01

Exclusive Office

ISSUE NO. 2, DECEMBER 2015

Registered Charity No: 1126808

PROGRAMMES UPDATE l CORPORATE NEWS l REGIONAL NEWS

EVENT REVIEW: LEICESTER BAKE OFF

AKF SHEFFIELD HOLDS COMMUNITY BAZAAR

SPECIAL FEATURE:THE REALITY FOR REFUGEES IN MACEDONIA

SAIF AHMAD WINS FAMILY VALUE

AWARD

AKF VOLUNTEER SHARES EXPERIENCE

IMAM QASIM LAUNCHES EXCITING LAMU PROJECT

#02 DEC.

03LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

04FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICECEO visit to the Milton KeynesBOND visits AKFHumanitarian Forum Summit MeetingAdvanced Leadership Training Programme for Senior Kenyan LeadersImam Qasim Visits LamuImam Qasim’s Panama tripSaif Ahmad wins awardAKF Meeting with GVCAl-Khair School Named Outstanding by OFSTED

07CAMPAIGNS UPDATEAIDEX BrusselsAKF Aids Cumbria Flood Clean-up#LetsWarmBritainAKF’s Syed Hussain shares his experience of Volunteer programme

09EVENT REVIEWManchester Rohingya EventLeicester Charity Bake-off

11FROM THE REGIONAKF Cook OffManchester Unity eventNew Manchester OfficeAKF to Welcome Syrian Refugees in GlasgowAKF Sheffield Community Bazaar

14SPECIAL FEATUREThe Reality for Refugees in Macedonia

16PROGRAMMES UPDATEAKF in the Far EastAKF in South AsiaKenya UpdateSomaliland tripFuture Projects in KenyaVisit Report - LamuPakistan Update

24STAFF SPOTLIGHT

25HR UPDATE

Editorial TeamEditor:Tasneem Abdur-Rashid

Contributors:Simon StockerAmina KhalidSadaf RaheedShifrah UddinSyed HussainImran MussaImran MusaNajia ShaikhRiccardo BassettiHaider HumayunHalima SayedTakyiwa Danso

Design:Mohammad Reazul IslamElsa Estrada

Publisher:Al-Khair Foundation ©

All rights reserved

Registered Charity No: 1126808

03

Dear Colleagues,

A l-Kha i r Foundation has once again had an extremely successful (and busy) year. From a new CEO and new staff to lots of new

projects and country offi ces, AKF has undergone a lot of changes in 2015. Our success and growth is largely due to our hard work and contributions as a team. Without this combined eff ort, we would never have managed to be on the ground in Nepal within a week and raise a staggering £1 million for the earthquake crisis; we wouldn’t have been able to open new offi ces in Malaysia, Nepal, Australia and the US; we wouldn’t have established partnerships with well-respected and renowned organisations like UNRWA or Kenya Red Cross; and we wouldn’t have been able to coordinate such a seamless international volunteer programme.

In terms of what’s been happening since Issue #1 of AKF Insight, on page 5 you can read about Imam Qasim’s trip to Panama, on page 14 Sadaf Rasheed takes us through her journey to Macedonia on the volunteer programme and on page 13 the Sheffi eld offi ce tells us about their very fi rst community bazaar. Leicester held its fi rst Cooking Competition - details on page 11- and Bolton was quick on the scene during the Cumbria fl oods to lend a helping hand (page 9). We also have comprehensive updates from the Pakistan offi ce and Kenya offi ce - pages 17 and 21.

On behalf of the Executive Offi ce, I would like to thank you all for your hard work this year. May 2016 bring us more success, may we continue to work hard to help those less fortunate and most importantly, may we continue to work together as one unit to make a diff erence.

Until next year

Tasneem Abdur-RashidHead of Communications & PR

LETTER FROM THE

EDITORRefugee children eating and playing

on the platform in Macedonia

04

From the Executive Office

CEO’S MILTON KEYNES VISITO n the 2nd of December, CEO Saif Ahmed,

Syed Hussain and Takyiwa Danso visited Milton Keynes Mosque/Community Centre. Currnetly under construction, once completed it will be the largest mosque in Milton Keynes. The meeting was arranged to discuss how AKF can provide support to the Centre.

S aif Ahmad and Stefan Cramer attended the Humanitarian Forum Summit in Istanbul from 4th-5th December 2015. The conference

was held in light of the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in May 2016, organised by the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon. The Humanitarian Forum centred around what impact Muslim NGOs can have on the WHS; what contribution can be made and how can they influence the outcome of the summit. Over the two days, the key areas of discussion were: how to protect human dignity, safeguarding people

against conflicts/crises, how to ensure funds are transfer efficiently and safely to those in most need, the safety of aid workers in conflict areas/disaster zones and how to foster better partnerships, with a view to capacity build grassroots organisations.The objective of these discussions was to ensure that governments listen to the suggestions made to try and influence policies. After this had been discussed and examined, questions were raised about how we continue to pursue these areas after the WHS and what initiatives can be taken after the summit. Whilst in Istanbul, Saif also contacted Beyaz Eller (White Hands) who operate inside Syria to assist the neediest people in the war-torn nation. They implement a wide variety of thematic programmes including the distribution of food baskets, the establishment of a blood bank and various education programmes to provide the children of Syria with the education they so desperately need. Saif and Stefan visited their office in Istanbul, and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Saif Ahmad (CEO of Al-Khair Foundation) and Abdul Alsibai (Chairman of Beyaz Eller). During the trip, they both met with many organisations and now have some exciting leads on potential future projects and programmes to implement across the world. The meeting provided an opportunity for AKF to present its current projects and its future ambitions to many NGOs that operate across the world.

HUMANITARIAN FORUM SUMMIT MEETING IN ISTANBUL 4-5 DECEMBER

D uring Imam Qasim’s four-day trip to Lamu, AKF hosted an Executive Leadership

Programme (ELP) for Muslim leaders from 14th – 16th December. In total, 21 executives from three county governments attended the training programme that was hosted by the Lamu Governor, H.E. Issa Timamy. The training was run by our partners Murabbi Consulting from the UK and was a transformative experience bringing together experienced professionals and leading trainers to share knowledge in an inspiring environment.

I n November, CEO Saif Ahmad met with the Chief Executive of BOND Ben Jackson and his colleague Mike Wright, Director of Communications and

Membership. During the meeting with BOND, potential strategies for future collaborations between BOND and Al-Khair Foundation were discussed. It was agreed that BOND would attend an upcoming AKF Senior Leadership Team Meeting to present their work and help AKF staff familiarise themselves and get engaged with their services. BOND has also agreed to participate in the AKF/IQRA show ‘Development Dialogue’ where Saif discusses key issues in the development sector with guests from the sector.

BOND VISITS AKF

ADVANCED LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR SENIOR KENYAN LEADERS

05

From the Executive Office

E ver y year, the Mormon faith in the UK presents Family Values Awards to individuals in the public eye whose work and influence

have a significant impact on family life within British society.Elder Herbertson from the Church expressed that Dr Husna Ahmad OBE and our CEO Saif Ahmad, “reflect family values in their international and national community leadership, as parents of six children and – as prominent Muslims – they follow the great moral teachings of their faith.”During the event, Saif remarked that “what we want to share with our children is that everything we have achieved in life has been given as a gift from God.”Family Values Awards were first presented by the Church in the UK in 2001. Previous award recipients have comprised UK cabinet ministers, people of influence in the third sector and faith leaders. They include Rev Canon Ann Easter, Chaplain to HM The Queen; David Burrowes MP; The Marriage Foundation founder Sir Paul Coleridge; government family poverty adviser Rt Hon Frank Field MP; Edmund Adamus, Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster’s Director for Marriage and Family Life; Baroness Scotland, then Attorney General for England and

Wales; and Rt Hon Paul Boateng MP (now Lord Boateng), formerly Chief Secretary to the Treasury.David Rutley, MP (from Macclesfield) hosted this year’s luncheon at the House of Commons. The 2015 awards event was attended by 12 Parliamentarians and Peers from across the political spectrum.

IMAM QASIM ATTENDS EMERGENCY MEDICAL TEAMS GLOBAL MEETING IN PANAMAB etween 1-3 December, Imam Qasim was invited to attend an exclusive

high-level meeting held by the Emergency Medical Team in Panama. With 200 delegates in attendance, mostly Government officials and ministers, the aim of the meeting was to come together and engage in dialogue on: strategic governance, future direction and key updates of the EMT initiative; recent developments and good practice sharing in deployment of EMTs from the technical, clinical, legal and operational perspective; the role of EMTs in the WHO emergency reform agenda and the Global Health Emergency Workforce; and strengthening

capacities and national EMT development

During the meeting, Imam Qasim raised the important issue of the lack of a proper guidance in dead body management during emergencies. He called for the UN to develop guidelines to enable emergency response units to dispose of the deceased in a faith and culturally-sensitive manner. His observation received an excellent response and it was acknowledged that dead body management is often overlooked during emergencies.

SAIF AHMAD AND DR HUSNA AHMAD RECEIVE UK FAMILY VALUE AWARD FROM CHURCH

I mam Qas im embarked on an exciting four-day trip to Lamu, Kenya on the 14th December to

authorise livelihood, shelter and healthcare projects for the local people.

On Pate Island, Imam Qasim revealed his plans to launch ‘The Bahamisi model village project’ and laid down the inaugural foundation with Lamu Governor H.E. Issa Timamy. This project aims to build secure housing units for the disadvantaged residents who live in poor conditions without water, health services, education or food. AKF agreed to construct 28 housing units within a three-month period.

Imam Qasim also met with a contractor for the launch of boat ambulances for the inhabitants of distant islands in Lamu County. The ambulances will increase inhabitants’ access to general health services as they will provide efficient means of transportation to health clinics and hospitals on the mainland. Providing practical solutions to eliminate poverty is key to our vision, thus, Imam Qasim also agreed to coordinate with the Fisheries and Livestock Department to establish livelihood projects for the people of Lamu. AKF will also supply outboard motors and solar powered freezers to the fishermen of Kiwayu Island.

IMAM QASIM VISITS LAMU

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From the Executive Office

A l-Khai r School has won praise from Ofsted for its teaching and pupils’ personal development.

In its report, the education watchdog rated the Al-Khair school’s approach to personal development, behaviour and welfare as “outstanding”. It was rated “good” in every other category. As you all know, our independent 400-pupil primary and secondary school aims to create positive Muslim role model graduates to encourage more inclusive societies. Our headteacher, Aisha Chaudhry, said to The Evening Standard: “A nurturing environment is so important so the pupils can be the next generation with a balanced view who accept others. “I don’t think it’s about just their knowledge and what they’ve learned here, it is about their character. We want them to be honest, fair, polite and good role models of the Muslim community. We cannot be represented by idiots going around doing barbaric things. “It is trying to break the mould and stereotypes — and a lot of those come from our own culture. They say, ‘Girls can’t do this or that’, so the only careers they should go into is doctor, lawyer, engineer and I’m trying to be a little bit different.”

Al-Khair began life 13 years ago in Croydon after Imam Qasim promised to educate five children excluded or disadvantaged by the school system. Aisha also said to the Standard: “I put my plans on hold and drew up the first ever timetable with humanities in the morning and science in the afternoon. I had no experience of Islamic schools and wasn’t part of any movement in Britain. But I had experience of good schooling and wanted to promote that. It was just me and one other teacher and it was really good to establish something from scratch. We got it through its first Ofsted inspection and it has grown from there.”Al-Khair School, which charges £5,000-a-year, also accepts non-Muslim pupils and has a teacher-pupil ratio of 1 to 16. It also offers activities including archery, fencing and scuba-diving. America’s ambassador to the UK, Matthew Barzun, recently held a workshop with pupils. “The Government is doing a lot to harmonise society but schools also need to do a lot to create young people who have understanding and tolerance rather than hatred,” Sister Aisha added. “A new generation can get rid of racism. “We want our pupils to be a benefit to society.”

AL-KHAIR SCHOOL WINS OUTSTANDING RATINGS FROM OFSTED

Programmes Officers, Riccardo Bassetti, recently visited the headquarters of the European NGO, GVC. This Italy-based organisation describes

itself as a medium-size INGO that mainly relies on institutional funding (ECHO, EU, IMoFA, UN, etc.) to carry out its programmes.GVC and AKF focus on similar areas (WASH, livelihood, post-emergency response, food) overlapping on certain projects and countries, therefore establishing a partnership between the two organisations is likely to be durable and successful.

AKF’s main focus on this partnership will be to work with the GVC, which has a long-lasting and profitable relationship with the European institutional bodies, to increase its track record in terms of implementing programmes with European bodies/organisations so to ease the process of joining ECHO and obtain institutional funding from the EU; and to have access to institutional funding through GVC, which will apply for and obtain institutional funding from ECHO much more easily.

Villa Aldini, GVC’s HQ in Bologna

MEETING HELD BETWEEN GVC AND AKF

Imam Qasim and Rayan Mahmud outside Al-Khair School

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CampaignsUpdate

A idE x i s a two-day event that has been running for the past five years. It encompasses a conference, exhibition, meeting areas, awards

and workshops. Its fundamental aim to engage the sector at every level and provide a forum for the visitors to meet, source supply and learn. The theme for this year was ‘collaboration’. The event wanted to encourage greater collaboration amongst all stakeholders- including commercial organisations with the not for profit sector- sharing ideas and working together for long term success.

Imran Nisar, Facilities Manager, arrived two days prior to the start of the event in Brussels to set up the AKF stand. The rest of the team were responsible for promoting, networking and forming relationships with the visitors and exhibitors. The AKF stand was favourably situated adjacent to the entrance and thus drew a lot of attention from passers-by.

For the duration of the conference our enthusiastic team members divided their time between visiting other exhibitors and manning the stand. Once our reps engaged interested visitors, they would go on to explain the mission and ethos of AFK; our main thematic areas and descriptions of current programmes. They also engaged in discussions with visitors to establish if there was any potential for a future working relationship. The highlight was a visit from Louise Bang Jespersen, the Danish ambassador to Brussels, who was told about our international operations.

Overall, the majority of exhibitors and visitors were suppliers to the NGO

sector, and there was a limited number of NGOs and funders. A high proportion of relationships built over the two-days were with suppliers. The main priorities with supplies was low-cost housing for Nepal, water systems (filtration, pumps etc.) and emergency medical and food kits. In all those areas we met suppliers which had potential.

Connections with some smaller NGOs, were also made, giving the potential for AKF to widen its scope to other areas such as South America.

A KF a ided the clean-up operation in Carlisle on the 13th December after severe floods and storms devastated Cumbria over the past few weeks.

Regional Fundraising Manager, Imran Musa, Bolton Fundraising Manager, Aslam Atcha, and a dedicated AKF volunteer distributed vital toiletries and cleaning supplies, such as mechanical mops, bleach and toothpaste to a community centre in Carlisle where Cumbria Police reported that up to 2,500 properties were flooded.Manchester Superstores generously donated over 40% of the items distributed to victims whilst the remaining were charged below cost price. The items were urgently requested by the community centre, who are aiding and coordinating the relief efforts with Cumbria council.A large proportion of the population affected by the floods is without house insurance due to overpriced premiums and the reluctance of many companies to insure. Thus, there is a dire need for help among many living in Cumbria for assistance and support in restoring their property and getting their life back on track. The council were extremely appreciative of AKF’s help and promised to keep in touch and alert us if more supplies were required.

AKF AIDS CUMBRIA FLOOD CLEAN-UP

AIDEX 2015

From Left to Right: Aylish Daly, Elaine Antwi, Asif Sana & Louise Bang Jespersen, Ambassador of Denmark.

08

CampaignsUpdate

T his winter we have launched our ‘Let’s Warm Britain’ campaign,

where we will collect funds that go directly towards the distribution of sleeping bags, hats, scarves, gloves, socks and hot meals for homeless people across Britain.

In order for this campaign to be a success, we urgently need volunteers who can collect donations for the campaign during various weekend bucket collections at several London Underground stations: Whitechapel, Aldgate East, Upton Town and Stratford stations.

We will then purchase and deliver the supplies to the homeless by working alongside local homeless shelters and organisations. The packages will include sleeping bags, hats, scarves, gloves, socks and hot meals.

From January to March 2015, we will be working with volunteers in distributing our winter aid packages to the local homeless people in partnership with homeless shelters. Distribution dates

and locations are yet to be finalised but will likely take place in London, Bolton, Sheffield, Leicester, Glasgow and Leeds.

We are also establishing relationships with other organisations, such as those who run food banks and soup kitchens, and will also distribute the items in homeless centres, hostels, churches and mosques.

So far in London, we will be working with Streetlytes, Booth House, 999 Club and Together in Barnet.

As part of this campaign, Bolton will be holding a Christmas Day lunch for the homeless, refugees and asylum seekers and other vulnerable people. The event will take place at Memory Lane Banquet Hall at 2pm and will host up to 350 beneficiaries.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to get more involved please get in touch with the team at volunteer@alkhair.org. For more information, visit: http://alkhair.org/winter-volunteer

My name is Syed Hussain and I am the volunteer coordinator for

AKF. On the 15th of November, I took a team of 10 volunteers to Macedonia to support the refugee crisis. Our aim was to distribute food and clothes to the refugees. We travelled to two camps in - Gevgelija and Tabanovce which is located in the south and north of Macedonia. We went for a 7 day trip and returned back to the UK on the 21st of November. The 10 volunteers had a £1000 per person fundraising target

to raise before they departed for their journey. By the grace of the Almighty we managed to smash the fundraising target and raise over £23,000 in total. For me this was a great experience that I will not forget, as I got to prepare food packs, clothes and serve the refugees with my own hands. I also got to hear their stories of struggle and pain. This experience has motivated me more to serve humanity and I hope Allah SWT gives me the ability to carry on serving the needy across the globe.

#LETSWARMBRITAIN -AKF WINTER

PROGRAMME 2015

AKF’S SYED HUSSAIN SHARES

HIS EXPERIENCE OF THE VOLUNTEER

PROGRAMME

09

T he Rohing ya people are an ethnic group who practice Islam and are mainly indigenous to

the Burmese state of Rakhine. This is one of the poorest areas in an already poor country. Many human rights groups report that the Rohingya have suffered years of persecution at the hands of Burmese authorities, military junta and many Buddhists groups and they continue to be persecuted. The United Nations recognises the Rohingya as “one of the most persecuted minorities in the world today.”

There are reports of mass killings, violence, murder, rape and the destruction of their homes/businesses and places of worship. Over 140,000 have been forced into refugee camps in their own country. They are denied citizenship, education and freedom of movement; they suffer job discrimination and religious persecution. Many are unable to own property or marry without state permission and are used as forced labour on roads and at military camps.

This systematic oppression of the Rohingya Muslims is being recognised by some human rights groups as state sponsored genocide. Yet the world is generally silent about this persecution; the Muslim Community in Manchester felt it was imperative to speak out against this oppression and the idea of this conference was born!

The ConferenceThe Muslim community in Greater Manchester represented by the Community Safety Forum along with its key partner Al-Khair Foundation, Manchester Council of Mosques, Rochdale Council Mosques and MCB supported the delivery of this key event.

Over 350 people from across the region attended the conference surpassing all expectations – the spectrum of attendees included community activists, charities, mosques and families who just wanted to know more. The event was opened by Imam Qasim who shared his

charity’s experience of delivering humanitarian effort on the ground in Burma, followed by Mr Tun Kin from the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, who discussed the political picture and the nature of the persecution in Burma.

The excellent line-up of speakers included the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner from Manchester Jim Battle, Rev David Grey and Rt Hon Yasmin Qureshi who identified the xenophobia and Islamophobia that exists and practical measures on how we must tackle them.

Videos including input from Anna Roberts and Al Jazeera demonstrated the dire situation in Burma both in terms of human rights and the humanitarian situation. This was further illustrated by the eye witness reports and personal experience from Mr Kyaw Win the Director of Burma Human Rights Network and Secretary of The Burmese Muslim Association.The event was very well received by the many attendees, many of whom had little idea about the Rohingya community and their daily persecution, but were left with a good basic understanding of the situation and how we in the West can try and stimulate change and improve both the political and humanitarian situation.

The feedback has been very positive in terms of raising the awareness of the plight of the Rohingya and more needs to be done to support them.

As a follow up from the event, a petition was started to encourage the UK government to debate the plight of the Rohingya in Parliament. Guidance was also given to Mosques, so that this topic could be raised through the Friday sermons with the hope that the wider community can become aware of the plight of the Rohingya.

6th November 2015 at the British Muslim Heritage Centre,

Manchester, UK

“ROHINGYA: THE

FORGOTTEN PEOPLE”

MANCHESTER AWARENESS CONFERENCE

EventsReview

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EventsReview

A KF Leicester invited local budding bakers to take part in a charity Bake Off

in aid of our Refugee Rescue Appeal on the 11th November. From treasure-troves and The Cat in the Hat to miniature tea parties and vintage boxes, the cakes exuded elegance and sophistication merged with the right amount of storybook animation!

The contestants ranged from experienced professionals to enthusiastic young amateur bakers. One of the youngest contestants of the night, a 22 year-old baker who aspires to open up her own cake business, stated that her attachment to Iqra TV and Al-Khair Foundation combined with her love for baking and Great British Bake Off motivated her to participate in the charity event. She added that GBBO 2015 winner, Nadiya Begum, fuelled her passion of baking as it gave her the confidence and self-belief to know that “Muslims can achieve things too.”

The AKF Leicester team had the difficult task of judging the bakes. After eating their way through the show-stopping cakes, and noting points for texture, presentation and taste, the judges, after much deliberation and hushed storeroom discussion decided upon their Bake Off Champion for 2015.

The coveted title of AKF Bake Off champion was awarded to part-time professional baker Afsha from Afsha’s Cakes and her three-tiered vintage box cake, featuring lemon, vanilla and chocolate sponge, encased in buttercream and fondant icing. “I’ve always liked vintage looking cakes and thought that a vintage box cake would be something different.”

Cake enthusiast Afsha has been baking for over 10 years and expanded her hobby of baking into a small business in Leicester. She enjoys using her skills and talents to raise money for charity and has participated in countless local fundraising events. Upon winning, Afsha was astounded and happily exclaimed, “I’m so excited, I can’t believe it! I’m lost for words!” She advised aspiring bakers to pursue their dreams, no matter what. “If you have a talent and passion for baking, don’t stop. Just go for it!”

The cakes were then auctioned off to the audience, raising a total of £403.18. The concept of the charity Bake Off was greatly appreciated by everyone, who credited the uniqueness of the event as a great way to secure funds for charity. One contestant added, “People come around collecting money all the time, but this is a different way to get people together and helping the needy.”

AKF CHARITY BAKE OFF IN

LEICESTER

011

O n the 28th of November, we saw the first ever Al–Khair Foundation Cook

Off in collaboration with UEM (United East Midlands) Football club in Leicester. This event was organised by Imran Mussa, Fundraising Manager in our Leicester office.

We had a sold out audience for the European Refugee Crisis and a fantastic amount raised through auctions and fundraising. Through the generosity of the people of Leicester, we raised over £3000 and the donations are still rolling in!

We had a great team of volunteers and staff

who contributed to the great success of the event. Our concept was simple: six GREAT dishes cooked fresh on the evening with the audience as judges.

We are happy to announce that the donations will be going to provide aid to the refugees on the frontline, emergency relief to survivors and to communities displaced by this dire conflict and humanitarian crisis.

A Great Big Jazak’Allah to the volunteers for this event. Hope to see you at the next AKF event in Leicester. #TeamAKF #ICareAboutRefugees

AL-KHAIR FOUNDATION COOK OFF

From the Region

012

O n Friday 18 December, AKF sponsored an event educating and uniting people

of diff erent faiths about Islam at Al Maidah Banquet Hall in Manchester. Th e event was co-organised by Manchester Islamic Centre and Didsbury Mosque.

Over 250 people of various faiths and backgrounds att ended the event, and the AKF team was on hand to distribute bags and literature to the guests. Th is event was

also a great opportunity to promote the new AKF offi ce in Manchester that is situated on Wilmslow Road in Didsbury.

AKF Regional Fundraising Manager, Imran Musa, provided an enlightening introduction about AKF and encouraged the audience to volunteer and get involved with AKF. As a result, 25 individuals signed up to volunteer with AKF on the day.

A KF w i l l be welcoming around 50 Syrian refugees at a welcome dinner

being hosted at Glasgow Central Masjid on the 27th December.

Th e local community will be welcoming the refugees by bringing a tasty selection of homemade culinary delights to the event. Th is is a wonderful opportunity to introduce the refugees to the locals and

make their transition period a lot easier, allowing them to integrate into society and lead fulfi lling lives in peace and security.

he refugees will also receive ample support from AKF in the form of food packs containing everyday essentials, such as pasta, sugar, salt, cooking oil, rice, fl our and tinned food.

MANCHESTER UNITY EVENT

AKF TO WELCOME SYRIAN REFUGEES IN GLASGOW

From the Region

013

EventsReview

On the 21st December, AKF Sheffield hosted a community bazaar to raise funds

for the Refugee Rescue Appeal. The event had a vast range of stalls, including scarves, clothes, henna, face painting, food and desserts. Items donated by the local community were also sold at the event with the proceeds going towards the Refugee Rescue Appeal.

Although the day started off to a wet start with heavy rains and cold temperatures, this did not dampen the spirits of the event, and over 50 people attended in support of the refugee plight in Europe.

The event was a great way to kick start the holidays for children, as they were entertained by a great range of games, including lucky dip and ‘Guess the Jelly Bean Jar’. While the children were occupied, adults enjoyed networking with other like-minded individuals over delicious food and cakes. For a lot of the attendees, it was their first time visiting an AKF office, and the event was a great way to introduce them to AKF.

The event raised a total of £500 for AKF’s Refugee Rescue Appeal in Europe.

AKF SHEFFIELD COMMUNITY

BAZAAR

From the Region

014

Special Feature

Refugees keeping warm by the fireone refugee looking out from Gevgelija to the neutral zone between Greece and Macedonia

T he refugee crisis in Europe has garnered sporadic waves of attention since the

body of Aylan Kurdi was found washed up on a Turkish beach in September 2015. Despite this, the larger suffering of those who make the treacherous voyage still exists within a realm of entrenched apathy that seems impossible to shatter. No matter how many bodies are violently thrown onto Europe’s collective consciousness, the stories of those embarking on these journeys are almost never heard.

I travelled to Macedonia on the 15th of November 2015 with the hopes of alleviating some of the hardships of both the refugees and NGOs in the country. My hopes were idealistic, and I quickly reevaluated my stance when faced with the grossly asymmetrical power relations within which the refugees found themselves. As someone of South Asian decent I was repeatedly and systematically mistaken for a refugee, placing me and my travel companions in an uncomfortable middle ground, identifying with the constructed ‘other’, whilst simultaneously being viewed with suspicion by our European ‘own’. The following are a collection of stories from our travels, which I am writing in the hopes of providing a voice to those who have been deemed voiceless.

16th November 2015: My first day in the Tabanovce camp and I have been told about a man who has just disembarked from the train and his travelling companions. He seems unwell, and his companions urge him to get medical assistance from the Red Cross. The temperature in Macedonia drops rapidly in the evenings and he would like to continue on to Serbia, but has been informed that during the journey some of the bones in his feet have broken, and he had not noticed.

On the 17th of November a Syrian man asks me if documents were necessary for travel. He was serving as the spokesman of a group approximately 100 people, and needed to know if they would all get safe

passage. The police officer whom he spoke to said that travelling without documents was fine- a statement confirmed by another officer, when I asked again on his behalf. The group embarked on the train journey from Gevgelija to Tabanovce, not yet affected by the change in policy regarding who is deemed a legitimate refugee..

18th November: People are being held in the neutral zone between Greece and Macedonia. Gevgelija is almost deserted, and we cross into the neutral zone to speak to the people being held there. We come across an Iranian singer, entertaining people by a make-shift campfire to keep spirits high, whilst a group of almost 100 others are sleeping outside in the cold. It is freezing and I ask a man from the Baluch province of Iran as to why people are not sleeping in the tent near the border crossing. He says: ‘the authorities don’t like it, they say we block their way’. After the songs have died down, a woman asks me if she can go to the toilet as there is no shelter in the buffer zone, no access to running to water, and no toilets. The border security guard says that despite the lack of provisions, she cannot enter the camp, ‘I’m on my period’ she says. I too am powerless in this situation, and this will now be her second night sleeping in the neutral zone.

18th November: An Iraqi family is stopped at the border for being falsely deemed Iranian. A man is at the guards feet pleading to not be denied entry to the country, an act that will force them to retrace the thousands of miles they have crossed to make it to Macedonia. People from other NGOs are standing next to me. They tell me that ‘your government wants this (tighter security controls), this happens all the time, they’re from Iran, don’t worry’. Despite the ‘assurances’ I am uneasy. When the family speaks I hear Arabic, prompting me to speak to the woman through the wire fence. I told her ‘Oh sister, they are only allowing Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans in’, and somehow in the frenzy

THE REALITY FOR REFUGEES IN MACEDONIA

Sadaf Rasheed, AKF Volunteer

015

Special Feature

I am allowed to cross the fence with a colleague to try and calm the situation. I tell her ‘Sister, you don’t have documents’. Then the man next to her takes out a wad of papers from his back pocket and exclaims ‘we are from Iraq’. The authorities were making a mistake, and at this point the UN translator has appeared and the situation became calmer. I am told to leave by a member of the UN’s team because I am not a legal translator, ‘we have three translators in this camp’, but where were they before? I walked away.

19th November: We are told by a contact in Gevgelija that an Iranian man is in need of medication to prevent his blood from coagulating due to a health condition. Despite the threat to his life, he is unable to leave the camp. A woman from Legis (AKF partner in Macedonia) has been attempting to gain permission from the authorities to allow him entry into the country’s capital, so he can be given treatment. After hours of negotiation it is not permitted, and he is given a small number of pills within the camp. This man, like many others, has been trapped in the neutral zone, contemplating suicide as opposed to being trapped in the buffer zone any longer. His fate is unknown to me.

19th November: A contact on the ground informs us of a pregnant woman in Gevgelija who had died alongside her baby a month prior to our visit. We are told that the medical practitioners in charge of taking care of her were drinking on the job, and that the woman died due to infection. We are also informed that in these circumstances like the violence we witnessed previously, NGOs are required to write reports, but reports do not save lives, actions do.

20th November: I meet a Kurdish Iraqi woman in Tabanovce, she looks unwell and I have been told that she collapsed upon arrival and has had to spend a day in hospital. Her husband has gone into shock and has

been asleep for the last two days. She has two children who are playing in the newly constructed SOS Children’s Village as she rests under the care of staff and the other women.

21st November: It is 2am and a girl from Aleppo, Syria, is having difficulty sleeping in the SOS Children’s Village. She is approximately my age (24), although I think it is intrusive to ask. She is attempting to sleep next to a snoring aunt, so we begin talking about life. After finishing her studies in English Literature she travelled to Turkey, and we bond over how the obsession with Shakespeare seems irrelevant in the present day. She tells me that Serbia seems nicer than the other places she has stayed in, but we are still in Macedonia. I have come across many refugees at this point who do not know where they are, part of me assumed it may be due to a linguistic divide, but she now confirms this. Her English is perfect, what is flawed is the system within which she has travelled.

Along the migration route there are very few signs to inform refugees of what country they are in, and their legal status change with respect to the lands in which they find themselves. The change impacts the need for documentation or the rejection of some nationalities at the border, which most refugees only discover when they reach there. Moreover, women and children who are travelling under the premise of reunification with their families are almost systematically absent in the migration narrative.

The premise of this piece is not to portray refugees as helpless, because most of those I met are not, I am writing solely to highlight the suffering that these people have to go through in hope of escaping countries that have been destroyed by war. Many before them were forced to flee from war, and it could happen to any one of us.

“ALONG THE MIGRATION ROUTE THERE ARE VERY FEW SIGNS TO INFORM REFUGEES OF WHAT COUNTRY THEY ARE IN, AND THEIR LEGAL STATUS CHANGE WITH RESPECT TO

THE LANDS IN WHICH THEY FIND THEMSELVES.”

Children eating/playing on the platform The train that approximately 900 refugees travel on three times a day. The government has increased ticket prices from 5 Euros to 25 Euros to benefit from the crisis.

25th November 2015 - protests in Gevgelija (the neutral zone between Greece and Macedonia)

016

Programmes Update

W e are currently at the beginning of a multi-partnership WASH project with Global One 2015, in collaboration with nine local Bangladesh partners (Madinatual Khairi Al Islami,

Madinia Welfare Trust, Hefazofthe Islam, Jamea Madaniya welfare trust, Jamea Islamia Munshi Bazar Trust, Rural Development Foundation [RDF], Shahbag Jamea Madania Quasimul Ulum, Zam Zam Charitable Trust and, Al Khalil Education and Cultural Centre). The aims of this project are to educate the people of Bangladesh in Sanitation and Hygiene, through Islamic teaching. We are also about to support the RDF in completing the construction on a Maternity Hospital in Sunamgonj, which will be the first of its kind in that area.

I n Ind ia, Al-Khair Foundation (AKF), in partnership with the Tayyab Trust, have many ongoing projects. One of the biggest projects we are currently working on is ‘Skill Building’, the aim of

this first year is to provide skills to 3,000 youths in a wide variety of sectors such as fashion design, computer skills, forklift driving, Islamic courses and finance. Al-Khair is also setting up Medical Camps, providing mobile clinics, immunisation programmes and establishing pharmacies. The target beneficiaries for the health projects is the Rohingyan refugees who live at refugee camps across India. For example, this project will help 495 Rohingya families in Mewat Camp in Indian, where there has been 4 free medical camps held, a subsidised pharmacy set up and vaccination for children

A l-Kha i r Foundation has just entered the rehabilitation stage in Nepal. We have given emergency aid and helped those immediately affected by the disaster and now we are going

to help rebuild Nepal. We have recently completed our Country Strategy which outlines our future plans for AKF in Nepal. There are four main programmes we are starting in Nepal: education, healthcare, construction and volunteering. The education programme will involve building educational buildings and training teachers and PTA members, so that the children of Nepal can have the best education possible. For our Health Programme, we will run mobile clinics in rural areas of Nepal, where people have no access to regular healthcare; we will also distribute medicine and equipment to struggling hospitals and clinics. Our construction programme will involve reconstructing and rehabilitating people’s houses and community centres. All those programmes will complemented by our volunteer programme, which gets local youths involved in reconstructing their own areas. They can spread the message of our programmes as well as promote the good work done by AKF.

In Malaysia 400 Rohingya families received food items for one month in Ramadhan. This was done in collaboration with Humaniti Malaysia. Also, in partnership with Kindness Malaysia three cows were slaughtered to give fresh meat to 400 Rohingya families and 160 Rohingya children in Selangor.

In the future, AKF is planning to distribute supplies to refugees once a month in Malaysia in collaboration with the Food Aid Foundation. We are also hoping to supply education for up to 80 Rohingya children as well, along with skills training in sewing, cooking and repairing electronic & electrical equipment.

Also, early next year, with the sponsorship of the Uthman Affan Trust a month’s supply of food will be distributed to 200-300 Rohingya families.

In Indonesia the meat from five cows was given to 400 Rohingya individuals in a refugee camp in Sumatra. In the future we hope to teach various farming, fisheries and sewing skills in collaboration with Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT).

In Myanmar itself, the meat from ten cows was distributed for Qurbani to Rohingya in camps in Rakhine State in collaboration with the Malaysian Relief Agency Foundation and the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organization (MAPIM). This helped 575 households, with approximately 1,430 people benefitting from fresh meat.

Finally, in the Philippines AKF hope to help minority Muslims & vulnerable communities with livelihood training and education in partnership with Gawad Kalinga (GK).

As you can see, AKF is getting closely involved in partnerships and collaborations with local organisations on the ground in parts of the world needing our help. This is allowing us to learn from local experts to grow our expertise not only in rapid response but also in long-term solutions for disadvantaged people.

AKF IN THE FAR EAST:

BANGLADESH

INDIA

NEPAL

017

Programmes Update

I n Eastleigh a borehole was drilled in 2014, and is fully functioning. Even so, land issues have brought many challenges in providing water access to the community.

The land owner does not allow the community to access this water. Discussions are ongoing to gather legal advice on the way forward.

A borehole drilled at the Sir Ali Muslim Club, Nairobi provides water access to the community in the Park Road area.

Kitengela, Kenya.

A borehole drilled in Kitengela this year is currently missing the water storage tank in order for this to be functioning. Quotes are being collected, and the tower will be delivered as soon as arrangements are finalized.

Shallow Wells - Western Kenya

Although Western Kenya generally does not suffer from drought, water access remains the main challenge. This is due to lack of adequate infrastructure to provide access to the local population. The people therefore rely on rivers and streams, having to walk long distances to fetch the water, constraining them to small amounts. Water borne diseases are consequently one of the most critical issues the population faces, where diarrhoea, typhoid, and skin rashes are among the most commonly suffered. The wells have therefore improved the way of life of the people in the area, allowing them to use the water not only for drinking and cooking, but also for washing, gardening and animal rearing. This positively impacts the people’s health, with a great impact on their productivity in terms of employment and education.

I n Nanyeni a group of 15 people, Muslims and Christian together, women and men, have joined to start a firewood project and supplement their daily income. This

involved the construction of a shed to store the firewood which is purchased from local farmers, dried and then stored, before being sold again to the local community. The trees are planted by local farmers for the specific purpose to serve as a source of firewood. Therefore, the impact on the environment is kept under control and constantly monitored.In Ejijnja, a second group of 15 people, mainly women, gathered together to construct of a cow shed and cement feeding units. They will also purchase three dairy cows. The milk will then be sold locally and will support the groups’ daily income.

BOREHOLES IN NAIROBI AND SURROUNDING

AREAS:

LIVELIHOODS

PAST, CURRENT AND FUTURE PROJECTS, KENYA

18

Programmes Update

A l-Khai r Foundation Kenya (AKFK) has renovated the clinic structure next to Ayany Mosque, Kibera. It will be fully operational in the New Year and will provide for

the following services: Ante-natal care, delivery/AMTSL, postpartum care for mothers and infants and referrals. AKFK has partnered with UNHCR as their operational partners to improve the lives of the refugees residing in Kambioos refugee camp, Dadaab, North-Eastern Kenya. The population in the camp is 19,664 with 28% of the total women’s population of reproductive age.The project in Kambioos aims at decreasing maternal and newborn deaths in the camp. With this scope, a maternity wing, originally built by UNHCR in 2012, has been renovated and equipped to provide for quality 24 hours maternity healthcare services. Before the renovation of this facility, the community depended on Hagadera’s maternal healthcare wing for basic services, approximately a 6 km distance away, increasing risks related to maternal and newborn deaths. Among the services that AKFK’s facility offers are: Ante-natal care, delivery/AMTSL, postpartum care for mothers and infants and referrals.

O n the 26th of October, I travelled to Somaliland in order to monitor the situation on the ground. The aim of the trip was to address the following issues:

1. Capacity Building of the team: this included staff training, setting up a filing system, ensuring that policies are put in place, developing goals and objectives for the team etc.2. Sorting out the finance issues: reconciling the funds, opening a bank account etc.3. Overseeing the Rig activities: land issues, understanding the storage, recruiting the rig team, rig part etc.4. Security: ensuring all security measures are put in place5. Any other business: i.e. project cycles, plans etc.6. Networking: finding partners, government level7. Registration: registering the charity officially as INGO8. Reclaiming and registering: regarding AKF’s assets

The situation in Somaliland is currently under a full scale operation and so Waseem Siddiqui visited on my last week to provide assistance and guidance. I have now mobilised the community, and we are in the process of organising the country office. We have partnered up with Aqua Gardens of Africa (AGA) who are a social enterprise tackling the issue of food security. The journey was extremely beneficial as I was able to understand the situation on the ground and how we can move forward.

Meanwhile, in Busombi, a third group of 15 people came together to start a cereal and vegetable kiosk. A shed was constructed to store the cereals and the vegetables. These will be sold on a rotation basis, depending on the season.

HEALTH

SOMALILAND TRIP

HALIMA SAYED

19

F ollow ing the latest impact assessments carried out in early December 2015, the need for increased water supply during the dry season was identified. This

is because the wells either dry out completely or partially during the months from February to April. Western Kenya receives high rainfall during the rest of the year. This rain would therefore be collected to supplement in water access during the dry season.

Pate Island, Lamu County: increase water access and improve hygiene and sanitation practices

a) Repairing of djabias, traditional rain water harvesting tanks. There are many across the island, though most of these are damaged. AKFK would like to support the local government in the repair of the publicly owned djabias to increase water access across the island;b) Activities and campaigns to raise awareness on WASH best practices. We would like to work with households and schools and where appropriate use a faith based approach;c) Increase access to Menstrual Hygiene (MH) best practices and implement awareness activities to improve young girls’ and women’s health; d) Waste management. Look at project ideas to improve waste management across the island and raise awareness on hygiene and sanitation issues;e) Increase and improve toilet access. Among the ideas, we would like to bring bio-fuel units to households across the island. This would be linked to a WASH awareness campaign.

Pate Island, Lamu County

A KF Kenya would like to introduce Islamic Farming across the island to increase food security and increase families’ income. As the island’s population is mostly

Muslim, we would like to introduce farming using a faith based approach, in light of its proven success in Garissa County. Women on Pate Island stitch handmade kofias. It takes the women between 3-5 months to finish one hat and these will then sell for approximately £52- £196.00. AKF Kenya would like to support the women in this income generating activity, in terms of training, management, and further investment to help their business grow further. AKF Kenya would also like to supply the local fishermen with coolers for their fishing trips and with solar powered freezers to store the fish once they reach Kiwayu on their return. This will increase food security and improve the beneficiaries’ livelihoods.

A KF Kenya would like to support the local government by supplying fully equipped boat ambulances for the referral system to onshore hospitals. These would then

be handed over the County Government in charge of maintenance and staffing costs. Furthermore, discussions have been held with Kenya Red Cross (KRC) to partner on this project. KRC would cater for the staff ’s training.The County Government would like to invest in Faza Health Centre, making it the second largest referral hospital of Lamu County. AKF Kenya would therefore like to support the County Government, fitting into its strategy, by refurbishing and reconstructing the theatre at Faza Health Centre on Pate IslandAKFK would also like to partner with the local County Government on a sponsorship scheme for specialized health personnel. The recipient would need to work in Lamu County for a fixed period of time before being able to shift to another location. The aim is to increase the supply of specialized medical personnel in Lamu County, where being a Lamu resident should act as a pull factor for the medical staff to stay and work in the county.

WASH

LIVELIHOODS

HEALTH

FUTURE PROJECTS

Programmes Update

020

M ohammed Tarik; Kenya Country Director, Vittoria Azzarello; Programmes Representative for East Africa and Shahida Suleiman; Programmes Manager recently

visited Kenya for a site inspection.

They first visited the Lamu Hospital, accompanied by four health officers, where several interviews were conducted to better understand the main health issues plaguing the area. A meeting with the Kenya Red Cross (KRC) took place on the same day to look further into future paths of collaboration. The team then visited a number of villages where local people were interviewed to better understand livelihood, maternal healthcare, and menstrual hygiene needs. Several local experts were consulted to draft a plan for a potential future AKF project for the construction of housing units and upgrade of the village’s structure. On the last day, the team had a meeting with the Lamu Governor, where a MoU was signed to open the path for a long-lasting collaboration.

The team visited the villages of Ejenji, Nanyeni, and Busobi where AKF has constructed three shallow wells. A need assessment was also performed along with an impact evaluation. The overall aim of the team in the area was to increase livelihood opportunities for the targeted groups. After visiting several farm sites to procure the milk cows needed for a livelihood project in the area, the team visited Busia, where AKF has built a shallow well, to successfully perform a needs assessment.

VISIT REPORT LAMU AND

KISUMU, KENYA

Programmes Update

021

Programmes Update

I n the event of an emergency we’re quick to dispatch our relief teams. Once on the ground, we work to deliver the essentials (clean water, food, shelter and medication) to

survivors and affected people.AKF is in Pakistan working with the communities who returned home to rebuild their lives after the floodwaters subsided. We’ve been providing food, shelter and clean water, as well as tackling sanitation and related public health problems.

Rapid Response Rescue BoatsIn the event of floods, it becomes near impossible to reach survivors that have been marooned. AKF has a number of rapid response rescue boats, which help us save many lives during the Pakistan floods, and which continue to come in handy in disasters.

Winter PacksExposure can kill. For Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees and homeless people, the onset of winter means that it is even tougher to survive. The contents of our winter packs vary depending on the region, but they generally include: gloves, socks, sweaters/jackets, shawls, instant soup, cereals and blankets.

Reconstruction of MasajidAfter floods of 2010, AKF has constructed many “Masajid” in flood affected areas of Pakistan, including Jamia Masjid, medium Masjid and small Masjid

Housing projectsSince 2010, AKF has constructed many model villages for the flood affected communities. We have constructed villages in Pakistan. These are the Ehsanpur Model Village in Kot Addu, Muzaffargarh, Basti GadiWala in D.G. Khan, and Basti Shahwal, Basti Poliwala and Basti Jalal also in Muzaffargarh. AKF also constructed individual houses for many families, who were affected by the floods.

Al-Khair Foundation established its Pakistan office in 2010 and since then, AKF Pakistan has been working to provide humanitarian support, human development, emergency aid and disaster relief in the most deprived areas.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

PROGRAMME

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:

PROGRAMMES/PROJECTS - PAKISTAN

022

Programmes Update

Water Filtration PlantsAKF has installed many filtration plants in areas where water is contaminated and not safe for drinking. AKF team survey the area to check water condition and samples are sent to a recognised laboratory for testing. On the basis of these water reports, Al-Khair Foundation decides where to install water filtration plants. It will help reduce child mortality and reduce the risk of many waterborne diseases. Our plants are installed in following areas; Kot Addu, Muzaffargarh, Multan, Rajanpur, Rahimyar Khan, D.G. Khan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Khushab.

Hand pumpsAKF is aligning its goal with UN millennium goals and we have installed many hand pumps. The idea is to install hand pumps to provide clean water for drinking and household chores.We have installed hand pumps in the following areas; Ali Pur, Bahawalpur, D.G. Khan, Fazalpur, Jalalpur, Jampur, Jatoi, Jhang, Kabirwala, Khanewal, Kot Addu Layyah, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Mainwali, Multan, Rahimyar Khan, Rajan pur, Rawalpindi, Sadiqabad, Shaikupura, Shuja’abad, Toba Tek Singh, Khushab and Bakhar.

Indus pumpsAKF has installed many Indus pumps across Pakistan, designed for heavy-duty use, serving communities of up to 300 people..Water WellsAKF is working on large scale in Sindh to construct more than 2000 water wells by the end of 2016. By constructing water wells we will provide clean water for the communities of Tharparker and its surrounding areas.

Water BottlesAKF distributes water bottles in emergency cases to provide immediate relief to the community. So far we have distributed in Punjab and Sindh.

Mobile Filtration PlantAKF owns a mobile water filtration plant. It serves in emergencies such as floods or provides clean drinking water to those villages where water is contaminated due to floods or other environmental factors.

A KF works to ra ise literacy among children and adults in disadvantaged communities in Pakistan and worldwide. We are currently building schools and provide vocational

training. We have built primary and secondary schools which provide free education in Pakistan’s Punjab and KPK provinces at Deenpur, Kot Addu, at Ehsanpur village (AKF model village) and in Muzaffargarh and RajanpurAKF is providing free education as per the standards of the Government of Punjab (Education Department). More than 1000 pupils are now getting free education provided by AKF.

EDUCATION

WASH:

023

Programmes Update

Medical Centres and Clinics

A l-Khai r Foundation’s medicine dispensaries are like pharmacies; they have pharmacists and medical staff on hand to provide basic treatment and advice. They dispense

medication for free, or at extremely subsidised prices depending on a patient’s means. AKF has four medical dispensaries which are providing free medical treatment to the communities of Kot Addu and Muzaffargarh. We are not only providing free medical treatment but also free medication and maternal health services as well as ambulance services. Also the AKF maternity programme is supporting many maternal wards of maternity hospitals and supporting one of the well-known hospitals in Lahore the Hijaz Trust Hospital.

Medical Financial AssistanceAKF is providing medical financial assistances, especially to widows and orphans and also to individual patients who are in need, such as cancer patients and bone marrow patients etc. We help them by paying their medical expenses directly to patients or to hospitals.

LivelihoodWhen given support, training and opportunity, most people can work their own way out of poverty. Our livelihood programmes provide people with the training and means to earn a decent living. We don’t just give people the means to work; we also give them the opportunity to do so by creating employment.

Handicraft CentresAKF handicraft centres are part of a project aimed to create livelihoods for widows and female breadwinners. To date we’ve built three centres across Pakistan, where many of our beneficiaries are displaced women. The women we work with receive training and are then employed at our handicraft centres, where they are able to earn a decent wage.They are trained in knitting, stitching, sewing and clothing design. Each training centre has capacity of 200 students per year. Upon completion of the course, AKF provides students with a certificate and the gift of a sewing machine.Recently, AKF has distributed 100 more sewing machines to Batch No. 5 Trainees of the Al Khair Handicraft Training Centre at Dharama Dera, Ghazi Khan.

Musallah (Prayer Mat) FactoryAKF has built prayer mat factories in areas with high unemployment and where the local communities face economic deprivation. This has allowed us to create work opportunities for the breadwinners of aid dependent families. Our factories comprise of an all-male workforce who earn a fair wage under good work conditions. AKF is running two musallah factories in Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur. AKF also provides material to the labour force to manufacture ordinary carpets (Saaf ) for Masajid built by AKF.

HEALTH:

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:

024

StaffSpotl ight

Where did you grow up? Did you move around a lot?I have lived all my life in Leicester, having graduated in Business Information Technology at my local university. I started my first job in sales ranging from selling mobile phones to electrical devices. I have worked for many large blue chip company ranging from Three, one of the largest UK mobile networks to Microsoft, one of the largest software company in the world. I was a vital part of the pioneering Windows launch in the UK. Predominately my role was to educate consumers and retailers on the full adaptability of the Windows platform and the related software.

I am a talented sales professional, motivating others and achieving tough targets and goals. I am a forward thinker that has extensive leadership experience, with the ability to mentor and coach a team effectivity, leading by examples at all times. My strong self-motivation and drive allow me to find a novel solution and create smart marketing and sales methods. I am hardworking, confident and an influential communicator as well as a team player.

Where did you go for your last holiday?My last holiday was in Turkey with friends. However, my last holiday really was with members of my family which took me to the city of Mecca and Medina. This was more than just a holiday with members of my family, this was an experience of a life-time, and I would advise those of you who haven’t gone to go.

What are your hobbies and interests?My hobbies range from playing pool to badminton in my spare time. I also have an interest in the latest technological trends such as the latest mobile phone handsets.

What’s your favourite food?I have a range of favourite food including Indian and Chinese food

What’s your favourite book?My favourite book without question had to be the Holy Quran. It had the answer to every question that may arise in this world or in regards to the hereafter. It is a completed book send down as a guide to mankind from almighty himself.

Do you have a role-model and if so, who is it?My role model had to be our Prophet Muhammed (saw). My living role model has to be both my parents. I can speak to them to get advice any time I like.

How did you get involved in Al-Khair Foundation? I attended my cousin’s wedding and I got to speak to members of the Al-Khair team. The positive feedback and the working methods and principles fitted in with my way of working, so I took the opportunity without delay for the position.

What is your current job?My current job as a Fundraising Manager is to be responsible for all fundraising and community engagement activities in line with AKF’s Strategic Plan for the region: to be responsible for coordinating fundraising campaigns and engagement; to ensure the use of volunteers in order to support AKF’s fundraising activities; to establish and maintain contacts with donors, volunteers, local community leaders, statutory, private and voluntary organisations for the benefit of the local community; to address local and international poverty agendas and to organise and co-ordinate fundraising activity and promotional events for AKF.

What do you enjoy most about working for Al Khair Foundation?I enjoy working for Al-Khair Foundation in raising money for people in need. So far I have enjoyed working in a team to organise local events for the people of Leicester and managing a team of staff and volunteers. From the day I started, I have worked to build many partnership and friendship with local donors and help to support the local office in Leicester. I enjoy meeting the public and to build future partnership with the local community.

IMRAN MUSSAFUNDRAISING MANAGER

025

HRUpdate

NEW STAFF This month, please join us in welcoming the following staff to the Al-Khair Foundation family and give them as much support as possible as they settle in.

*Razak Amrin - Call Centre*Amir Arshad - Call Centre*Imran Hussain - Fundraising Manager, Manchester*Muhammed Ahmed - Call Centre*Nicole Hirst - Fundraising*Tayyaba Hussain - Fundraising

We would also like to inform you that the following staff and no longer with AKF/IQRA:

* Imran Ahmed (IQRA TV)* Saida Soge (Fundraising Officer)* Imran Khan (IQRA TV)* Monirul Islam (Executive Director IQRA TV)

AKF Croydon109-119 Cherry Orchard RoadCroydon, CR0 6BET: +44 207 084 7199

AKF Bolton 1 305 Derby StreetBolton, BL3 6LHT: +44 120 438 2917

AKF Bolton 2132/134 Blackburn RoadBolton, BL18DWT: +44 01204 399431

AKF Leicester15 Evington Valley RoadLeicester, LE5 5LLT: +44 116 273 3787

AKF Blackburn1 Blackburn StreetBlackburn, BB1 7NGT: +44 012 5467 2527

AKF Glasgow441 Victoria Road,Glasgow, G42 8RWT: +44 141 423 5747

4 London Road,

T: +44 114 275 6590

AKF OFFICES

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