Abdul Sahib Shakir Founder, Trustee and Chairman of Shakiry Charity for Social Solidarity Abdul Sahib Shakiry, who sadly passed away on 25 October 2025, was the Founder, Trustee and Chairman of Shakiry Charity for Social Solidarity. He also served as Chairman of Al-Shakiry Charity in Iraq.

Throughout his life, Mr Shakiry demonstrated an unwavering commitment to alleviating poverty and relieving the suffering of disadvantaged and vulnerable people in Iraq. He took a keen personal interest in the development, implementation and delivery of the Charity’s programmes, providing leadership and support to ensure that assistance reached those most in need.

In addition to his leadership and personal involvement, Mr Shakiry generously undertook to finance the Charity’s administrative costs, enabling its resources to be directed towards its charitable objectives. From the Charity’s establishment until his passing, Mr Shakiry and his family contributed nearly £1.5 million in personal donations to Shakiry Charity, representing an exceptional and longstanding commitment to its work and beneficiaries.

Mr Shakiry’s contribution to the Charity and to the lives of vulnerable people in Iraq constitutes a significant and enduring legacy. His dedication, generosity and commitment to humanitarian service will be remembered with profound respect and gratitude. The Charity remains committed to upholding the principles and values that guided his work and to continuing its mission in support of those most in need.

Shakiry Charity for Social Solidarity is a charitable non-profit organisation registered in the United Kingdom since 2006. It is registered with Charity Commission (Reg. No. 1115625) at Companies House, (Reg. No. 5354695) as well as being registered in Iraq (Reg. No. IZ70166).
Shakiry Charity for Social Solidarity is an "umbrella" organization which sponsors, finances and supervises the management and administration of a chain of "Citizens Advice and Care Centres" throughout Iraq. These Centres in turn strive to realise the aims and objectives of the Charity through various activities, programmes and projects.

What is the function of the Citizen Advice and Care Centres?
The Centres seek to provide services and, in addition, offer advice and information on all kinds of rights and duties under applicable laws, free of charge to all citizens in Iraq, irrespective of class, race, religion or ethnic group.  The Centres provide a haven of support to the homeless (particularly widows, divorcees, and orphans), the unemployed, disabled and those suffering with health and/or social problems. 

• Establish Centres of Information throughout Iraq which will provide guidance and advice to citizens in respect of their Citizen Rights and Duties, and to enable them to overcome the difficulties they face in explaining their needs effectively
• To ensure that the needs (as well as complaints) of the clients who visit the Centres are clearly heard, understood and accurately represented when presented before higher authorities (as and when required).
• To defend the Rights of the People and campaign for these Rights to be heard and adopted.
• To facilitate and assist in resolving legal and living problems.  Provide information and necessary guidance, and also to influence decision-makers to improve the level of services and social policies at both local and national level.

The Centres employ the services of skilled and trained Advisors/Councillors who guide the client, via discussion, to understand and look for possible solutions to their problems and further assist and encourage them to take the necessary action required to address/resolve problems.  This is achieved through the following:

• Face to face interviews, or similar means of communication to discover the nature of the client’s problem.
• Client’s personal information is collated and regularly updated on a central data base for future use and follow-up.
• Assist client in prioritising his/her problems so that the best and quickest solution can be reached in the shortest period of time.
• Referrals to specialists in complex cases.
• Assistance with correspondence and completion of application forms on behalf of the client.
• Liaison with relevant departments and the Department of Human Welfare and Rights.
• Assistance in contact and/or correspondence with various departments, companies, services or health providers and advice to client on follow up.

Each Citizen Advice and Care Centre seeks to provide a “care” element to the population within its environs.

1. Disabled Care Programme.
Through cooperation agreements established between the Advice Centres and certain doctors, hospitals and medical surgeries, medical examinations and tests are made freely available to these vulnerable citizens. Donated funds are used to cover the cost towards other specialized medical examinations and associated travel expenses.
Referrals are made to the Health Ministry medical committees for patients needing to undergo surgical operations inside or outside Iraq.
Advice and assistance to the disabled on travelling to specialised hospitals and health centres for treatment as well as sometimes accompanying them to appointments with the support of volunteers.
The Centres strive to facilitate and make available "medical support apparatus" such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, crutches, spectacles and artificial limbs.  This is achieved through creating awareness and publishing “Special Appeals” for donations or by obtaining these support mechanisms from government health centres and grant bodies.
Source and identify potential work opportunities commensurate with the Citizen’s abilities in order to promote employment and self sufficiency.
Assist in obtaining and distributing medicinal products and supplements either through donors or by reference to authorised government and non-government bodies.

Charity Fund to support and develop small business initiatives whereby the client is provided with an interest-free loan and encouraged to develop products which are sold in return for cash.  Such cash provides money to sustain the family requirements, repay the loan and increase income

Training programmes with a view to getting people into work incorporating:
Psychological Rehabilitation

• To heal and rebuild and to instil reassurance and self-confidence in their own ability and create self-reliance
• Belief in the importance of work and the possibility of success in overcoming the realities of poverty and unemployment
• Cognitive rehabilitation – how to achieve and implement small projects
• Ability to engage in feasibility studies and to establish economic projects
• Identification and understanding of different professions, trades, businesses and training requirements
• Technical Training (Vocational) – identification of areas of specialization based on market needs
• To determine the length of time for vocational training according to the trainee’s mental abilities, educational and cultural rights
• Develop and refine the professional skills of the trainee
• Create or develop skills
• Identify the needs of the production sector by the study of marketing products and services to small business owners and seeking to secure machinery and equipment appropriate in terms of price and quantity

4. Family Aid Programme.
This is an activity which aims to help marginalised and destitute families in receiving what constitutes their basic rights and the care to which they are entitled.
This programme provides the following supplies, services and support:

• Food
• Clothing, bedding and blankets
• Domestic apparatus such as refrigerators, air-conditioners and  other essential prerequisites
• Financial assistance and sponsorship for orphans from needy families
• Small gifts on special occasions
• Assistance towards obtaining material entitlements from state departments.

Reassurance when donating to us.
We believe there are a number of reasons you should be confident in donating to us and they are as follows:

•  We undertake that 100% of your donations goes to beneficiaries without any administration expenses or payments being deducted. This is possible because Mr Abdul Sahib Al-Shakiry’s generous donations cover the administration costs as well as expenses related to employees and volunteers at the Centres and Head Office in Baghdad.
• Should you wish to send your donation directly to a particular person or Special Appeal we will assist and guide you in the process of making and maintaining contact with the beneficiary.
• Alternatively our staff will deliver your donations to the beneficiaries and we undertake to offer every reassurance you may request regarding receipts, photographs, films, telephone numbers, etc.
• Our work is completely transparent.   Details concerning incoming donations, date of receipt and beneficiaries are published on our website. We encourage donors, sponsors and all interested parties to read the stories of encouragement, progress and gratitude from our beneficiaries. These are posted regularly on our website. Our official financial yearly reports, bank records and other financial and non-financial data are available for scrutiny.
• Through observation and listening to feedback from the citizens who attend our Centres in Iraq, and whom we work to serve, we can say that we are proud of our good reputation.

How can you help us to achieve more?
We sincerely appreciate and thank you for your financial contributions towards those less fortunate than yourselves and are in dire need of support.
Ways of donating to our programmes:
For further information on the different methods of donating to our Charity, please click on the following link:
www.shakirycharity.org/donate
London office:
admin@shakiry.com
www.shakirycharity.org

Bank details:
Shakiry Charity For Social Solidarity
Barclays Bank London
Account no: 50937932
Sort code: 20-96-55
IBAN GB54 BARC2096 5550937392
SWIFTBIC BARCGB22