“Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ve fed him for a lifetime.” – Confucius.

At Al-Khair Foundation, we work tirelessly to help people in need around the world. Whether its emergency aid for disaster relief, or humanitarian aid and support for the vulnerable, we strive to make a difference to those who are in the direst of circumstances. Outside of our support to the most pressing and recent disasters and crises, we support and aid communities living in poverty or suffering the consequences of it. The main consequences of global poverty include water scarcity, health issues, lack of shelter and education.

In the wake of AKF’s important work on the ground, the benefits of investing in our livelihood programme can often be forgotten. This is unfortunate, considering that this programme is vital in helping communities to work their way out of poverty, and ultimately creating a more sustainable world for the current and future generations. The livelihood programme is a great form of Sadaqah Jaariyah (ongoing charity) as it facilitates a long term and sustainable source of income to many vulnerable communities around the world. In sha Allah, donations to this programme will help individuals to earn fair wages and invest in better education, health, and accommodation for themselves and their families.

But how does Al-Khair Foundation’s livelihood programme really achieve this? By running and supporting several ventures and programmes, AKF can provide the much needed support, training and opportunities to communities that are poverty-stricken and vulnerable.

Al-Khair Foundation has built and set up prayer mat factories, handicraft centres, and several business projects to empower women, the disabled, and the unemployed. Here are a few snapshots into how these projects continually benefit people.

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AKF’s sewing machine project

Aiding:  female breadwinners with children or dependents to care for.

Opportunities: provided with sewing machines in their homes, all necessary sewing and embroidery training they need to find work as seamstresses and tailors, a viable source of income, opportunity to feel empowered in providing products to the community.

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AKF’s handicraft centres

Aiding: widows, female breadwinners, and displaced women

Opportunities: training in handicraft work, employment at the centre allowing them to earn a fair wage in good working conditions, working alongside other women in the community which can provide social support and reassurance, opportunity to feel empowered in providing products to the community.

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AKF’s prayer mat factories

Aiding: male breadwinners of aid dependant families, who are living in areas of high unemployment and economic deprivation.

Opportunities: earn a fair wage in good working conditions, use their pay to support their families welfare, training to produce prayer mats that when sold and used by others, will provide them with an ongoing reward, opportunity to feel empowered in providing products to the community.

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AKF’s tricycle project

Aiding:  disabled people living in conditions of poverty (male and female)

Opportunities: provided with equipment that fosters independence despite their disability, ability to earn a living by setting up a small-trade business off the back of tricycles, opportunity to feel empowered in providing products to the community.

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AKF’s Sustainability project

Aiding:  For disadvantaged adults (male and female).

Opportunities: informal education and vocational training to boost their skills and employability, opportunity to become independent of aid by acquiring skills in AKF’s handicraft centres and musalla factories, opportunity to feel empowered in providing products to the community.

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AKF’s market project

Aiding:  AKF’s beneficiaries- Families or adults in conditions of poverty (male and female).

Opportunities: provision of start up small shops and capital to start their own businesses, empowerment to take control of their livelihood, opportunity to feel empowered in providing products to the community.

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As you can see, our livelihood programme provides people with the means to work, but it can also give those who are empowered to start their own business a means to also create more employment opportunities for others. In the long term, this facilitates vulnerable people in providing for themselves, their families and their local communities.

In sha Allah with your help, AKF can ensure that more people have the opportunities to work themselves out of poverty and no longer have to depend on aid alone. This leads to a beautiful cycle of sustainability, and also helps us to manage our resources efficiently managed, so aid can be provided to those who are in most need of it.

“The charity of those who expend their wealth in the way of Allah may be likened to a grain of corn, which produces seven ears and each ear yields a hundred grains. Likewise Allah develops manifold the charity of anyone He pleases, for He is All-Embracing, All-Wise.???

 – Surah Baqarah, verse 261, The Holy Quran