such a procedure. His father, Syed Sajjad Hussain works as an area manager in SA Petroleum Services in Lahore with an income of PKR 25,000.00 per month. The total estimated cost of this surgery is PKR 700,000.00. The family appealed to Bahria Town Hospital for this cost of surgery. However, Bahria Town Hospital could only donate PKR 400,000.00 towards the surgery. As a father of three children who are all dependent on him, Syed Sajjad Hussain cannot afford the rest of the amount for Zeehan’s surgery. The family has therefore approached The Lady Fatemah (AS) Trust (LFT) and MICT to seek rest amount of PKR 300,000.00/£1,867 for meeting the remaining cost of this child’s surgical procedure, to rid him of his life threatening condition.
Interim Project Report – Renovation of Plumbing System: Phase 1: Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.
The first phase of the project is now in its third week and is due to be completed on Friday 18th of December 2015. The proposed renovation covers works as follows:
the outside plumbing and sewage system;
replacement of plumbing and drainage pipes, and;
Renovation of plumbing fixtures in the Burns and Paediatric wards.
Work commenced on the 1st of September and is due to be completed on Friday 18th of September. The construction company are working over weekends to ensure a timely completion of the renovations, but, due to the issues identified above, the construction company have requested a small extension until Monday 21st of September which has been granted by ChiraFund, the LFCT’s partner in Malawi.
Update: Progress was initially very slow. The contractor was completing another job and was slow to put a full team on at QECH. After discussions, the team was deployed and progress was faster. When the contractors started to breakdown walls and structures, the plumbing fixtures underneath were in a much worse state than was initially assessed. This delayed work considerably and extra piping and fittings were required. During the summer months a small amount of work was carried out by hospital maintenance. This is highlighted in green in the project proposal. Funds from this have been diverted to purchase the extra fittings and piping. The proposal lacked provision for the replacement of doors and the painting of the paediatric ablution block as this was not seen as a ‘plumbing issue’, however upon inspection, this is really needed and will complete the work to a high standard.
Some Challenges: Theft is a huge issue at the hospital. While we are installing systems that are concreted into the walls, we also realise that all fittings either need to be welded or caged into the walls. ChiraFund are in ongoing discussions with the Head of Security and Chief Administrative Officer on how security is going to be managed. We have been told that a new security firm is being hired at the hospital and they hope the security will improve with this. We have asked and have been promised additional security around male wards as this is where theft is highest. Keeping the new renovations clean is going to be a challenge. Chirafund have requested hospital administration to provide the cleaners with proper cleaning equipment. As this seems unlikely to happen, we have also requested individual charities at the hospital to provide these. ChiraFund will provide the cleaners on the adult medical wards with cleaning equipment. We have requested a meeting with the heads of the other hospital charities for later this month to discuss this issue.
Evaluation of Vision, Hearing and Dental Health of 766 Iraqi Refugee Primary School Students
Evaluation of vision and hearing before a child enters primary school has become routine in many countries. Refugee children who attend private schools that cater to their special needs – especially cultural and language skills – do not offer such services, a fact that puts these children at a disadvantage. Undetected impairments of vision and hearing are one of the reasons why children fail at school, and may cause some of them disability later on in life, most notably lazy eye syndrome.
LFCT’s partner in Iraq has therefore conducted evaluations for 766 primary students attending two schools for refugee students. A general practitioner (GP) visited each school and performed a basic vision and hearing test for all primary school students as well as examining the students’ teeth for cavities and other problems. According to medical statistics, it was expected that 10 percent of the evaluated students would suffer from problems of vision, about one percent from problems of hearing or ear disease and about 20 percent from dental defects.
The results show that the percentage of students suffering from problems of vision was slightly higher than expected (13.45 % versus 10%) while the percentage of students whose hearing was found to be deficient was much higher than expected (12.66% versus 1%). The percentage of students suffering from dental problems was almost twice as high as expected (36.4% versus 20%). Moreover, the two schools show marked differences, which can be explained by the fact that students attending Imam Ali (as) School generally come from families who are a bit better off than the families of students attending Al-Hoda School.
Fortunately, the hearing related problems were largely due to an accumulation of ear wax and were easily solved by professional ear wax removal. Unfortunately, the percentage of parents who followed up on the notification letters issued by the project’s GP was deplorably low. After two notifications, only slightly more than half of the children diagnosed with defects of vision presented for optometry and only a third for detailed evaluation of hearing although the notification letters stressed that all measures, right up to the purchase of eye glasses, were free of charge. Students diagnosed with dental problems were offered a 30% discount at a dental charity clinic. Due to budget constraints, LFCT’s partner is unable to cover the cost of dental treatment and hence did not receive any feedback about the number of children who consulted the clinic’s dentists.
LFCT’s partner intends to continue the programme in the 2015-2016 academic year, which begins in the last week of September. First-graders in both schools will be evaluated. At the same time, the GPs working for the project will conduct an intensive awareness-raising program to alert parents to the importance of their children’s vision and hearing. The total cast was £1,007.19.
Report: Successful installation of water connection and storage tank for vital rural health clinic in Shumbageni, South Pemba
The LFCT have worked successfully with PEDEO in Pemba to install a water storage tank for a vital rural health clinic and provide relief to doctors, nurses and patients alike.
Wambaa is a small village in Shumbageni, in the south of Pemba Island. It is home to a small but essential health clinic for all living in and around the village. The LFCT assists with numerous clean and safe water supply projects in Pemba as there is a drastic shortage of potable water. The health clinic is no exception. There is no running water at the clinic and the staff have to spend precious time when they could be treating patients collecting water form over a kilometre away. This is then transported where there is further risk of pathogens and disease entering the water.
Water is essential, particularly in a health setting, a place that people go to when they are at their most vulnerable. The clinic is the first stop for primary health care in Wambaa and the surrounding areas and is frequented by the young and old alike. Prior to the water tank being installed, the health centre staff faced great inconvenience, having to fetch water from a nearby well with staff themselves carrying the water on their heads. This was far from ideal. Every day the staff fetched the water which took away precious time from treating sick patients. The patients also dreaded going to the centre and often opted to use another clinic further away, causing them great inconvenience.
This project was completed and began providing services officially on the morning of 31/08/2015. The staff have agreed to protect and care for the tank so that the storage facility will continue long into the future. The cost of the project was £1,421.42.
Thank you.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Supporters – Salaamun Alaikum
APPEAL: Ophthalmology Department, Karbala – Transforming darkness into light
This year, the LFCT has committed to transforming the lives of thousands in Karbala. A person forced to imagine the beauty of nature; a parent that can’t watch their child blossom into adulthood; a child that cannot see the comfort of a mother’s embrace – these are all unfortunate realities of many people living in the Middle East. Unlike many other epidemics such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, where the cure is difficult to discover, over 80% of blindness is preventable. This equates to a staggering 800 million people that suffer unnecessarily. As we know that the eyesight of an individual naturally deteriorates with age; this proves to be the least of problems in the Middle East when acknowledging studies similar to one done in Lebanon where 231 children were studied in three blind schools in the age range of 6-20 years of age. Of these students, 70 % were blind before the age of two, meaning that the quality of life is not entirely enjoyed and many young children are forced to live a life of additional hardships. A more recent study revealed that out of 137 blind Jordanian children, 122 cases (77.7%) were found after 1970 some in which could have been treated with ease given the resources the developed countries have today. The time and date of these statistics mean that the problem is not getting better it is in fact taking a change for the worse.
The feasibility of curing blindness in middle eastern countries may appear to be a daunting task but at closer inspection one will realize that cataracts contributes up to 6.4% of health conditions in the middle east which contributes to nearly 7 million individuals that must live with blindness for the rest of their lives. Due to the recent surge in blindness in the Middle East from 1970 to present day, the gross domestic product has dwindled as blindness has an indirect relationship with the financial stability of that country. When a person is struck with a debilitating disease that results in blindness in the Middle East, that person then loses his/her opportunity to support their family. A domino effect then begins to play out as that person is forced into poverty and thus cannot contribute to the economy through buying and selling goods as he/she could’ve prior to the disease. The majority of people living with blindness are women, most blind people need someone to care for them, and this is usually a child, more often than not.
APPEAL: Iraq’s Orphans Mohammed and Ahmad’s Story
LFCT Donors, please donate generously. It costs just GBP£30.00/US$45.00 per Orphan per month.
Mohammed and Ahmad Salim Jamal are brothers who lost their father in the Iraq war. Ahmad was just two months old when his father was killed, whilst Mohammed was just a year and a half. The family lived in Baghdad in Al Faris Village near to Khan Dhari District. Mohammed and Ahmad’s parents worked as farmers, planting and rearing vegetables and selling them in Abu Ghreeb District to bring in a valuable income. It was a simple life, but the family were together and supported each other when times became tough.
One day, in 2005 Mohammed and Ahmad’s father went to the market to sell crops with his brother and cousins. It was an ordinary day in the war and the family had to try and carry on with life as much as possible. However, this day was to affect the family forever.
As the bus that Mohammed and Ahmad’s father and relatives were on travelled to market, an unknown armed group randomly opened fire on one of the US forces close by. The bus was caught in the gunfire and all relatives suffered gunshot wounds. They were rushed to hospital but later sadly passed away due to their wounds.
Mohammed and Ahmad’s mother was devastated when she first heard about the news. She continued to stay in the modest clay family home in Al Faris Village. They lived this way for some time before one day, she received a death threat from the same unknown armed group. They ordered her to leave her house due to her Shia beliefs. Early in 2006 she was forced to migrate and travelled to Karbala with her two small children where she found safety and tranquillity. The family now resides with her mother, brother, his wife and their six children in a cramped house.
The family is part of the Orphan support scheme, receiving 100,000ID/£54.97 each month so that she can help support her two children. There are many more destitute widows and orphans across Iraq that need some help to get them back on their feet. No one has been spared from the effects of violence and war in Iraq, and since 2003 the number of orphaned children in the country has escalated into a humanitarian crisis. Please help the LFCT to strengthen its support and scope for the orphans of Iraq and provide some comfort, security and care where it is most needed.
A new way to help support the LFCT’s work! Raise money for The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust whilst you shop – with no extra cost for you!
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– Isn’t it time some of that also went to the LFCT?
Sign up today for FREE and you can raise some funds to go towards projects with some of the worlds neediest communities.
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LFCT in Ethiopia: A great project gets underway – Income Generation Opportunity for Rural Pastoralist Widow Households through Dairy Goat Distribution in Ethiopia
The organization for Help Out (OHO) secured a grant fund of £6380.39 in September 2015 to implement a dairy goat project in two selected agro-pastoral villages of Ginner districts in Bale Zone of Oromia Regional State in Ethiopia with 200 widow headed households. The major objectives of the project were; To lift the vulnerable rural widows in selected agro-pastoral areas out of the low-asset trap through provision of reproductive goats that can contribute to income generation and food security; to complement the food security of targeted female headed households and to restock the livestock resource base of the targeted female-headed households by distributing dairy goats.
The project achieved the principal milestones set out in its work plans and completed start-up activities including developing criteria for selection of restocking beneficiaries, identification and actual selection of beneficiaries, establishment and strengthening of goat purchasing and support committees, identification of purchasing procedures and markets, the purchasing of goats and the vaccination of goats and actual distribution of the goats to the selected beneficiaries.
The goats distributed are appropriate for the beneficiaries and their agro-ecological conditions. Due to the high reproductive rate of goats, large numbers of offspring can be produced over a short and economically reasonable period of time. This will ensure an aggregate increase in livestock holding of the target community within short time, providing great opportunity for the rebuilding of herd stock and generating good income to reduce poverty among them.
OHO followed a basic but systematic approach for the implementation of the project. Primarily it ensured stakeholders’ participation. For instance, it involved the relevant government offices and community representatives in key project activities. This process succeeded in building a strong sense of ownership for the project among stakeholders, built stakeholder support, facilitated the project implementation without any delay and laid the groundwork for the sustainability of the project.
During the reporting period two Dairy Goats Support Committees were established both at the District and Pastoralist village levels. Each Dairy Goats Support Committees has five members (1 male and 4 female). The committee members were drawn from local elders, members of ‘Kebele’/sub-district administrations and primary beneficiaries. The Goats Support Committees are well organized and develop their own bylaws providing a clear division of responsibilities among the chair, co-chair and members. The committees have very important roles and functions in the project. They provide different support to the project and the beneficiaries. At the initial stage they were involved in beneficiary identification, selection of breed types, specific goat types of a given breed, etc. Further updates on the outcomes achieved to follow as this exciting project develops.
LFCT in Tanzania: Four more Pemba island villages now have clean water at their doorstep thanks to generous LFCT supporters
Two water storage tanks and taps have been successfully installed by the LFCT’s local partner in Pemba, PEDEO. This project was implemented in the four villages of Mgoli, Lakolikoje Jambonia and Mgongeni. Together these villages have 987 residents, including the elderly and young children. These villagers are split across 103 families.
For their whole lives, residents of all four villages have lacked the essential services of clean and safe water close to their homes. This has caused major disruption, stress and unhappiness. A few pre-existing boreholes have been re-dug and water utilized from these, however this water is brackish, miring with salt water from the high water table and close proximity to the sea. This made adults and children alike sick. In addition, in the summer these already insufficient boreholes dried up and villages were forced to make a long journey in search of safe water.
Similarly, these villages did have access to an existing piped water system but it was extremely inconsistent. Some weeks it was only available for two days, and at other times if only flowed at night but dripped in the day. This uncertainty coupled with numerous precious hours spent searching for water meant villagers livelihood suffered. They were deprived of enough time to devote to various income generating activities including agriculture production, farming, fishing and crafts. These livelihoods are vital for putting food on the table and sending the children to school.
This project is commissioned and started providing water on the official date of 20/10/2015. All residents have started to benefit well from the project, including the eliminations of any previous stresses and worries around sourcing safe water, and having enough time to dedicate to their livelihood and generate vital income.
LFCT in Malawi: Renovation of Plumbing System: Phase 1, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.
After several decades of heavy utilisation, the physical condition of the plumbing system at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre has deteriorated to an unusable state with blocked sewage systems, broken and leaking pipes, unsuitable toilets, and broken showers. The antiquated sewage system is now also unable to cope with the high volume of patients and guardians that currently use them. These problems, compounded by poor waste management on site, have led to rats and other vermin taking residence near the wards.
Although routine maintenance and ad hoc repair works have been carried out over the years, the current state of the plumbing system presents significant infection control risks and compromises the care and dignity of the patients. The LFCT is working with Chirafund in Malawi to renovate the plumbing system.
The stated objective of the project was “To renovate the plumbing system (including bathrooms, ward sinks, indoor and outdoor plumbing and sewerage systems) of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), Blantyre in order to reduce the risk of hospital based infections and thereby improve the care and dignity of patients”.
This project will take place over five phases with Phase 1 focussed on renovation of the external plumbing system, as well as of the internal plumbing of the Burns and Paediatric Wards.
Immediate attention was given to external plumbing issues for two reasons:
1. To have it completed before the next rainy season in Malawi starts (usually around mid to late November), and;
2. As the proposed internal works will be completed more efficiently once the external issues have been fixed.
For the internal works, and based on greatest need, the project carried out internal plumbing work on the Burns ward, including work to internal sinks and ablution facilities, and secondly to renovation of the Paediatric special needs toilets.
Completed renovations include:
External plumbing and sewage system; Clearing of blocked drains; replacement of water supply and drainage piping; placement of concrete slabs over (previously uncovered) all manholes, and; placement of new wash troughs complete with concrete slabs.
Burns Ward: Partial renovation to the male and female toilets (including replacement of plumbing fixtures and unblocking toilets and showers); repairs to sinks and tiling around these plumbing fixtures; painting of ablution blocks, and; fixing of taps and sinks in various wards.
Paediatric toilets: Painting of walls; replacement of broken ceiling boards; fixing of leaks; replacement of water supply and drainage pipes; replacement of showers, toilets and some fittings; new concrete floors installed in showers to allow for better drainage of water, and; replacement of cisterns and their security cages.
Work commenced on the 1st of September and was completed on the 10th of October.
To date, the project has come in slightly below budget. Withholding Tax of 4% was deducted from the final bill for Malawi Revenue Authority. The small surplus will be added to the next phase. Phase 1 has meant lots of learning has been taken forward including:
Chirafund needs to do, or contract, a more thorough assessment of the required works at QECH before determining the remaining work needed and its cost. This is also needed so that Chirafund can give a more accurate quote to the funder and so that the appointed construction company is fully aware of the work they need to undertake and can quote accurately and accordingly.
Chirafund needs to request that the next construction firm provides a fully qualified project manager who will be onsite at all times.
Chirafund needs to put a financial penalty system in place in the next contract in order to try and ensure a reduction or removal of the delays that have plagued Phase I of the project and that will reduce inefficiencies on the part of the contractor.
Due to the high levels of poverty and poor security, theft is a huge issue at the hospital. Although Chirafund is installing systems that are protected as much as possible, such as by fixtures being concreted into the walls, it also realises that other fittings either need to be welded or caged into place so as to prevent their removal. ChiraFund is in ongoing discussions with the Head of Security and the Chief Administrative Officer on how security can be managed and improved. Chirafund has been told that a new security firm is being hired at the hospital and that Hospital Administration is hopeful that this will result in improved security. Chirafund has specifically asked for, and has been promised, additional security around male wards as this is where the highest levels of theft are.
Maintaining and keeping the new renovations clean is going to be a challenge. To address this, Chirafund has already implemented a new cleaning regime on the Adult Medical wards and the Children’s Medical Care Malawi have stated that they are willing to buy the materials needed to ensure this for the paediatric wards.
ChiraFund instigated a meeting of all charities on November 3rd to discuss all of the above issues and to engender a broader, more concerted approach to their resolution
ChiraFund has invited the Head of Paediatrics and the Chief Hospital Administrator to an official opening and placement of plaques on Friday 23rd of October- (pictures to follow)
APPEAL: PHASE 2: Renovation of Paediatric Oncology Ablution Block. LFCT Donors, please donate generously towards this noble project
It is hard to believe that any human, let alone a child with cancer has to use these toilets.
To renovate the Paediatric Oncology ablution block of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, (QECH) Blantyre in order to reduce the risk of hospital based infections to children already suffering from cancer and thereby improve the care and dignity of paediatric patients and the guardians who care for them.
Nosocomial illness – due to disease-causing organisms spreading between individuals in hospital – is an important risk in crowded wards such as these, for example, the children on the Oncology wards are immunocompromised and therefore particularly susceptible to infections. The risk of acquiring a nosocomial infection is highest in each ward’s toilet and ablutions block, where up to 200 people share the same seats, sinks, taps, showers and towels. They also share the same floor – on which most walk bare-foot.
The plumbing system, especially the toilet and sink facilities need frequent renovation, as well as thorough and regular cleaning. At present we recognize that without a complete overhaul, the now ageing system is impossible to clean adequately and are a constant health hazard. We would like to renovate these with good-quality components and to a design that will allow effective ventilation and efficient cleaning.
The proposed renovation works will cover repairs to: the plumbing and sewage system; replacement of showers, toilets and fittings, re-painting of walls; replacement of floors where necessary to improve drainage, replacement of plumbing and drainage pipes and replacement of ceilings and repair to roof.
3rd Appeal under Salima Memorial Medical Education Project – Orphan Sister Hayfa Ali BAZZI from Bint Jbeil South Lebanon wishing to complete Vocational Nursing Technical Baccaloureate B.T. Please help today.
“My name is Haifa Bazzi, I am 25 years old, I finished TS2 at Imam Sadr Foundation and I am continuing my Nursing Bachelor of Sciences at the Islamic University of Lebanon (I have already finished two years). In fact, I am working at Jabal Amel Hospital and I am the only financial supporter of my family. Al Hamdulillah there is an association called Lady Fatemah that just saved my academic life for my last year in Nursing Care; without you I was quitting because I can no more support debts and on the same time afford an acceptable decent life to my family! Now, I revived again by the will of Allah to continue my holy message of Sayyidah Fatima (a.s.) and Sayyidah Zaynab (a.s): Nursing Humanitarian Care.”
It will cost just £3,173 for Haifa to fulfil her dreams and study nursing care. Please help Haifa today so that she can help others.
LFCT in Lebanon: Help Sister Farah, a promising young nurse today care for those less fortunate
“I want to develop my skills and have an advanced Nursing degree in order to help my country and help my parents in their expenses because their income is not sufficient. I also want to give the best service to my patients and help them alleviate their sufferings and be able, by the help of God inshallah, to let them enjoy a better health and a better life!” Farrah Assi
25 years old, Farah is resident of Al-Chahabieh, South Lebanon. She lives with her mother, father and two siblings. Farah Ahmad Assi has a dream of becoming a nurse and helping her country – help her make this a reality today. Farah has a dream of attending the Imam Sadr Foundation’s Nursing Vocational School. She is a bright student who gained 15/20 in her Superior Technical in Nursing Care. Farah would like to continue her career in health and study Community Nursing Care at the Islamic University of South Lebanon. The course will cost $4,800 USD/ £3,127.40 with the first year costing $3,200/ £2,084.94.
For Farrah, it is very important that she pursues a career where she can give something back to her community and contribute to humanitarian work in Lebanon. She is a promising student who, without the help of the LFCT might be forced to stop her studies. Her parents are poor and Farrah has already accrued debt to pay for her previous course of study. Farrah has a whole career ahead of her that she is determined to dedicate to the health and wellbeing of those less fortunate.
Farrah’s passion is clear. Please help her to live her dream and study to become a nurse today. Please donate generously and support this promising humanitarian.
LFCT in Bangladesh: Helping to unlock the potential in Bangladesh’s youth today
The LFCT would like to initially support the capital costs of this excellent project that will empower young people in Bangladesh to take control of their own futures and help lift themselves out of poverty into sustainable income generating activities. The LFCT will support its partner in Bangladesh to deliver this project over the next 12 months and is appealing to the LFCT’s dedicated supporters to help make this a reality.
The aim of this project is to increase the level of education and awareness of young girls and boys in the project area, empowering them and enhancing their capabilities through: (i) vocational training; (ii) life skills education; (iii) leadership and empowerment training; (iv) entrepreneurship training (v) mainstreaming into government schools and (vi) advocacy around key social issues. It is hoped that this will in turn help to;
increase the level of education and awareness of young girls and boys in the project area, empowering them and enhancing their capabilities through mainstreaming to government schools, life skills education, leadership and empowerment training, livelihood training and business assistance.
Enhance the skills of adolescent girls and boys through community based vocational training courses to help improve their employability.
To promote the role of young girls and boys in the social, economic and cultural development of their village.
To establish a network setup with Union Parishads (similar to District Councils) through which the adolescent girls and boys will be able to raise their voices on relevant issues i.e. child marriage, gender based violence etc.
To contribute to the formulation of national poverty eradication policies.
To establish community ownership of the project for sustainability and future replication.
This project will work with 740 adolescent girls and boys in Barguna District, Bangladesh, to increase their access to education, provide them with vocational training, life skills, leadership skills and business training. In addition, this project will work with girls, boys, their families and communities to equip them with the knowledge and tools to understand their rights, advocate for girl’s rights, be informed about gender discrimination, violence and child marriage and take action towards preventing this. The proposed project area is Barguna District situated in the southern part of Bangladesh. Barguna is a poor coastal area prone to natural disasters with the economy depending on agriculture and fishing.
In October 2014, UNICEF reported that Bangladesh has approximately 2.9 million adolescents aged 10-19 years. At over 30% of the demographic (BBS, 2008) 15 – 25 year olds dominate the economically active population. A large number of this young demographic migrate for work, having come from poor, rural disadvantaged backgrounds. Here Bangladesh’s youth face a variety of obstacles in their access to employment, education, health care and exercising their rights. They often work in hazardous roles, such as labourers, rickshaw pullers, domestic servants and sex workers. They often are self-employed in the informal sector or remain unemployed and become associated with crime. Perhaps the most significant challenge facing Bangladesh’s youth is the transition from education to the labour market. Enrolment in technical and vocational education is especially low in Bangladesh, where it represents just four per cent of total admission, with less than one per cent girls. Barriers to girls’ education in Bangladesh include negative attitudes toward female education, household work burdens and long journeys to school.
Vocational training can overcome many of these barriers and equip young people with the skills they need for the rest of their lives. You can make a difference today by donating to this project and help give a young person the start to their career that they so desperately want.
Please help support this project today and give the gift of knowledge and training – a gift that will unlock the potential in Bangladesh. The LFCT aims to support the capital costs of this project at £2,257.
Thank you.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Supporters – Salaamun Alaikum
UPDATE AND APPEAL: Ophthalmology Department, Karbala – Transforming darkness into light
This year, the LFCT has committed to transforming the lives of thousands in Karbala. A person forced to imagine the beauty of nature; a parent that can’t watch their child blossom into adulthood; a child that cannot see the comfort of a mother’s embrace – these are all unfortunate realities of many people living in the Middle East. Unlike many other epidemics such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, where the cure is difficult to discover, over 80% of blindness is preventable. This equates to a staggering 800 million people that suffer unnecessarily.
Ophthalmic Equipment Funded by LFCT in Al Taybeh area; casa of Marjeyoun / South Lebanon – FIRST PROGRESS REPORT 1 – Trimester 3, 2015
Aim: Preventive and Curative interventions for at risk populations (chronically ill; mainly Diabetics, in high raise in this region, people with eye difficulties or deficiencies, children in schools for preventive detection, Syrian refugees and vulnerable populations.
The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charity Trust (LFCT) has fully equipped an ophthalmology clinic for screening diagnosis in the primary healthcare of Dayr Syriane (Al Taybeh area; casa of Marjeyoun / South Lebanon). The primary healthcare centre of Dayr Syriane (owned by Imam Sadr Foundation) is a part of the Ministry of Public Health network of primary healthcare centres. It follows the standards of quality of Accreditation-Canada (customized to the Lebanese Context). The centre offers specialized medical consultations in General Medicine, Cardiology, Gynaecology, Neurology, Paediatrics, Endocrinology, Orthopaedics Rheumatology, Dermatology, ENT and Ophthalmology (etc…) in addition to Dental Care, Vaccination Program, Mental Health and Elderly Care (Year 2015 total statistics: 1156 patients, 4076 services).
The clinic began to receive patients from July 2015, aiming to detect abnormalities in the eye in order to prevent further complications, especially for chronically ill people. As a beginning, the LFCT equipped ophthalmic clinic screened 70 patients (24 chronic and 46 non-chronic) for Trimester 3. The next steps of the clinic are to present services to the public school of the village, screening the eyesight of elementary school students and therefore being able to save many expected eye diseases through early intervention of Imam Sadr Foundation medical and paramedical teams.
Due to the recent surge in blindness in the Middle East from 1970 to present day, the gross domestic product has dwindled as blindness has an indirect relationship with the financial stability of that country. When a person is struck with a debilitating disease that results in blindness in the Middle East, that person then loses his/her opportunity to support their family. A domino effect then begins to play out as that person is forced into poverty and thus cannot contribute to the economy through buying and selling goods as he/she could’ve prior to the disease. The majority of people living with blindness are women, most blind people need someone to care for them, and this is usually a child, more often than not.
APPEAL: Iraq’s Orphans Karrar’s Story – Iraq’s future is in their hands.
LFCT Donors, please donate generously. It costs just GBP£30.00/US$45.00 per Orphan per month. One story the LFCT would like to share this month is that of eight-year-old Karrar Haider Hameed Shahid. He lives with his mother in Kerbala. When Karrar was just a baby his father was killed one day in a brutal and unprovoked attack. His father was mistaken as belonging to a Sectarian divide to which terrorists decided he should die. The brutal attack left Karrar without a father and his mother, Entsar, without a Husband. Entsar was terrified for hers and Karrar’s safety, fearing that they too may have their lives taken in an act of indiscriminate terrorism. They left their home town to seek safety with Entsar’s extended family in Karbala. They now reside in a cramped house with over 20 members of the family. For Entsar and Karrar however, family life will never be the same after the trauma and loss they suffered.
Residing in a cramped environment, resources are thinly spread out between the family and so the £30 that Entsar receives as a monthly support from the LFCT goes a long way to ensuring she can cover Karrar’s basic needs. Like any mother, Karrar has grand dreams for her son and hopes he will be happy and can live a normal life as possible, minimising the scars of growing up without a father.
159 Orphans and 66 Extremely Vulnerable Refugee Families in the Middle East Were Sponsored in the Third Quarter of 2015. A Total of 667 Sponsorships Were Paid but there are so many more Orphans waiting for help.
The LFCT’s Orphan support scheme, means that orphans receive just under £30 per month which provides vital support for a more comfortable life where children can focus on getting their education and do not have to worry about where their next meal comes from. Please donate generously and sign up to sponsor an orphan today, Thank you.
“So as for the orphan don’t oppress him” Surah ad-Dhuhaa, verse 9
APPEAL: The Renovation of the Plumbing System at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
PHASE III: Renovation of Labour Ward-Ablution Blocks (two) and Sluice rooms (two)
“Thank you so much to LFCT for making such transformation possible. What we had before was not fit for anyone, certainly not for children with cancer. The next phase is about improving the Labour Ward. Thank you for making this phase possible. God Willing, it will help many mothers and babies for many years to come.” Arri Coomarasamy, MBChB, MD, FRCOG, Professor of Gynaecology, Institute of Metabolism and System Research, University of Birmingham, UK
The objective of this phase is to renovate the ablution blocks and sluice rooms on the labour ward of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, (QECH) Blantyre in order to reduce the risk of hospital based infections to new born babies with their mothers and thereby improve the care and dignity of the mothers and the guardians who care for them.
The proposed renovation works will cover repairs to: the plumbing and sewage system; replacement of showers, toilets and fittings, re-painting of walls; replacement of floors where necessary to improve drainage, replacement of plumbing and drainage pipes and replacement of ceilings and repair to roof to two sets of ablution facilities and to two sluice rooms. Every day over thirty children are born on the Labour ward of QECH. That is almost 11,000 new babies per year.
QECH was built in 1958 and at the time was considered the pinnacle of hospital facilities in Malawi. Today, nearly 60 years later, the buildings are cramped, owing not only to the HIV epidemic but also to an approximately 5-fold increase in Malawi’s population since 1958. The wards are therefore no longer able to meet the needs of sick patients, let alone their guardians and families, or indeed the medical staff that work there. Statistics reveal the current problem of overcrowding with, for example, the 50-bed women’s ward regularly housing over 70 patients, and sometimes over 100. This overcrowding results in mattresses being placed on the floor between beds and even in corridors. In addition, nursing & medical staff regularly work under extremely difficult circumstances with very limited resources.
QECH is also the major clinical teaching site for Malawi’s only medical school, with over 100 medical students based at QECH each day during the academic year. The labour ward is used as a training place for the reproductive health quality improvement program in Malawi. These graduates are Malawi’s newest doctors and midwives – who will take their experience to district hospitals and health centres throughout the country. We also believe that if they learn their clinical practice in a positive, patient-supportive environment, they will translate this to wherever they work elsewhere in Malawi.
The importance of creating the conditions within which sick patients can be cared for in suitable and comfortable surroundings, as well as accommodating the guardians and families who assist with their care, has long been recognised.
This phase will cost MMK 6,999,750.00/ £7,789.21.
Please donate generously today to help this leading hospital become even better and provide needs for generations to come. The Chira Fund who are overseeing the renovations in Malawi have taken into consideration the most cost effective way to realise the project without sacrificing the quality and have already built in measures of sustainability including extending the sourced out cleaning services to wards like Paediatrics and advise them on the type of equipment that they should use in a hospital set up, and intensifying Health Education talks to guardians and patients on the proper use of ablution facilities.
Thank you for your help.
REMINDER: Have you signed up yet to raise money for the LFCT for FREE? A new way to help support the LFCT’s work! Raise money for The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust whilst you shop – with no extra cost for you!
Get started today!
Give as you Live is a shopping and price comparison website with a heart. You can shop for products from thousands of leading online retailers; use our price comparison tool to ensure you get the best price and even save money by using the exclusive offers and deals available on our site.
Don’t forget, a percentage of every purchase you make will be donated to charity.
– So far Give as You Live has helped raise £6,438,377.76 for 7,500 charities
– Isn’t it time some of that also went to the LFCT?
Sign up today for FREE and you can raise some funds to go towards projects with some of the worlds neediest communities.
Visit https://www.giveasyoulive.com/causes#/ to sign up in just a few minutes. Follow the instructions online to learn more – we recommend installing the shopping bar which means you don’t even have to remember to visit the give as you live website to raise money.
Just think that you could be raising money whilst doing your weekly food shop, buying Birthday or celebration gifts or even holidays. Please take a look today –5 minutes of your time to sign up could help to raise vital funds towards education projects, providing clean water and sanitation or helping a cataract patient today. Thank you.
LFCT in Pakistan: Pure water for Students and Villagers alike: Ali Model School and inhabitants of Awami Colony benefit as water begins to flow
Partnering with the LFCT, the Masomeen Welfare Trust in Karachi have facilitated the installment of a reverse osmosis plant to serve Ali Model School and surrounding community. In 2014, Masomeen Welfare Trust realized with agony that the water that was currently provided to the Ali Model School was far from safe and contained numerous bacteria when tested in a lab. The sample showed that the water was not fit for human consumption due to the water source’s position running parallel to a drain. Unknowingly, this was exposing teachers and students at the school to Typhoid, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Typhoid and other harmful diseases.
A water purifier was decided to be the appropriate course of action. The plant would be installed and would provide water to students free of cost, enabling them to remain healthy. The project was decided to be extended beyond the staff and students at the school to the local Masjid, nursery and community. The project was started in mid-September and was complete by the 25th October. A free flow of water was not possible for the community supply and therefore a new machine had to be added to pump the water from the basement to 2nd floor. With the addition of these gadgets the water supply is smooth and consistent.
A local vendor was short listed and appointed to install the unit, based on cost and previous good track record. On October 25th the plant was installed and become operation. It supplies water to five different places within the locality. Overall it supplied to in excess of 4,400 residents of Awami Colony.
Nursery school with more than 40 students
Primary and secondary school with more than 450 students and teachers
Masjid with attendance of more than 300 Namazis
Community water outlet across the school for more than 3500 inhabitants. They take water in the morning and evening
Water cooler installed between Masjid and School for further community sue. This is being fetched by almost 100 inhabitants daily
Awami Colony inhabitants dreamt of getting pure, clean and safe filtered water at their doorsteps. This dream was fulfilled by The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust, a gift they never expected.
It is too early to state the impact in terms of preventing diseases, however at the moment the entire community is getting pure water by the installation of the reverse osmosis water filtration plant. Water is available twice a day and available 24 hours a day to Masjid and through the water cooler. Currently the water is only used for consumption, but there are hopes it can be used for other daily needs in the future.
“There are no words to say thanks. We are feeling proud to have this facility, thank you so much,” Awami Colony resident
“Thank you LFCT. You just gave us opportunity to get pure and fresh water,” Awami Colony resident
“We would like to thank LFCT a lot for this project. It is our dream to get pure and fresh water,” Class 10 student, Ali Model School
“The project is a great step by the LFCT for students and staff and also residents of the colony. We strongly appreciate LFCT for this project,” Vice Priniciple, Ali Model School
LFCT in Pakistan: 23 young men start their futures today – successful completion and passing of Air-condition and Fridge repair course in Pakistan
The LFCT is proud to have supported an air conditioning and fridge repair course at the SOS Technical Institute in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The course was passed by 23 young men from marginalised backgrounds.
20 young men have been supported by the LFCT to complete a three-month course in fridge and air conditioning repair. The cohort comprised of 25 students in total, with 23 completing the course. Two left due to unplanned reasons; one a fracture of his hand, the other is sue to start a vegetable shop with his brother. The course was facilitated and implemented by SOS Villages and the young men ae all excited by the opportunities that will now open up for them.
They were awarded with certificates in a presentation ceremony from the Chairperson of SOS villages. The young men wanted to describe to generous LFCT donors what completing the course means to them:
“I was living a useless life in village. Now I have a trade in my hand that will help me to work in my own settlement.”
“No one cared about me because I was jobless and had no expertise to utilize for earning bread for my family. I am thankful to LFCT for the help.”
Air-condition and fridge repair is a growing industry in the country and abroad. From the statements it is clear what a positive impact this course has had. It has the potential to have a huge impact on the lives of the young men, making them economically independent and able to sustainably support their families. It is now hoped that multiple options will open up, including starting their own business or moving into waged employment for a repairs company.
LFCT in Pakistan: Nutritious lunches for all – no child will go hungry or malnourished at the Ali Model School in Pakistan, thanks to generous LFCT supporters
LFCT Donors. It costs GB£ 0.14/US$0.20 per lunch per child ONLY.
Ali Model School is located in Korangi, a slum area of Karachi, Pakistan, where family earning is much below the poverty line. There is often only one breadwinner in a family of at least eight members. Ali Model English School opened its nursery section in early summer 2015 with an initial 36 students. During the lunch break, only a few children can afford bring their own lunch whilst all others can do is watch. The Ali Model School, local donors and the LFCT decided to break this pathetic and desperate situation and enable children a balanced diet with enough iron and protein, common deficiencies in Pakistan. We have worked with local donors so that we can extend this school lunch programme across the whole of the Ali Model School. The project aims to provide free, hygienically prepared and nutritionally balanced lunch to the entire nursery and primary section, totaling almost 200 students.
Stage One: With the help of local donors we have started providing lunch to 36 students in the nursery stage. The menu was designed with the help of a nutritionist and we hired a lunch time supervisor (consequently providing a job to a local lady) to prepare and serve the lunch. The students were very excited to have a balanced and nutritionally rich lunch. The parents were very thankful for this initiative.
Stage Two: With rich and healthy food to entire nursery, the Trust again identified a gap with the students of primary age (up to class two) who are also young and very few can afford to have lunch in their break. We searched to a suitable donor for support where we came across The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust of UK who agreed to support us in this noble act. The Trust will provide the fund on the monthly basis to enable all children a nutritious lunch. In this project we hired a few supporting people to prepare the lunch for more than 200 students. We used the services of a national nutritionist to develop their lunch and from 1st of October we started providing lunches to entire students across the nursery and Primary School.
Students of Ali Model nursery, and now the primary section are enthralled to get such a fantastic lunch which is nutritionally balanced and hygienic. With this initiative we also provided job opportunities to five new female employees. In addition, the program also teaches the children about the principles of eating together in a disciplined way, the essence of togetherness and habits of good eating. The parents appreciate the initiative and thanks with lot of Duas to our sponsor The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust and supporter for providing lunch and teaching the art of good habits.
Able to walk and play again – thank you LFCT donors for helping little Saif!
Saif Haider Hamzah Erhaim is just one year and eight months old. Saif is a lovely little child, happy and full of life, but he has been through great trauma and needed the help of generous LFCT supporters to get through a difficult time. Saif was born with a birth defect on his right ankle, ankle disarticulation. Although doctors tried to seek a solution, it was decided that Said would suffer less in the long run if his leg was amputated above the ankle on his low shin area. Saif was brought to Al Kafeel Dynamics after his amputation to see if there was any hope of Saif ever walking again. At Al Kafeel Dynamics it was recommended that Saif would be ideally suited to a synthetic prosthetic custom foot with a soft and hard lamination socket. Saif has now had this limb made and fitted.
It is fantastic news that Saif will be able to walk again and adjust to life with a prosthetic limb. The prosthetic limb would specifically created for Saif and will be vital at the time in his life when he learns to walk for the first time, like any other child. It is fantastic that Saif is able to have a prosthetic limb from this early age and he can now be expected to learn to adapt to walking much more easily and will be able to learn to walk at a pace that is natural for him. The prosthetic is good for at least one year or more, and then he will need a larger size limb as he grows and adjusts.
On behalf of the child’s family as well as DRF, LFCT’s local partner, we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation for your generous sponsorship and the helping hand that LFCT extended.
LFCT in India: Desperate to start earning for himself again – the LFCT lends a helping hand to Kashmir flood victim
Syed Mohammad Rizvi lives in Iskanderpora Village in Kashmir, India. He is 31 years old. He lives with his family and is the main breadwinner after his elderly father.
In September 2014 the Kashmir region of India was hit by disastrous floods. Several hundred people died and the economic impacts have been far reaching. Farmers lost their crops and children’s schooling was disrupted. The lives of many individuals were affected and today the LFCT would like to share the story of one person they have been asked to help.
Syed Mohammed Rizvi has appealed to the LFCT for microfinance assistance after his business was completely destroyed. Before the floods he was running a computer servicing shop and internet café. He had a 3 in 1 photocopier (printer, copier, scanner), eight computers and one inverter. The business was running very smoothly. Unfortunately, the floods hit his business and all of his computers, photocopier and inverter were submerged in flood water for around one week, despite Syed trying his best to retrieve them and save them. Syed has been unemployed ever since and is devastated. He has lost his entire business and livelihood.
Syed became desperate. There was no way he could afford to start his business again and so he came across the LFCT and appealed for help. With some cash injection, Syed can once again start providing for his family and running his modest business. Syed is prepared to work hard to get his business back on track and is extremely grateful that the LFCT have seen merit in his cause. He has requested $5,000 over the next five years.
Thank you.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Supporters – Salaamun Alaikum
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2016.
Thank you so much for your continued support of the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust. You have helped us to touch so many people’s lives and to help them with a hand up. We look to the future to the challenges that 2016 will bring and are ever grateful for your support and dedication towards some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
APPEAL: Ophthalmology Department, Karbala – Transforming darkness into light
In 2015, the LFCT committed to transforming the lives of thousands in Karbala. That commitment continues until the goal of a fully finished Ophthalmology Department is realised.
How many amazing sights do you witness every day?
A person forced to imagine the beauty of nature; a parent that can’t watch their child blossom into adulthood; a child that cannot see the comfort of a mother’s embrace – these are all unfortunate realities of many people living in the Middle East. Unlike many other epidemics such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, where the cure is difficult to discover, over 80% of blindness is preventable. This equates to a staggering 800 million people that suffer unnecessarily.
Staggering rising rates of blindness have had a shock effect on the economy – gross domestic product has dwindled as blindness has an indirect relationship with financial stability. When a person is struck with a debilitating disease that results in blindness in the Middle East, that person then loses his/her opportunity to support their family. A domino effect then begins to play out as that person is forced into poverty and thus cannot contribute to the economy through buying and selling goods as he/she could’ve prior to the disease.
It might also shock you to read that the majority of people living with blindness are women, most blind people need someone to care for them, and this is usually a child, more often than not.
APPEAL: Iraq’s Orphans – Growing up without a father
Karar and Abrar are helped by the LFCT’s Orphan support programme but there are many more Orphans in need today
The LFCT’s orphan support programme is helping many families across Iraq, however estimates place orphans in the millions. One story we are sharing this December is that of little Karar and Abrar Muhammed Bachai who are aged six and five years old live in the Alhussainya area of Kerbala. Karar is in the first class of primary school whilst Abrar is in Kinder garden.
In 2010 their father passed away from drowning when Karar was just a baby and Abrar was still waiting to be born. Their father was selflessly attempting to save the life of another person, a little boy, the son of his neighbour, who had gone for one of his usual swims in the nearby river and had been caught in some deep water. Unfortunately, both ended up losing their lives in a double tragedy.
The children are Saddah whilst the siblings’ mother, Lamyaa Muhammed is non Saddah (Aamiaa). Lamyaa is living with her extended family who are assisting her with her needs, whilst she is also being supported as part of the LFCT’s orphan support programme.
Karar suffers with a speech impediment. He struggles with his pronunciation and could not get along in a mainstream school. The school tried to work with him but had to refuse him, suggesting he go to a school that could deal with his additional needs. Instead, with the help of LFCT’s partner, Karar was able to join the school, after Sister Israa enabled Lamyaa to meet with the management of the school and follow up on Karar’s registration case which is in hand.
Karar and Abrar are growing up without their father, a man who selflessly put his life on the line in order to try and save an innocent little boy. With the support of the LFCT, Lamyaa is able to provide for her children’s food, education and living costs bringing a little respite by knowing that her children will be able to go to school until they are able to leave and become self-sufficient.
It costs just £30 to support an orphan for a whole month – that is just £1 per day. Please support the LFCT’s flagship programme today and provide an orphan with all the support they need to get a great start in life. Thank you.
“So as for the orphan don’t oppress him” Surah ad-Dhuhaa, verse 9
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LFCT in Kashmir, India: From living under open sky, cold and unprotected to living within four walls and a roof. Safety, security and dignity restored for two Kashmir flood victim families
Kashmir suffered a huge loss in damages of over Rs.1,00,000 Crore (One Trillion) to infrastructure and business in the devastating floods that hit the region in September 2014. The flood is described as the worst in a century by experts and affected 2,600 villages and Srinagar City, summer Capital of J & K State. Over 475 villages were fully submerged and 2,125 partially. This resulted in colossal damage to housing and the business sector. Partnering with IFAWK in their continuous efforts to rebuild the homes of for flood affected people of Kashmir valley two houses out of 135 in total were sponsored by the LFCT. The process of re-construction for these two houses was initiated in the month of April 2015 and completed in July 2015.
Expenditure for House No. 1 = Rs. 2,96,174
Expenditure for House No. 2 = Rs. 3,37,141 Total = RS 633,315.00 / £6,333.00
LFCT partner, Idara Falah Aam, Kashmir (IFAWK) worked through its outsource vender (M/S Tawakkal Enterprise (the civil works contract company). M/S Tawakkal enterprises was shortlisted through a process of tender and chosen for the lowest rates.
One beneficiary by the name of Mr. Barkat Ali Bala, who has a family of six members, had a house which fully collapsed in the floods. They were compelled to live under open sky and after a few weeks managed to get a tent from another organization. His mother, who is an elderly lady was also living in the open. Here she developed some respiratory problems due to the cold dusty conditions. His two children always used to question him about why they were living in the tent and under the open sky, asking when they would get back their home. Tears used to roll down from his eyes on hearing such questions, which had no answer at the time. Mr. Barkat, who earned his living as labourer, had a monthly income no more than Rs.3500 which was not enough to meet even basic needs and in such circumstances he was not even daring to dream of reconstructing his house. The tent in which he was living was accepted by him as destiny. Among this all pain came a hope from the LFCT via their house rehabilitation project. His happiness and joy was beyond explaining as we offered him services to construct his damaged house. Only duas and words of blessing for the sponsors came out of his tongue. When I visited, his children caught hold of my trousers and asked me whether it was true that they will get to live in a house again and as I affirmed, they jumped with joy which was a sight to see and beyond the limit of words to explain! His old parents prayed for jannah and tremendous rewards for the sponsors who gave a new roof to the family compelled to stay in the open.
LFCT Partner project wins Pfizer volunteering prize: LFCT Partner project co-winners of the 2015 VOL.UNTEERZ Challenge, a five-week global competition designed to recognize achievements in volunteerism by individual Pfizer colleagues around the world
The project in question is the ‘Access to clean, drinking water to prevent diarrhea, polio, typhoid and hepatitis, in Asghar Naqvi, Pakistan.
A total of 104 volunteer projects were submitted from colleagues in 28 countries, and more than 12,000 votes were cast via the VOL.UNTEERZ Challenge website. The 25 efforts with the most votes then were reviewed by a global panel of judges, who selected the 10 finalists. Of the 10, one grand prize winner was selected. The partner organisation won a prize of $5,000. The grand prize winner’s organization will be awarded an additional $5,000.
LFCT in Pakistan: Following in the footsteps of success, new course in air conditioning to start in Pakistan
A second A/C and fridge repair course starts in Pakistan following success of the first.
A/C and fridge repair is a growing industry in the country and abroad. From the statements it is clear what a positive impact this course has had. It has the potential to have a huge impact on the lives of the young men, making them economically independent and able to sustainably support their families. It is now hoped that multiple options will open up, including starting their own business or moving into waged employment for a repairs company.
Working with the LFCT’s local partner in Pakistan, this December 22 young men will receive two months training in air conditioning and fridge repair, this is as opposed to a three-month course in the first batch. Experience and learning from the previous course has shown that two months is sufficient for learning all the necessary skills needed. The course will again be run by an established technical institute that belongs to SOS Villages, a renowned NGO that specialised in Orphan Care.
Required amount for books and copies, hostel stay, food and cost of the tuition fees 206,400-10,340 = 196,060 = £1231.30
Taking an AC course will prove to be a vital lifeline for these young me and will support them well into their futures. It is a fantastic opportunity for them to become self-sufficient and a second chance to learn a much needed and valued skill in an expanding market across Pakistan and overseas. The opportunities are endless and by working hard, these young men can achieve a lot all through the LFCT providing a small hand up.
LFCT in Pakistan: Education Support Program for Syeda Mehak Zahra who wishes to complete her BS Biotechnology Degree
LFCT continues its support for Syeda Mehak Zahra to complete her BSC Biotechnology
Syeda Mehak Zahra who is attending the final year of a four year degree program of Bachelors of Science in Biotechnology at the Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province is receiving assistance to finish hher degree from the LFCT and local partner. Though from an impoverished background, Syeda Mehak Zahra hopes to become a qualified graduate and embark on a career where she will be able to take care of her financially challenged family.
Syeda Mehak Zahra belongs to family with a low income in District D. I. Khan Pakistan’s KPK province. Her father, Syed Shaukat Ali Zaidi, was badly injured in a terrorist attack and can no longer work. Later on, the family suffered another major tragedy when Syeda’s elder brother, Syed Alamdar Hussain died in a bomb blast in Dera Ismail Khan. This family now just depends on Syeda Mehak Zehra’s father’s pension which is PKR 6,000.00 per month approximately. This is just not enough for the family to meet their own expenses and also to afford Syed Mehak Zehra’s educational expenses.
In the meantime, Syeda Mehak Zahra has scored well in her latest examination. But because of her family’s financial challenges, she faces the risk of discontinuing her education. Faced with deep financial distress, Syeda Mehak Zahra needs financial support.
As before, local partner, the Madinatul Ilm charitable trust with the backing of lady Fatemah trust will regularly monitor the academic progress of this student and provide regular updates to donors. Remember, a timely intervention to support a single student will not only go a long way in changing lives for our coming generations but also help earn a special place for you in the eyes of Allah.
Family details
Name |
Age (Years) |
Status |
Occupation |
Syed Shaukat Ali Zaidi |
58 |
Father |
Retired |
Narjis Bibi |
53 |
Mother |
Depenent |
Syeda Mehak Zahra |
23 |
Applicant |
Student |
Expense details
Tuition fee and transportation charges / annum |
PKR 90,000.00 |
Remaining Years |
None |
Request for support for final year |
PKR 90,000.00 |
US Dollars |
$862.00 |
GB POUNDS |
GBP 563.00 |
EURO |
€ 759.00 |
LFCT in Pakistan: Completed Water supply schemes in between October and November 2015
10 new water schemes for the inhabitants of rural Paksitan. Villagers receive fresh and clean water at their doorsteps and are no longer forced to drink from insufficient and contaminated wells that often came with a perilous journey. Thank you to LFCT’s supporters for their continued donations towards clean water projects.
A couple of the pumps are detailed below:
Hand pump in Onro village, Islamkot, Tharpakar District. A small locality of 120 inhabitants over 15 households. The depth of the water here is 100 metres and there was no hand pump until the one recently installed by the LFCT, instead villagers used to collect water from a well, which is both dangerous and unsafe. Total cost = 70,000/£439.62.
Hand Pump in Seri-Gujrat village, Abbottabad District. This village comprises of 16 houses and has a population of 90 people. The villagers will make the bore and if water is struck then the LFCT will provide them with all accessories required for the installation of the hand pump. Total cost = 40,040/£251.46
Water supply scheme in Jandi Wali Chankot. This locality comprises of 10 houses. The villagers tried their best and spent about Rs. 200,000 to get a bore. Unfortunately, huge rocks underneath made all four of their efforts fail. The LFCT’s partner suggested that they could try to get water through pumping the water from a spring that is about 1000 feet below the mountains. The women and children from the village used to go down the steep hilly track to get water, which was both dangerous and tiring. This scheme proved successful. The LFCT provided them with two HP pumps, a water pipe, electric line and stabilizer for electricity to bring electric voltage up to 220 volts. In these far flung areas electric voltage is weak – up to only 150 volts. A movie of this scheme is available on the LFCT’s YouTube Channel and is highly recommended to watch to see the true extent of the perilous journey that was made. Total cost = 80,080/£502.92.
Thank you.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Supporters – Salaamun Alaikum
Tickets now on sale!
The Lady Fatemah Trust would like to invite you to our 2016 Gala Dinner.
This year’s event will be held in The Drum at Wembley on 7th May, in the shadow of the iconic Wembley Stadium.
We are delighted to announce that our Keynote Speaker will be the award winning journalist, Janine di Giovanni.
Janine is the Middle East editor of Newsweek and contributing editor of Vanity Fair, she is one of Europe’s most respected and experienced reporters, with vast experience covering war and conflict. Her reporting has been called “established, accomplished brilliance” and she has been cited as “the finest foreign correspondent of our generation”.
Providing entertainment on the night will be star of the UK comedy circuit Prince Abdi, who will be performing one of his trademark upbeat and infectious sets. We will also be having a special appearance from Spoken Word Artist Senasino.
We would love to see you there on the night. To book your ticket please go to: http://buytickets.at/theladyfatemahcharitabletrust/44938
EVENT:
King Ahlulbayt Islamic Society’s 13th Annual Charity Dinner will be on Wednesday 17th February, Tas Restaurant, Borough High Street, London, SE1 1XF. Tickets £32/£30 early bird. This fantastic event will see stand-up comedy by Shazia Mirza and Bilal Zafar and a recitation by Sayad Ali Al Hakeem. Let us have an evening with friends and family, a delicious three course meal and raise some funds for the LFCT! Contact rabab_18@hotmail.com or syeda.r.rizvi@kcl.ac.uk for more information or tickets.
ONGOING APPEAL: Ophthalmology Department, Karbala – Transforming darkness into light
In 2015, the LFCT committed to transforming the lives of thousands in Karbala. That commitment continues until the goal of a fully finished Ophthalmology Department is realised.
A person forced to imagine the beauty of nature; a parent that can’t watch their child blossom into adulthood; a child that cannot see the comfort of a mothers embrace – these are all unfortunate realities of many people living in the Middle East. Unlike many other epidemics such as cancer or HIV/AIDS, where the cure is difficult to discover, over 80% of blindness is preventable. This equates to a staggering 800 million people that suffer unnecessarily.
Staggering rising rates of blindness have had a shock effect on the economy – gross domestic product has dwindled as blindness has an indirect relationship with financial stability. When a person is struck with a debilitating disease that results in blindness in the Middle East, that person then loses his/her opportunity to support their family. A domino effect then begins to play out as that person is forced into poverty and thus cannot contribute to the economy through buying and selling goods as he/she could’ve prior to the disease.
It might also shock you to read that the majority of people living with blindness are women, most blind people need someone to care for them, and this is usually a child, more often than not.
APPEAL: Iraq’s Orphans – This month’s story is one of growing up without a father
Ali Ammar, aged 11 and his sisters Fatima Ammar, aged 13 and Ramla Ammar, aged 14 live in Kerbala, Iraq. The children are orphans, living with their mother, Rabab Mizher, in Kerbala since 2006 when they were forced to migrate. The family are Shia but lived in a mixed residential area for Sunni’s and Shia in Baghdad. Tensions began to rise and the Shia community became targets, ostracized for their faith.
LFCT in Malawi: Final Project Report – Renovation of Plumbing System: Phase Three
The project objective was to renovate the ablution blocks and sluice rooms on the labour ward of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, (QECH) Blantyre in order to reduce the risk of hospital based infections to new born babies with their mothers and thereby improve the care and dignity of the mothers and the guardians who care for them. The project is being carried out in four phases.
The proposed renovation works covered repairs to: the plumbing and sewage system; replacement of showers, toilets and fittings, re-painting of walls; replacement of floors where necessary to improve drainage, replacement of plumbing and drainage pipes and replacement of ceilings and repair to roof to two sets of ablution facilities and to two sluice rooms.
Completed renovations in the latest phase include:
External plumbing and sewage system; of Labour wards ablution blocks and sluice rooms: Clearing of blocked drains; replacement of water supply and drainage piping; placement of concrete slabs over (previously uncovered) manholes.
Labour ward ablution blocks: Painting of walls; replacement of broken ceiling boards; fixing of leaks; replacement of wooden doors with galvanised steel; replacement of water supply and drainage pipes; replacement of all showers, and replacement of all toilets with flush master systems to safe guard against theft; stripping of floors and replacement of concrete floors in showers and toilets to allow for better drainage of water.
Sluice Rooms: Repairs and cleaning to sluice machines; painting of walls; replacement of broken ceiling boards; fixing of leaks; replacement of water supply and drainage pipes; stripping of floors and replacement of concrete floors in both sluice rooms to allow for better drainage.
Due to the extreme poverty of Malawian patients, there is a tendency for them to use rags as toilet tissue and stones for washing themselves, rather than more formal flannels, soaps etc. These rags and stones then often end up being dropped, lost or disposed of poorly, resulting in frequent blockages and re-blockages of plumbing system. The hospital has been given funding by another partner for the purchase of toilet roll for the labour ward toilets to allow for greater sustainability of the work.
APPEAL: LFCT in Malawi PHASE Four Renovation of the ablution blocks at the Male Surgical Ward 5A and the Female Surgical Ward 5B as well as the sluice room at 5B
After the successful reporting on phase three we are appealing to LFCT donors for funding to finalise the project with phase four.
The work commenced on Monday 18th of January and will be completed Friday 5th of February.
The total proposed budget is MK7,454,800 (£7,497.275 at exchange rate 14/01/2016).
The before and after photographs of the renovations so far speak volumes. It is unspeakable to think that this is one of the main hospitals in Malawi and that patients have no option but to visit and stay in such facilities to cure illness. At such a vulnerable time in one’s life when hospitalisation is necessary, it is heart-breaking to think of the added stress and illness that may be caused by going to the place one hopes to cured at. This is a real possibility given the hospital’s current conditions. Years of overuse in poor facilities have led to such conditions and we call upon the LFCT’s generous supporters to donate to the final phase of this incredible renovation project. Thank you.
LFCT in Malawi: Installation of four water tanks at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre
The project objective is to install four water tanks at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre to alleviate the water shortage problems when mains water is not available in order to reduce the risk of hospital based infections and thereby improve patient care and dignity.
The proposed works covers the installation of two 10,000 litre plastic water tanks (Jo-Jos) on 1.5 m high (ensuring gravity feed), reinforced stands in the area between the Male Medical ward and the Paediatric Wards. A third is to be installed between the Dental and Neonatal wards and a fourth for the hospital kitchen.
The project includes demolition, brickwork and the placement of reinforced concrete. Two water troughs and plumbing to a third is also required. These tanks will eventually be plumbed into the mains system so that they fill from the mains supply and then immediately supply the outside taps ensuring that the water inside is constantly renewed and does not become stagnant. During installation and before connection to the mains, the tanks will be filled by bowser so as to ensure they are full from the start and therefore not cause any break in the supply of water.
Once full, they will be connected to the mains and they will then form a large (10,000 litre) reservoir within the mains system to provide a supply for at least some time should the mains be cut off for any reason. In the event of longer water shortages, they can again be filled by bowsers that can shuttle between the Water Board and the hospital rather than having to sit on site until they are emptied. Bowsers will need to be equipped with a pump to fill the tanks but so as to provide a back-up solution, the hospital will also be equipped with a length of hose to run between the bowsers and the tanks, and a hand pump should the bowsers not have a pump or it not be operable. A similar 10,000 litre tank will be provided to the kitchen block but this tank will be plumbed straight into the kitchen block and not to outside taps.
To date, all the demolition, brickwork and reinforced concrete has been completed. The troughs are near completion and plumbing to the area is in the process of completion. The re-inforced concrete needs a further two weeks to settle before the water tanks can be placed and filled. More updates to follow in future newsletters.
LFCT Medical Referral Program: 8,817 Patients treated as December 2015
And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Surah al-Ma’idah: Verse 52
51 patients were assisted with treatment costs in December 2015, raising the total to 8,817 patients between October 2005 and December 2015, including 2,366 children aged 18 years and under. In its Medical Referral Program, LFCT’s partner’s most important aim is to empower sick refugees to regain their health by offering financial assistance with treatment cost. Another aim, which is certainly just as important, is assistance to patients with debilitating, incurable diseases. This assistance helps improve quality of life and preserves the dignity of these patients and their families.
Two such patients are 10-year-old Hussein K al-S and 8-year-old Abu al-Fazl A. Both children have been born to refugee families in exile. Both children have birth defects leading to incontinence. Hussein suffers from bladder exstrophy and has undergone surgery twice without success. He is otherwise a completely healthy child and attends a mainstream school. Hussein’s father works as an agricultural labourer. His monthly income amounts to about 90 GBP for six family members, meaning that the family of six survives on less than a dollar/person/day and is thus in the UN’s abject poverty category.
Be they refugees or poor patients from Iraq, assistance from LFCT’s partner enables them to receive medical treatment, restoring health, relieving pain and preserving dignity.
Dear LFCT donors: Please, continue to donate to this project. This month, average treatment cost per patient amounted to 163 GBP while the MRP could only offer 66 GBP – less than half of the full cost – in assistance on average. LFCT’s partner’s beneficiaries hope for your generosity. Please, donate today and give the gift of health to a poor person!
LFCT in Iraq: Exciting new update. Microfinance for widows in Iraq – making a dignified living for themselves
20+ Widows and Poor Lebanese Ladies will uplift 900+ Poor Iraqi Widows.
The LFCT is delighted to share some exciting news about the future of its widow support programme in Iraq with the Trusts dedicated supporters. The LFCT has been supporting hundreds of widows in Iraq and it remains one of their biggest programmes. However, regardless of how vital it is, the Trust has always had some reservations about how sustainable such a programme could be and in the long term, has always promoted giving a helping hand rather than a hand out.
A lightbulb moment came for the Trust’s Chairman when talking with one of the Trust’s other projects in Lebanon. The project is a stitching workshop, providing training and a job placement for around 20 widows and poor women – a small social enterprise. When the workshop was in need of a new cohort of ‘stitchers’ and an experienced designer, the Trust wondered if they should look to alter the design of the product and where they should be sold. It was at this moment that the thought occurred to LFCT’s Chairman to see if there was anyway the project in Lebanon could become aligned to pulling the poor widows in Iraq out of poverty.
The idea arose that the workshop could create garments that would appeal to the market in Iraq and could then be sent to Iraq and sold by the widows to help them to generate an income. They would purchase the garments at cost price and keep any profit they made. A trial started with a small group of the widows. After a few months this trial did not receive the welcome the Trust had hoped for. The widows taking part exclaimed that it was very hard for them to undertake as they felt the culture in Iraq was very negative towards women being involved in employment or generating their own income. However, the Trust felt that with enough encouragement that the widows could work through this. The Trust made a bold move and informed this trial group of women that they were being given four months of notice, after which their widow income support payments would stop, however, they were not being abandoned – far from it. They were offered to procure the garments and start selling to generate an income. All of the women took up this offer.
As the project got underway, the quality of the garments and their beautiful designs were a huge success. It was reported that when the widows came to the LFCT’s partner office in Karbala to pick up their cartons of garments for the first time that most of the ladies had sold at least a few items each to the office staff before even leaving to start their selling! They were enthused and very excited to see the reception they would get when selling the garments in their communities.
The future of the programme is bright! At present, the cartons of garments are being transported free of charge by pilgrims as they travel from Lebanon to Iraq, but this does have an impact on the volume of garments that can come through. The LFCT hopes to partner with Iraq to cover the airline cost in the future to freight the items. The fabric, hand loomed scarves, shawls and dishtasha will be sourced predominantly from India.
The hope of the Trust is that all 900+ widows will be weaned off of the income support programme and start selling the garments to make their own incomes and become self-sustaining.
This new scheme to support widows in Iraq remains at the core of the Trust’s values but at the same time ensures a more sustainable model and empowers widows to make their own living with dignity. The impression the widows that are mothers will impart upon their children will be one of hard work and earned income, rather than the values of relying on handouts. Eventually the children too will learn the trade and not end up on the streets and or pushing suitcase hand carts.
The project is of course, still in need of vital funds whilst the widows switch over to microfinance and to support the workshop in Lebanon. We hope that you will agree that this is an exciting and innovative project that we look forward to bringing you more stories of progress about over the coming months.
LFCT in Iraq: Studying by solar light
Two project areas in AlHaies Village, AlDaraji District, AlSamawa City, Iraq have received a distribution on solar lights to make studying safer and more convenient for all. The distribution took place on 25th December 2015.
The project set about to; Provide awareness about how to use the light in the two project areas; Provide awareness about how to take care of the mobile solar lights; Distribute the mobile solar lights to the families according to the policy of the LFCT in which each family is identified by their PDS card.
The village of AlHaies is large and sprawling, so much so that it is split into two ‘areas’ approximately 15km away from one another. Accordingly, the distribution project took place at two separate sites within the one village. From the initial study, 65 families were identified, however when returning to collect their PDS cards, just 44 families attended and bought their cards as requested as a condition of the project. The remaining families, 21 in total either did not attend or did not bring their PDS card. They are still eligible for the project but have been asked to bring their PDS card on another agreed date for a further solar light distribution. The LFCT’s local partner is keeping hold of the lights on their behalf until this date.
The benefit of solar lights are multifaceted. Around 50% of people, almost all in developing countries, rely on the burning of biomass; wood, dung etc., or coal to light their homes. These materials, when burnt on a traditional stove emit high levels of pollution, particularly when used inside the home, as they were with the families identified in Iraq. Children often studied by this light, as there simply was no alternative. As a result, children and women in particular are exposed to high levels of indoor air pollution every day.
The children and students in the village are now able to use solar lights to study by, instead of firelight or not studying at all. The students are happy to be able to study quietly by this safe and cheap source of light and can even go into a separate room if they have particular study to complete without disturbing the rest of the family. At the distribution the villagers were very happy and thanked the LFCT, exclaiming that the Trust helps even if the Government does not reach them. They thanked Mr Karim and the donors especially for supporting them and bringing them a safe and clean source of light.
Thank you.
Bismillahi rahmaani Raheem
Dear Supporters – Salaamun Alaikum Tickets now on sale! The Lady Fatemah Trust would like to invite you to our 2016 Gala Dinner. EVENT: LFCT Gala Dinner – Keep the 7th May free in your diaries. The LFCT Annual Gala Dinner is drawing closer, visit the website to buy your ticket today! This year’s event sees keynote speaker Janine Di Giovanni, Middle East Editor of Newsweek and contributing editor of Vanity Fair, she one of Europe’s most respected and experienced reporters, with vast experience covering war and conflict. The line up also welcomes Prince Abdu, British stand up comedian and actor, of Somalian origin, he has worked in Abdi has also done stand-up shows in Canada, the United States, Holland, Northern Ireland, Kenya and Turkey. He will be joined by Sana Al-Yemen, spoken word poet and activist. It is set to be a fantastic evening and will be held at the Drum in Wembley. Please join us for a night of entertainment, inspiration and fundraising We would love to see you there on the night. To book your ticket please go to: http://buytickets.at/theladyfatemahcharitabletrust/44938 ONGOING APPEAL: Ophthalmology Department, Karbala – Transforming darkness into light I n 2 01 5, t he LFCT com m it ted t o tra nsform i ng t he li ves of tho usands in K ar bala. Tha t com m it m ent cont inu es u nti l th e g oal of a ful ly finis hed Oph th alm ol ogy D epar t m en t is realis ed.Activities | Number of beneficiaries targeted September 2015 – August 2016 | Number of beneficiaries September 2015 – Feb 2016 | Remarks | |
Vocational skills training course and life skills education (training on their rights, training on employment etc.) | Tailoring and dressmaking | 360 | 225 (209 girls; 16 boys) | 60% adolescent girls and 40% boys |
Mobile phone servicing | 90 | 60 (60 boys) | ||
Training course on poultry rearing, cattle husbandry, vegetable gardening, bamboo and jute product making. | 290 | 280 (119 girls; 161 boys) | Adolescents (needs based) | |
Adolescent leadership course | 60 | 40 (16 girls, 24 boys) | Adolescents (needs based) | |
Adolescent small entrepreneurship training | 60 | 120 (97 girls; 23 boys) | ||
Advocacy and social mobilisation training | 40 | 61 (40 girls; 21 boys) | ||
Mainstream education | 100 | 26 (15 girls; 11 boys) | ||
Awareness raising meeting at village level | 77 meetings | On track; currently reached 750 participants | Adolescents, parents, guardians, community members, key stakeholders | |
Awareness raising meeting at District level | 8 meetings | Key community leaders and stakeholders |
Advocacy and networking campaign workshop at District level | 1 meeting | Key community leaders, local government and stakeholders | |
Advocacy and networking campaign workshop at Regional level | 1 meeting | Key community leaders, local government and stakeholders | |
Advocacy and networking campaign workshop at National level | 1 meeting | Key community leaders, government and stakeholders |
APPEAL: One man hopes to help 22 individuals live their lives with happiness and dignity again – let us give him a helping hand
Dear Supporters – Salaamun Alaikum
RAISE £1 FOR EATING DINER! Raise £1 per diner each time you book a table at a restaurant – Free and Easy App!No. | Male goats | Female goats | Total |
Number distributed in 2015 | 10 | 40 | 50 |
Number of kids born | 44 | 19 | 63 |
Total as of January 2017 | 54 | 59 | 113 |