Losing a parent can impact a child’s development and put them at greater risk of neglect and exploitation. Orphaned children are also more likely to fall into poverty and remain there, while their caregivers, often extended family, can struggle financially and mentally.
Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Programme is one of our longest-running programmes and supports children who have lost one or both parents with regular cash transfers. For some families, this income enables children to continue their education, while for others it can help a child access vital healthcare.
Islamic Relief knows that the families we support through orphan sponsorship often require assistance in other areas of their lives. Our integrated programming aims to address this by supporting caregivers to earn a sustainable income, and ensuring these families are included in our seasonal Ramadan and qurbani distributions.
Istahil’s family live in Hargeisa, Somaliland. They are just one of many families whose living conditions have improved through orphan sponsorship support paired with other Islamic Relief interventions.
Istahil was only two years old when her father passed away from a long illness, leaving her mother to care for their eight children alone.
Determined to support her family, Amina, Istahil’s mother, tried several ways of earning a living, but always struggled to make ends meet.
When Istahil was six, she became enrolled in Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Programme and her family received regular payments that they used to pay for school materials and transport to and from school.
Now known to Islamic Relief, Amina became involved in a project providing technical and vocational training to the guardians of orphaned children. Following this, she opened a small tailoring business that enabled her to provide for her children. The family also received food parcels through our Ramadan and qurbani food distributions.
Around 5,000 families in Somalia are currently receiving support from the Orphan Sponsorship Programme.
A series of disasters
Things were looking up for the family until Covid-19 hit Amina’s business hard, eventually leaving her bankrupt. Her eldest son, Ahmed, became the family’s breadwinner at this time and went to work at Hargeisa’s biggest market. Sadly, disaster struck in April 2022, when a fire engulfed the market, destroying goods worth $1 million (approx. £780,000), and leaving Istahil’s family in dire straits with Ahmed unable to work. The fire prompted a rise in the prices of basic items, making life even more challenging for families whose livelihoods had been destroyed in a matter of hours.
Islamic Relief launched a project to support 75 families of orphaned children affected by the fire to relaunch their businesses. We provided $2,500 (approx. £1,960) to each family as well as training on business management skills. A village savings and loan association was also established for businessowners, while fire extinguishers and fire safety training were provided alongside sessions on health, stress, and counselling sessions. With this support, Ahmed opened a small shop selling clothes. The business helps him to support the family.
“We are incredibly thankful to Islamic Relief, as their assistance during the fire incident was truly remarkable,” Amina says. “Our living conditions are the best they’ve been since my husband passed away 13 years ago.”
Dreams for the future
Now 18, Istahil is studying computer science at university.
“Islamic Relief’s unwavering support transformed our family’s life from terrifying to hopeful. Despite financial struggles, my mother’s determination to provide us with an education was reignited when we were introduced to the Orphan Sponsorship Programme. My family faced many challenges, but thanks to Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Programme, I was able to pursue my learning up to higher education.
“Since this programme came into my life and I gained the chance to learn and attend school, my hopes and aims for the future have completely transformed.
I hope to become an IT expert and participate in the amazing transformations that technology is bringing to our lives.
“The programme hasn’t only opened up educational opportunities, it also instilled me with confidence and helped me to become a strong person in the outside world. Knowing I had this support helped me to become resilient where once I felt down about our situation.
“Thanks to Islamic Relief, I was able to become a beacon of hope for my siblings and pave the way for a brighter future, my brother was also able to feed us because of the financial support Islamic Relief gave us.
“Your contributions shaped our world and positively affected our lives, thank you for your assistance over the years. Our gratitude to Islamic Relief has no limits.”