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On World Poverty Day, Let’s Do All We Can to Mitigate Suffering
At Islamic Relief USA, every waking hour is devoted to reducing poverty. That’s why it was unusual when I learned there was a particular day dedicated to this cause. According to the United Nations, October 17 is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (also known as World Poverty Day). The UN first declared this day back in 1992. While much progress has been made in the standard of living for many people in many nations around the world, poverty, if not extreme poverty, unfortunately remain common. In the United States alone, there are some 38 million people living in impoverished conditions. To combat this, Islamic Relief USA conducts many…
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‘Back to School’ For Tunisia Students
Some students in Tunisia were hesitant to attend school due to the sub-par bathroom facilities. Now, they’re excited to attend after a special, important makeover thanks to a $5 million commitment by Islamic Relief USA. Obstacles to Education In Tunisia an education can put a child in the driver’s seat of their own life. Finding a student in the region who doesn’t understand and believe this to be true will be nearly impossible. But while students in Tunisia are eager to attend school for the upcoming year, they often face a challenging dilemma–one that makes the reality of attending school difficult, and sometimes, nearly impossible: adequate bathrooms. In one town…
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Visitors from IR Kenya Highlight Transformative Impact of US Support
Islamic Relief partner offices visit Capitol Hill Donations from Islamic Relief USA supporters, as well as US government funding, play a vital role in programs that are overcoming interfaith conflict and lifting people out of poverty in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous places. That was the message of representatives from Islamic Relief Kenya and Islamic Relief Worldwide as they visited the United States in mid-July 2019 to meet representatives of USAID, the Kenyan embassy, and various officials on Capitol Hill. The visiting delegation included Naser Haghamed, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, Obaid Rahman, Country Director of Islamic Relief Kenya, and Gloria Kivuva, Communications Officer for Islamic Relief…
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For Myanmar Refugees in Bangladesh, Dignity Matters
The following first-hand account is written by an Islamic Relief USA staff member who visited IRUSA relief projects for refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh. During a visit to Kutapalong camp in Cox Bazar, Bangladesh, I sat in a shelter made of straw and bamboo that housed multiple families. Everyone there had fled violence and conflict in Myanmar a year earlier, leaving behind their homes, possessions, and family members. Everyone had lost a spouse, a child, parents, or siblings. The trauma and pain each refugee now lives with is unthinkable: acts of genocide took place before their own eyes, destroying everything they held dear. Everyday, they are reminded of this devastating…
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Sudanese-Muslim Councilman Lends Support to Islamic Relief USA
Councilman Mohamed Seifeldein visited the Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) headquarters on Tuesday, April 30, thanking the organization for the work it does in saving “countless lives,” as well as requesting its assistance in making the city of Alexandria, where IRUSA is headquartered, even better. Seifeldein, who was elected last November, is the first Muslim to serve on the local governing body. He is a refugee from Sudan, an African nation that recently experienced major political shockwaves when its longtime president, Omar al-Bashir, was removed from power. The councilman, who is a lawyer, said he decided to run for local government after noticing it lacked sufficient representation from the city’s west…
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Survival Is Important, but so Is Livelihood
25th Anniversary Development Spotlight: Europe Islamic Relief offices around the world undertake many noble projects around the world. But one area that doesn’t get enough attention is the Balkan region. A curious fact, considering that IRUSA was founded to respond to the suffering in the Bosnian war in 1993. Ismail Saif, manager of International Programs for Islamic Relief USA, recently visited three nations in the Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo. All of them have Islamic Relief field offices that launched various livelihood projects. Many of them have yielded positive results and in some cases, exceeded initial projections. But, the unfortunate reality is, many of them have been halted or…
