The Lady Fâtemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust
September Lodge, Village Way , Little Chalfont, uckinghamshire , HP7 9PU
Bismillahi rahmaani raheem
Dear LFT readers, Assalamun Alaykum and welcome to this month’s newsletter. As always we thank you for your continued commitment and support, without which our work would not be possible. May all your kindness be rewarded.
(The reward of goodness is nothing but goodness)
(Surah Rahman Ch 55: 60)
Charity Gala Dinner: Inshallah this year we will be holding our annual charity gala dinner on the 17th May, at The London Heathrow Marriott Hotel. The evening promises to be entertaining, inspiring and extremely rewarding. Tickets are priced at £50, and the full value of the ticket will go straight towards our current projects. Please book early to avoid disappointment.
Palestine:
• Humanitarian Relief in Gaza: The Lady Fatemah Trust continues its appeal to help the innocent victims of Gaza . We are currently providing much needed humanitarian assistance and then we will be helping these people to rebuild their lives, inshallah. Priority needs for the population include blankets, mattresses, plastic sheeting, kitchen kits, hygiene kits, water tanks, clothing and tents. In the list of emergency items required, one of the items listed was milk for the baby. The situation is truly desperate. Please help us to help the people of Gaza who have been devastated by the current attack. We would like to thank Ottawa Youth Club who organised a cake sale, and raised $605.33 for the Gaza appeal. Appeal
In our n our October newsletter, we reported that $5,000.00 had been transferred to assist 10 families in the microfinance egg laying and rabbit raising projects. In this income generation project, the families could eat the chicken's meat and eggs or the rabbit's meat, and at the same time sell chicken, rabbits and eggs and use the income in buying other necessary food items. However, sadly during the recent assault on Gaza , these animals were killed by the invading army.
Lebanon:
• Education: An appeal has been received from our partner organization in Lebanon to assist an 18year old girl, who is studying for her Lebanese Baccalaureate Part II. Her father recently suffered three heart attacks in a row and had to cut down his work, therefore reducing the family’s income. As a result, this young lady started to tutor other children to provide an income to support her studies, and to pay for her little brother’s schooling as well. However, she now needs further assistance as the pressure of studying and working has become too much. Read More
• Microfinance: Many Lebanese families continue to be affected following the war in 2006. This month, a fifteen year old girl who was forced to drop out of school at the age of nine due to the financial situation of the family, has been assisted with a grant to go to cosmetic school. Currently, with no skills certificate, her earnings as a beauty therapist remain low. However, with a degree, she can apply for vacancies for qualified beauticians or work from her home. In addition to enhancing her ability to help support her family now, her skill will enable her to gain an income of her own whenever necessary in the future. Read More
Another microfinance case assisted this month was providing a divorced lady with a grant to undertake an accounting course, and capital to purchase clothes and hijabs to sell from home. Her project has been so successful that she is now dealing directly with the wholesalers, purchasing her merchandise at a greatly reduced cost, and thus supporting her four children. She now plans to purchase a small van in order to decrease her transportation expenses, achieve greater mobility and thereby gain access to more markets. Read More
• Healthcare: One of the most heartening cases that LFT supported this month was a little boy of six years old with bilateral hip disarticulation, who was born without legs. He had numerous operations since his birth to remove the muscle mass at the base of his body, to allow prosthetic legs to be fitted. Under the Lebanese health system, his treatment is considered cosmetic and therefore not covered. His father spent all the family’s savings to pay for the operations but could not possibly afford the $11,000 now required for the prostheses. Thanks to your generosity we were able to assist this little boy, who is now eagerly waiting the day when he too can run around and play, like other children. Read More
Iraq:
• Karbala Eye Clinic: Since its establishment in 2006, the Karbala Eye Clinic has steadily progressed towards establishing itself as a major centre for treatment of ophthalmologic diseases in Iraq . As a result of all your support, the clinic is serving the needs of so many of our deserving brothers and sisters, young and old, not only treating disease, but also creating opportunities particularly for the children, which may not have existed previously. 33,608 patients have been treated from January 2006 to December 2008, including 111 laser procedures. Read More
• Orphan care: The Trust would like to invite you to assist the orphans in Iraq who are crying out for our help. We support 350 orphans in Karbala , 150 in Najaf, 105 in Baghdad , 300 in Al Kurt and 160 in Basra . The Trust has transferred US$ 40,825.00 towards the orphans in Karbala , Al Kurt and Baghdad , and IRQ Dinar 4,695,000.00 to Najaf. Please view our current Appeal
Iran:
• Orphan care: In the joint IRAC-LFT orphan sponsorship program, great emphasis is placed on school attendance and IRAC’s staff members try their best to ensure all benefiting orphans attend school and study diligently. The sponsorship program has two branches, one for orphans under fifteen years of age (“Orphan Program”) and one for orphans who are more than fifteen years old (“Support Program”). In the Orphan Program, school attendance and performance is monitored. In the Support Program however, the supported children and young adults are required to either attend school or university or learn a marketable skill. A total of 209 Afghan and Iraqi orphans are being sponsored in Iran . £13,940.00 has been transferred towards this project during February 2009. Read More
• Medical Referral Program: LFT’s and IRAC’s joint medical referral program has entered its fourth year and during this time, a total of 3,788 patients – almost 100 patients per month - have been assisted. The financial situation for both Afghan and Iraqi refugees in Iran is steadily deteriorating. When day to day survival is at stake, medical treatment is frequently postponed, even if the cost is relatively low. Patients suffer because their conditions become more severe due to neglect. Children and elderly patients are particularly vulnerable, and this month a child with Down’s syndrome was assisted, as well as a two year old boy born with a rare congenital eye disease was treated. Read More
• Guidance Centres: While the possibility to receive treatment in Iran is a relief for the patients traveling from nearby Iraq , many obstacles await them. Most patients do not speak Farsi and end up in expensive private facilities. In addition to treatment cost, they need to pay for a translator as well. IRAC’s guidance centre staffs are fluent in both Iraqi colloquial Arabic and Farsi and applying patients are guided to public or charitable treatment facilities that offer good-quality treatment at affordable rates. The staffs also accompany patients to hospitals to translate for them free of charge. 315 patients have been assisted thus far. Read More
• Food Assistance: Proper nutrition is essential for growing children and protein-rich food is especially important. However, when there is a long list of needs to be met from an extremely limited budget, the purchase of nutritious food items is sometimes deferred. In order to provide at least one nutritious meal to its orphaned families, IRAC began to distribute a chicken alongside the monthly orphan sponsorship. Apart from physical benefits, orphans and their families also look forward to having a delicious meal together. The importance of this small monthly joy cannot be overlooked. 4,658 kilos of chicken has been distributed to 2,727 families since this project started in June 2006. Read More
• Education: The city of Qum has a refugee population of about 56,000 persons or 10,000 families. Most of them work at low-paid, menial jobs that do not provide enough money for a decent life.Attacking poverty at its roots means providing the poor with the means to earn a living in dignity. One of the most efficient weapons to achieve this aim is to provide needy individuals with the skills and means to earn a living.
LFT and IRAC therefore intend to establish a skills training centre offering computer courses tailored to the needs of the publishing industry and tailoring courses. With the purchase of six computers, five courses lasting two months each can be conducted annually. In total, more than 170 persons annually will acquire marketable skills. Read More
The Trust transferred £500 this month to IRAC, which was earmarked for educational expenses for orphans. Over a period of ten months, fifteen students received varying amounts of assistance that would enable them to continue with their studies. Read More
• Microfinance: Job opportunities are extremely limited for refugees in Iran , even for those who are educated. This microfinance project involved the purchase of four pushcarts and nine dakkah stalls to orphaned families in Ahwaz . Pushcarts are mobile and can be used by young men to sell items of daily use to people who live far away from the stores. Dakkah stalls on the other hand are stationary, and even very conservative women can earn income selling merchandise from their doorstep. Read More
Afghanistan:
• Water: An appeal has been received to provide seven hand pumps in Baglah, Syedabad and Bariki, Nahoor , Afghanistan for 1,800 families. According to the water engineer’s reports, the hand pumps can last 20 years depending on usage and maintenance. We would expect the communities to maintain and pay for any spare parts in the future. The benefits of this project and the impact it would have on these poor families is astounding. The poor women and children would no longer have to walk for hours to get potable water, the number of children suffering from common water borne diseases would be reduced and the general hygiene of the families would improve. Water obtained from these hand water pumps could be used for crops in small family gardens and for livestock as well. Read More
The first two hand pumps at Qorea Nahoor and Daibah, Syedabad have been completed which is now serving 685 families: Read more
• Microfinance: LFT’s partner organization in Afghanistan , the APR, has identified twenty especially needy, large women-headed families this month who would benefit from the sheep income generating project. Despite grinding poverty, even single mothers do everything to keep their children in school and only resort to making them work when there is no other option. Afghanistan suffers from one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world. Dear LFT donors, please, donate generously to enable these mothers to provide their children with a brighter future. £52 will provide basic sustenance for one family member. Read More
Pakistan and Kashmir:
• Orphan care: The Trust continues to support 50 orphans in Pakistan through the Pravali Welfare Trust, and transferred 60,000PKR for their sponsorship from January to June this year. In addition, 130,000PKR was transferred to assist 10 families with microfinance projects.
• Microfinance: We have assisted a family of seven with an income generation scheme this month, whereby the jobless father was given the capital to start his business as a tin smith. He now makes steel boxes, and rents a shop at the market where they are sold. Read More
• Healthcare: 2,545 patients were given the gift of sight from June 2007 to December 2008 in Pakistan and Kashmir through our cataract program. An additional 71 procedures were undertaken in January at the Munawar Memorial Hospital . In association with our other partner organisation in Kashmir , 120 cataract surgeries were carried out in January. Please help us to continue this project; it only costs £15 for each procedure. Read More
• Water: The Trust received an appeal to build a well for Masjid Aal-e-Imran in Hasil, Chakwal. Previously this area has had a potable water supply, but due to political forces and financial difficulties the village has not had access to clean water for the past year. The Masjid’s water connection was through this scheme and has also been severed. Potable water has been found 250 feet below the surface, but the water 120-150 feet below the ground is very dirty. To make sure that the contaminated water does not mix with the pure water, a steel pipe will be put at the correct depth to shield the well. Read More
India, Pakistan and Afghanistan:
• Water:Water wells have been dug across India , Pakistan and Afghanistan in 51 sites, providing water to the general public 24hours a day. Read More
Tanzania and Kenya:
• Healthcare: LFT continues to assist amputee cases this month, bringing the total number to 81. Their stories of happiness are truly amazing, one young boy’s mother wrote “I am praying to the Lord to keep me alive until I see the person who helped my son walk again and live a better life”. Thank you for all your generosity.Read More
Last month we reported that 14 blind and deaf children were assisted with treatment in Nairobi through IZAAS. One of the children in fact had cancer in his ear, and after the tumour was removed a new eardrum was fitted. Other cases assisted this month include a patient with an ameloblastoma (benign tumour of the jaw), and a patient with gangrene who needed to have his leg amputated in Nairobi.The little girl who had open heart surgery in Bangalore has now recovered and is back home in Tanzania . Thank you dear donors for saving her life.
Newsletters:
• Our newsletters are now available to read in French and Arabic on the website.Newsletter
Ijaza:
• The Lady Fatemah Trust has been granted Ijaaza by Ayatollah al-Uzma Seyed Ali Seestani to collect Khums money. Please remember we operate on the basis of ZERO% administration costs, so every penny you give goes directly to those in need.
Comfort Aid and Islamic Humanitarian Service:
• The Trust has recently entered into an agreement with Comfort Aid in the US , info@comfortaid.org similar to IHS in Ottawa , mailto:ihs786@muslimyouth.ca which allows donors to donate to LFT through these organizations gaining tax benefits. Please contact them for further information. We would sincerely like to thank both Comfort Aid and Islamic Humanitarian Service.
Give As You Earn:
• This is the UK 's largest payroll giving scheme and is administered by CAF (Charities Aid Foundation). Any employee or pensioner paid under PAYE can donate to a charitable organization in the UK . The Trust has now been set up to receive GAYE donations, and our reference number is GYE 458449.
To make a regular donation by standing order, please download a mandate from the website or contact us and we will send one to you. You can make a donation by using our secure on-line payment facility at https://secure.webstar.co.uk/lft/hsbc/donate.php The site allows you to donate in three currencies; GBP, USD and EUROS.
Please remember that completing a Gift Aid form substantially boosts your donation by 28% if you are a UK taxpayer.
Thank you, as always for all your generosity and support, without which our work would not be possible.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Salima Khalfan
Trustee
info@ladyfatemahtrust.org
http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org/
Tel +44 (0) 1494 762 063, Email info@ladyfatemahtrust.org , Fax +44 (0) 1494 762 286,Mobile +44 (0) 7798 76 10 20, Fax +44 (0) 7798 76 90 30Website: http://www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
