Orphans and Children

How to Help Children in Need

There are roughly 153 million orphans worldwide. And every day, nearly 6,000 more children become orphans. To add, one in five children lives in a conflict or war zone, and studies show that these children are at high risk of experiencing violence, psychological stress, hunger, loss of education, and/or lack of access to basic resources. Over 12 million refugee boys and girls have not only lost their homes, but are no longer able to make a future for themselves.

“The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: ‘I and the one who looks after an orphan will be like this in Paradise,’ showing his middle and index fingers and separating them.” (Bukhari)

Islamic Relief is working to improve the lives of orphaned children by protecting them from illness; providing them with educational opportunities; and giving them access to proper nutrition, water, and sanitation services. Donors can show these boys and girls the power of love through supporting our programs in three ways:

1. Annual Orphan Sponsorship
2. Donating to the Global Orphan and Children fund
3. Orphan Family Support

*Donations to the Global Orphan & Children fund are preferred over Annual Orphan Sponsorships because it allows more flexibility for its utilization.

Stories From the Ground

Hana’s Story

Hana Rayyan is a 42-year-old Palestinian mother of five children who lost her husband in 2014 due to a heart attack. 

“He used to work as a driver; we used to subsist on his daily wage. When he died, we had nothing to our name. On the day he died, our house was empty; we had no food.”

After losing her husband, Hana became the sole provider for her family. It took a toll on her health, as she developed diabetes mellitus. 

Hana opens up about a day in her life. “I start my day taking my diabetes medicine and preparing tea and milk for breakfast. After that, I follow up with my children on their remote education. I always make sure that we eat as many meals as we can together, including lunch and dinner. Before sleeping, we always sit together and talk,” she says.

Hana, her five children, and her father in law share a home that is about 800 square feet. There are two bedrooms; one room is for the girls, one room is for Hana and her two sons, and her father-in-law sleeps in the living room. The house includes a kitchen and a bathroom. Its roof is made of deteriorated corrugated sheets, making the house cold in winter and warm in summer. “This winter was not easy due to water leakages,” Hana explains.

All of Hana’s children attend school; she’s very proud of their academic achievements. Two of Hana’s children qualified to receive support through Islamic Relief. Hana says, “Our main source of income is from Islamic Relief which I use mainly to ensure that my children receive education. Ironically, COVID-19 movement restrictions were helpful in the sense that transportation cost has significantly decreased. However, the internet has to be ensured for remote education.”

The money Hana receives is used to cover the cost of education, food, and healthcare. Hana says, “IRUSA’s Intervention to Support Vulnerable Children project is the reason that my children are receiving an education now.” She adds, “This project helped us a lot; first, it supports us with a cash sponsorship which has significantly changed our lives, it has also allowed us to have water and hot water in our home, and the children are provided with winter clothes which allows me to purchase winter items for the unsponsored children.” She adds, “Sponsoring two of my children is indirectly helping the unsponsored ones as I am able to allocate the limited resources I have towards the education of the other three. If I had to support all five on my own, I’m not sure I would have been able to send all of them to school.” 

In addition to the support for the children, the project allowed Hana to receive livelihood training by teaching her how to sew and providing her with a sewing machine. The project has given Hana hope for her children but also for herself as she remains resilient and looks forward to what each day brings.