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United for the Needy

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UNIT

MUSLIM HANDS

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Message from the Chairman

As-salamu alaikum and welcome.
When Muslim Hands was founded 20 years ago we envisioned ourselves as a specialised portal for British Muslims to donate their Zakat and Sadaqah to the poor in a transparent and effective manner. Though conflict and war today seem ever-present on our TV screens, the early 1990s were no less troubling. The break-up of Yugoslavia, the Rwandan civil war and natural disasters were the cause of immense human suffering all over the world. Looking back, Muslim Hands has been honoured to facilitate essential aid and development work on behalf of its donors to help those most in need. We have been dedicated to a wide range of projects, both short and long term. The early days were built on the generosity of our individual donors, the goodwill and support of our small office team and a band of equally committed volunteers - and that remains very true till today - although Muslim Hands has now developed into a much larger and more effective international aid organisation with offices and partners spanned over 50 of the worlds poorest countries. We have always sought to find long term solutions to the problems facing the poorest of the worlds population. Aside from responding to crises and disasters, we feel we are distinguished by our willingness to initiate and sustain long term development programmes dedicated to tackling the root causes of poverty by way of education, medical care, livelihood, orphan support, food and water programmes. Muslim Hands remains fully devoted to serve those in need irrespective of their race, colour or faith as we all share a fundamental right to a life of dignity, free of poverty, exploitation and oppression. Within these pages, we hope to give you a brief glimpse of our work. We look forward to working with our donors for many more years of service ahead and thank you for all your support so far.

Syed Lakhte Hassanain

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contents
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PARTNERS & ACCREDITATIONS

Muslim Hands works with or has affiliation with a number of key partner organisations in order to further our reach around the world and better serve those in need by adherence of various codes of conduct and quality management systems.

UNIVERSAL EDUCATION
there are few things one can give as priceless as the gift of education. Muslim Hands takes many different approaches to education, providing schooling which is appropriate, relevant and most valuable for the students long term needs.

WORLDWIDE EDUCATION PROJECTS

Across the world, Muslim Hands run education projects from setting up large school complexes with accommodation for thousands of orphan students to rural community schools and braille reading classes for blind adults in Eastern Europe. Currently MH runs 362 schools serving over 40,000 needy children.

MAKING SCHOOL AN EXPERIENCE

Passionate, well trained teachers and lively lessons help MH ensure that every child can look back on their education experience as rich, valuable and highly fulfilling. Rather than ticking off numbers on a form, MH schools focus on raising quality and empowering students and teachers alike to reach for higher standards.

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14 16 18 20 24 28 30
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EMERGENCY RESPONSE & BEYOND THE CRISIS

Over the years, MH has developed a reputation for direct field work and MH staff have developed expertise in emergency relief. Moreover, because MH depends on support of individual donors which is not time-bound, MH has continued long-term projects with communities that it has helped during emergencies.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE: A BRIEF HISTORY

Moved to action by the human misery caused by the Balkans conflict in 1993, Muslim Hands was formed in Nottingham (UK) to provide emergency relief. Today, MH is still committed to assisting people in times of crisis such as war and natural disaster.

ORPHAN CARE
Orphan care is at the heart of the work MH carries out. Providing children with security and a high standard of education helps tackle the root causes of poverty. MH supports over 10,000 orphans worldwide, helping lay the foundations for a brighter future not only for the children, but their communities too.

HEALTH CARE
MH medical projects address the most prevalent killer diseases. Often, they are also those which are easily treated. Similarly, Motherkind is an MH initiative to protect new and expectant mothers in developing countries with a view that the biggest killers of mothers are also the most easily preventable.

WATER, SANITATION & HYGIENE

No intervention has greater overall impact upon national development and public health than the provision of safe drinking water and the proper disposal of human waste. MH has installed over 10,000 wells around the world in the past decade reaching needy communities in sub-Saharan Africa to the hills of Nepal.

livelihoods
Muslim Hands Livelihood Schemes (Income Generation) are designed to allow individuals to translate their skills and hard work into the opportunity to support their families with dignity. Hence, MH livelihood projects are incredibly diverse. The scheme also covers vocational training.

AT HOME: UK PROJECTS
Five years ago MH began working with inner city schools to harness and develop creative talent and nurture aspiring writers. In 2012, MH established a dedicated Welfare and Community Development Programme to increase charitable activities in the UK.

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06
PARTNERS

& awards

accreditations

partners,

Muslim Hands is an international non-governmental relief and development organisation working in over 50 of the worlds poorest countries. We work with or are affiliated with a number of partner organisations in order to further our reach and better serve those in need.

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Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
Muslim Hands is a signatory to this code of conduct for NGOs, which outlines a set of standards adhered to during a disaster response.

ECHO
Muslim Hands signed the Frame Work Partnership Agreement with DG ECHO in 2013. It defines roles and responsibilities in the implementation of humanitarian operations financed by the European Community.

pEOPLE IN AID
Muslim Hands is a signatory to the People in Aid standard. People In Aid improves organisational effectiveness within the humanitarian and development sector worldwide by advocating, supporting and recognising good practice in the management of people.

ISO 9001:2000 Accreditation

The ISO 9001:2000 Standard is an internationally recognised quality management system standard. It is a measure of quality systems, procedures, documentation and working practices. MH achieved the standard without a single non-conformance in 2004.

Investor in People
Muslim Hands received the Investor in People Award in 2000. It recognises our commitment and emphasis on development and investment in the quality of staff and working practices. We constantly strive to improve the quality of our staff in the UK and abroad, as this has a direct benefit not only to beneficiaries but also to our donors.

Bond
Bond is the UK membership body for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in international development. Established in 1993, Bond now has over 350 member organisations, from large organisations with a world-wide presence to smaller, more specialist organisations working in specific regions or with specific groups of people.

Muslim Charities Forum

The MCF is an umbrella organisation for UK-based Muslim-led NGOs whose aim is to provide a capacity building resource and advocacy platform for its members. MH is one of its founding members.

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01
SCHEDULE

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EDUCATION +

UNIVERSAL EducatioN
Education is one of the most precious gifts we can give. In todays world, it is more important than ever to ensure children have access to a good quality education. At school, students not only bring their minds and imaginations to life, but also empower themselves for an independent future full of opportunities. Education is a release and an opening. It releases an individual from the cycle of poverty and dependence and opens up a world of empowerment for the future.

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We take many different approaches to education, providing schooling which is appropriate, relevant and most valuable for the students long term needs.
Tariq Nasir - Head of Programmes

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It can mean different things for different communities and so we provide access to education from a number of different angles. Read on to see how we tailor our schools and classes according to the specific and local needs of our students. There are many obstacles children and adults alike have to overcome in order to access education and our projects aim to eliminate every barrier to helping people learn. One size does not fit all around the world and here are examples of how we try to help every child get the very best from education inshaAllah.

We believe education is a doorway out of poverty

There are few things you can give as priceless as the gift of education

RURAL COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Sometimes, accessing a school can be harder than covering the cost of school fees. There are many isolated and scattered villages with thousands of children who require an education though no accessible school exists. MH Rural Community Schools serve children who live in areas like this. They are of simple construction and may only contain one or two classrooms. Most often, these schools are the childrens only chance of receiving an education. Rural community schools are about providing basic access to school and we have already piloted this in Balochistan as it is one of the poorest parts of the rural world. Due to the success of these, further schools have been built in Balochistan with the support of the World Bank after MH was recognised for its ability to penetrate into these previously inaccessible areas. We plan to expand this on a much greater scale in another area with a similar level of poverty and lack of access to education such as sub Saharan Africa.

In numbers: MH on education
40,000 children at school 1,200 teachers employed 15 countries with schools 365 schools 900 lively classrooms 1 unwavering commitment

New Schools of Excellence: PAKISTAN AND MALAWI

The School of Excellence (SoE) Lahore has now been completed, and another SoE is being built in Chiradzulu, Malawi. The land for the SoE Lahore was donated by one generous donor and the construction was managed by the MH Special Programmes Department. The school contains seven modern classrooms, a library and a computer lab, and will offer 120 places to needy children.

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EDUCATION +

Worldwide education projects

Across the world, Muslim Hands run education projects from setting up large school complexes with accommodation for thousands of orphan students to braille reading classes for blind adults in Eastern Europe.

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MODEL SCHOOLS

Where access to schools may exist, it is common to come across unprofessionally run and extremely under-resourced facilities, which cause many childrens education to suffer. Model Schools run in areas where school conditions may be poor, class sizes too large and facilities limited. They work to improve and provide better quality education than what is around. Students who attend Model Schools benefit from having teachers who have been given special teacher training and ongoing professional development. Primarily serving orphans, our Model Schools are also attended by a small portion of local fee-paying children who recognise the higher quality of education which students benefit from. These fee-paying students in turn help subsidise some of the cost in providing education for the neediest orphans.

100% pass rate

bangldesh and pakistan

Following in the footsteps of the tremendous success achieved by the MH Sudan School of Excellence, This year (2012/13) the MH Schools of excellence in Islamabad, Pakistan and Sylhet, Bangladesh All achieved 100% pass rates!

SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE

Muslim Hands run pioneering Schools of Excellence as an investment into the quality and delivery of education for poor and orphan students. These schools serve orphans and poorer children free-of-charge with a tailor-made curriculum from our in-house educationalists as well as a uniform and school materials. Where students live far, a school bus is provided to ensure children can make their way to and from school on time and with ease. All the schools are custom built so benefit from science laboratories, recreation facilities, auditoriums and purpose-built facilities. To deliver dynamic and engaging lessons, MH sifts out and trains the very best of new teaching talent to raise the aspirations and morale of students. Local fee-paying children also attend these schools as the teaching standards usually far exceed that of local schools. MH Schools of Excellence also act as beacon schools and help to raise educational standards of neighbouring schools by sharing best practice and allowing local teachers to access our teacher training programmes (where possible). Schools of Excellence have been built in Sudan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Niger, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mali, Sri Lanka and Gambia.

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MAKING SCHOOL AN EXPERIENCE

Muslim Hands runs education projects to address the many different facets of schooling. We want every child at an MH school to look back on their education experience as rich, valuable and highly fulfilling. Rather than ticking off numbers on a form, our approach to education focuses on raising quality and empowering students and teachers alike to reach for higher standards.

PASSIONATE TEACHERS

In many parts of the world, teachers are often underpaid and undervalued. To ensure children receive the most encouraging teachers, we train talented and motivated teachers who have a genuine interest in their students progress and development. MH schools are geared towards helping students from the poorest backgrounds, but also have a number of regular fee-paying students who all receive a standard of education on par with local private schools. Teacher training courses take place monthly, quarterly and annually at most schools.

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EDUCATION +

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We offer competitive and stable salaries (which in turn benefit the teachers families) and provide teachers with essential skills and recognised qualifications. The salary we give to our teachers often exceeds the national average for a professional worker and means they can focus on their one and only job with no pressure for the teacher to earn a secondary income. So far, we have trained approximately 3000 teachers at MH schools, private tutors and teachers from educational institutions. We focus this training around basic teaching techniques and strategies, and hire educationalists and trainers from different reputable institutions to help build staff capacity. At the moment we have 30 master trainers available in our education system.

CLASSROOM FACILITIES

MH schools are run in both rented and purpose-built facilities depending on location and availability. Some schools are in classrooms which consist of rented buildings which may be the wrong size, in a difficult-to-reach location or have dilapidated facilities. To avoid this, and where proper classrooms cannot be found, MH constructs custom classrooms and provides transport services to help children get to school on time and in safety.

To make sure children are learning important and relevant material, we bring in education specialists to write the syllabus. They know how to structure a childs learning development and how to create an engaging and stimulating curriculum for children to get the best out of schools. At our Schools of Excellence, our education specialists have written a tailor-made syllabus for the students containing English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Information Technology, Islamic Studies and Art.

Lively lessons

Every child that attends an MH school is given:

n

School fees books and stationary School uniform

Quality education via well trained qualified and trained teachers Nutritious school meals Regular health checks Safe secure school enviroment

We open our teacher training programmes to MH and nonMH teachers alike. This is so we can work towards raising the educational standards for the whole community and teachers are able to share knowledge, resources and ideas amongst themselves. When there is an area of MH-run schools and regular schools, often MH schools act as beacon schools for neighbouring ones to adopt the example of. Usually, having an MH school in the area means the general standards of the local vicinity are raised also alhamdulillah.

Benefits to the whole community

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14

EMERGENCIES

emergency response
Responding to emergencies is a central mandate of Muslim Hands.
Indeed, it was the crisis in Bosnia in 1993 that prompted a community in Nottingham to send aid to those suffering in the conflict marking the formation of Muslim Hands. Since then we have responded to countless more emergencies and developed a specialised network of staff and volunteers around the globe for fast response. Muslim Hands has been present on the ground for widely publicised disasters such as the Asian Tsunami of 2004, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the recent Horn of Africa Famine. But weve also been present at crises that never reach our screens, including sub-zero winters in Kashmir, cholera outbreaks in Guinea Bissau and acute droughts in Mali and Niger.

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the crisis
Emergencies are a time for immediate action, but they are also a time to act wisely for the future. Its far too easy to rush to the scene of a disaster, spend large sums on quickfix solutions and then disappear once the story is no longer covered in the news. Furthermore, flooding areas with foreign food supplies might seem logical, but has the knock-on disadvantage of depressing prices of local foods, which makes it harder for local traders to survive. The homeless and destitute are then left to recover their livelihoods in extremely difficult circumstances. Without careful deliberation, aid can easily become damaging in the long-term. MH has developed a reputation for direct field work - we also regularly act on behalf of other UK NGOs to deliver aid supplies to areas that we have an existing field office or volunteers. Our staff through the years have developed specialised skills and expertise in disaster relief, having worked in various emergency situations, from natural disasters to man-made conflicts. Our operations involve immediate relief, early recovery and long term rehabilitation work.

Beyond

How we work in emergencies

Quite often, humanitarian organisations have to leave an area when their funding runs out. At Muslim Hands, because we depend primarily on the generosity of individual donors, which is not time-bound, we can and do stay with communities until they have recovered their homes and livelihoods. Throughout the years, Muslim Hands has not abandoned communities that it has helped during emergencies. In Bosnia, MH still sponsors orphans; in Indonesia, MH is still building homes and providing medical care; in Burma, MH are helping victims of the recent cyclone to re-establish their livelihoods. MH continues to work in areas for as long as is required, and those we help understand this.

Staying for the Longer Term

This means that throughout the globe, not only do we have a long-term presence, but our field staff have a better idea of what is suitable aid for an area. Without their expertise, droughts in Kenya would go unnoticed, simply because they are not covered in headlines. Without their expertise, we would never have reached the starving farmers on the Island of Nias after the Tsunami. Without their expertise, rural communities in China, Niger and The Gambia wouldnt have ever benefitted from your donations when they were desperately in need.

Local Knowledge and Expertise

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1993 2013
_
MH History in Emergency Response

1993
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Muslim Hands is formed, as Aid convoys carry food, clothing and medicine to war torn Bosnia. n Medical clinic and ambulances for Kashmiri refugees.

1994
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Primary school for Afghan refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan. 200 year old Behrambeg College in Bosnia is renovated n and reopened after 50 years.

1995
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4 vocational training centres for women set-up in Kashmir and blood banks installed in hospitals n Afghanistan: free book banks for refugees.

1996
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Gujurat, India: medical clinic developed to accommodate a minor surgery unit. n MH work in Somalia stepped up as aid agencies pull out.

1997
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Iran - Afghanistan border earthquake. MH teams with Iranian Red Crescent to fly in urgent aid. n Ten feeding centres run for victims of drought in Somalia.

1998
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Bangladesh Floods: Muslim Hands ran seven feeding centres, 50 new homes built.

1999
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War in Kosova: 500 tonnes of food, clothing and medicine distributed. 12 ambulances n deployed with medical teams. n Earthquake, Turkey: Muslim Hands was n operational immediately. 12,000 meals per n day served to homeless in Adapazari. n Bangladesh: 470 new homes built for homeless families.

2000
n n

Grozny, Chechnya: MH provides regular food, clothing and shelter to 7,000 refugees in Georgia. Also established four n schools for children and adults. n Balochistan, Pakistan: 4 feeding centres fed 30,000 n people. Water pipeline spanning 22km laid. n Mozambique Floods: 2 ambulances and nutrition centres n provided for refugees in Xai-Xai region. n Ethiopia: food and medicine distributed. n Five wells and water storage projects.

2001
n n

Aid agencies pull out of Afghanistan leaving 7.5 million Afghans facing hunger and winter. MH sent aid convoys n to Herat, Kabul, Jalalabad and Kandahar. n Palestine: MH set-up medical clinics in Hebron n New school built in Skenderaj, Kosova. n India Earthquake: 60,000 people received food aid and n 1,000 families received tents. 42 new homes built.

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War in Afghanistan. 400 tonne food convoys immediately sent in via Pakistan. n Emergency medical clinics, mobile n n medical units and ambulance service n set-up to serve Kabul, Kandahar, n Jalalabad, Chaman and Peshawar. n Gujurat, India: ethnic cleansing in n Gujurat killed 20,000 and left 60,000 n homeless. After immediate emergency n aid distribution, including household kits n and cash payments. 28 new houses were n built and 30 mosques repaired.
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2002

2006
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2003
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Muslim Hands responds to the economic blockade in Gaza working in Beit n Hanoun, Beir Lahia and Jabaliya camp n MH provides emergency aid n to Saida in Lebanon providing two n mobile medical units, a medical crew, n doctors, 6,000 family food parcels, water n tankers and mobile power generators. n MH Pakistan establishes 7 large refugee n camps to cater for over 60,000 homeless. n Over 250 workers and volunteers on the n ground in the Muzaffarabad area alone. n MH sets up temporary medical clinits, n three new schools in aid camps.

Haiti Earthquake: MH was present on the ground in Port au Prince within a matter n of days distributing food and water to n 20,000 people. With local volunteers MH n began rescue operations and cleared n bodies from the rubble. Three schools n were established in the area.
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Bam, Iran: Devastating earthquake kills 50,000. Muslim Hands provides food n parcels to 3000 families and clothing to n 1000. MH receives 4 acres of land n from the Mayor of Bam to construct an n orphanage. n War in Iraq: Trucks leave MH Head Office n loaded with tonnes of aid and medicine. n Muslim Hands is one of the few charities n to remain as the situation worsens n in Falluja, establishing schools and n renovating a hospital surgery.

2007
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Muslim Hands rebuilds schools across Maysaloon, Ishtar and Al Kindy in Iraq to n serve over 1,150 students. n MH Afghanistan renovates the Obstetrics n and Gynaecology wards at University n Teaching Hospital in Jalalabad where n 1,500 patients are treated each month. n MH Palestine opens a new office in Gaza .

Libyan Crisis: MH teams worked with the UNHCR at Shousa refugee camp near Ras n Ajdir. At the Djerba airport MH fed upto n 5,000 persons per day. n East Africa Famine: MH distributed food, n water, medicine and tents to over 50,000 n refugees and IDPs in Kenya, Ethiopia and n Somalia. Water tankers were used to n supply camps in Ethiopia and Somalia. n Japan Tsunami: MH volunteers based n in Nagata (near Tokyo), filled a bus n with food and other essential items and n n distributed them to stranded families in n the Fukushima Prefecture.
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2011

2008
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2004
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Darfur, Sudan: Muslim Hands sets up camps for 100,000 refugees in Kalima n and Mosai. As well as distributing water, n food and shelter, lanterns are distributed, n medical centres set-up and temporary n schools founded. n Muslim Hands begins Olive Tree n Plantation Scheme in Palestine. n Bangladesh: Muslim Hands provides aid n and new housing to some of the 2 n million made homeless by the worst n floods seen in 20 years. n South East Asia Tsunami: Muslim Hands n teams on the ground in days providing n aid to victims in Aceh, Sri Lanka and the n Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

MH responds immediately to natural disasters: Sichuan earthquake in China, n Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh and Cyclone n Nargis in Burma with the provision of n food, clean water, medical aid, sanitation n equipment and utensils. n MH provides school equipment and n stationery to 2,000 students at the 20 n poorest schools in Gaza, Palestine. n MH extends the Infant Mortality n Reduction campaign to Sri Lanka and 10 n other countries including Indonesia, n China and Kashmir.

2009
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2005
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Famine affects large parts of West Africa. MH teams in Niger and Mali begin n distribution of 100s of tonnes of aid. n MH launches the first Green Ribbon n Week campaign to raise money for n children suffering due to war and n conflict. n Kashmir & Pakistan: The strongest n earthquake for 100 years hits the region n killing almost 80,000 people and leaving n millions homeless. MH teams operate n camps helping tens of thousands of n survivors and begun construction of n n shelters.

Gaza War: MH office in Gaza assisted in the worst hit area of Jabaliyya by n distributing food and medicine. Aln shifa and 5 other hospitals were supplied with medical equipment and medicines.

Pakistan Floods: Targeting the worst affected areas of DG Khan and Rajanpur. n MH Pakistan distributed food and n essentials to over 800,000 people and n over 1,000 homes were reconstructed. n Syria Crisis: Working on the Lebanon n n and Turkey border MH distributed food n and hygiene kits to over 20,000 refugees. n More than 1,000 Syrian refugees received n treatment, medication and healthcare n advice from the MH medical clinic set up n in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. n Gaza Conflict: MH distributed food and n medicine in the worst hit areas. n Six hospitals also equipped with n medical supplies to treat the injured. n Myanmar Conflict: MH one of the few n charities to be granted access to the n affected Rohingya Muslims in the n Rakhine State. More than 2,000 n displaced families received emergency n n relief packs and 400 families rehoused.
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2012

2010
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2013
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Pakistan Floods: MH responds to the disaster throughout the country; working n in Khaybar Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, n Balochistan, AJK and FATA. MH Pakistan n fed over 361,500 people with cooked n food and distributed 33,400 family food n parcels. MH field clinics treated over n 114,500 patients. Immediately after the n emergency phase MH constructed 600 n homes.

MH Emergency Response Teams continue to work inside: Burma Niger n Pakistan

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Syria Palestine n Mali

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18

ORPHAN CARE

ORphan carE
Orphan care is at the heart of the work Muslim Hands carries out. We believe providing children with security and a high standard of education will help tackle the root causes of poverty and empower generations to come. Muslim Hands sponsors already support over 10,000 orphans worldwide and together, we are laying the foundations for a brighter future not only for the children, but whole communities. Hundreds of our orphans have grown to and become successful young men and women, studying in further education or working to support themselves, their families and their communities.

LOVE, CARE AND EDUCATION

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QUALITY EDUCATION

Education makes up the biggest part of orphan care as we believe the only way to break the cycle of poverty is to give people the opportunity to educate themselves and work their own way to independence and success. Every child has their school fees covered and those who attend custom-built MH schools benefit from passionate teachers, highstandard classroom facilities and a tailor-made curriculum.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, (p.b.u.h), said:

It is no secret that students who are properly fed do better in class. A good level of nutrition is vital for a childs physical and mental health and where possible, children are given a warm nutritious meal during school to ensure they can concentrate during lessons and gain the maximum benefit from their school day. In some countries, poverty levels are so severe that children suffer from endemic malnutrition and so the meal provided for them at school is more crucial than ever.

NUTRITION

The person who strives on behalf of the widows and poor is like those who strive in the way of Allah and like those who fast in the day and pray at night.

In numbers: oRPHAN SPONSORSHIP

1996 The first orphan is sponsored by MH. This is Fiaz Ahmed from Sialkot, Pakistan. 1997 Every orphan is assigned a dedicated and local orphan worker. 2000 300 other children are sponsored that year in 10 countries across Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe. 2003 MH started building its own schools. These Schools of Excellence prioritise places for the growing number of sponsored orphans. 2005 MH Orphans Sponsorship Scheme is running across 25 countries. 2006 School meals are added as part of the Orphans Sponsorship Scheme in Darfur, Sudan. 2009 ALL sponsored school children are provided with a free school meal. Every child is also given regular medical check ups. A school bus service operates in many orphan schools. 2013 Orphan sponsorship grows to over 10,000 orphans sponsored.

Children who live in poverty are more prone to falling ill from preventable diseases. There are many times when routine sicknesses can become life-threatening due to the lack of medical care available. To make sure our children are well, we look after and monitor their health and developments. We provide them with routine vaccinations to stop the beginning and spread of contagious illnesses. We also assign the child a welfare nurse to monitor the childs progress by measuring their height, weight and dental care. This ensures children are able to focus in class, do not need to take time off sick and stay on top of their studies.

health checks

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20

HEALTH CARE

health carE

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It is much too easy to forget how vital good health is for communities to be able to prosper. Being free from sickness and disease allows children to attend school, learn and grow into educated strong adults, and the countrys workforce is able to work full and productive days. Sadly however, affordable and effective healthcare is an elusive hope in many parts of the world. MH run projects to address the most prevalent and widespread diseases. Many of the biggest killers are also those which are easily treated with targeted medical care. Muslim Hands take a number of approaches to addressing healthcare needs around the world. The needs for various communities are varied and it is important that those afflicted with poor health are given access to the kind of care which addresses their unique needs. To address the diverse approaches to healthcare, we work in the following ways:

Maternal Health
Motherkind is an MH initiative to support and protect new and expectant mothers in developing countries. Working in a number of hot spot countries, Motherkind approaches the topic of maternal health from a view that the biggest killers of mothers are also the most preventable and that lifesaving interventions are easy, low cost and readily available resources. For the average woman in Afghanistan, the biggest threat to life is giving birth as she faces the prospect of motherhood in a country where 1 in 32 women die during childbirth. In 2010 the pilot project for Motherkind was launched in the Puleh Charkhi district of Kabul. MH Afghanistan built a custom Maternal Health Clinic that now delivers; prenatal and antenatal care. Approximately 2000 expectant mothers every month benefit from: Pre-natal care and advice Skilled birth attendants during labour Essential medicines and good hygiene Accessible maternal clinics Post-birth care and advice
n n n n n

The programme assists expectant mothers throughout their pregnancy and childbirth to ensure safe deliveries and good health for both mother and child.

Infant Mortality Reduction

Our desperately needed HIV and AIDS prevention programme provides screening, spot checks and education to prevent HIV and AIDS spreading. We run this throughout sub Saharan Africa and in rural India.

HIV & AIDS prevention

As one of the most infectious diseases in the world, we provide hygiene equipment to disinfect communal areas and prevent the spread of this killer disease. MH teams also distribute medicines to treat the symptoms, safe drinking water to prevent water-borne infections and training to raise awareness on how to best protect against the danger of cholera.

Cholera and Malaria

Worldwide MEDICAL projects

Our medical teams provide life-saving vaccinations to protect against polio and other major killer diseases like tuberculosis and measles. For those already affected, we send surgeons to perform reconstructive surgery for deformed limbs. Patients are also given physiotherapy and long-term advice on how to remain active and mobile.

Polio eradication

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focus: health care

The world has been living with HIV and AIDS for nearly 30 years, yet the pandemic continues to spread - fuelled by widespread ignorance about the disease. Since 2007, MH South Africa and MH India have both been running HIV and AIDS prevention campaigns, working amongst the most vulnerable groups. In Delhi, MH teams have delivered awareness campaigns such as the SAY NO TO DRUGS campaign of 2004/5 and income generation schemes for the sufferers and their families. In South Africa the focus is more on supporting the AIDS sufferers and families through financial and food aid. Alongside these campaigns, MH ran screening programmes for HIV amongst high risk groups in inner city areas of Delhi and Cape Town, followed by advice and counseling where required.

aids INDIA & SOUTH AFRICA: seeing beyond the taboo

TACKLING CHOLERA IN G. BISSAU

Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest nations in Africa. In recent years, cholera outbreaks have killed hundreds of people. In 2011, MH Gambia extended its water and sanitation projects to Guinea-Bissau to help local people overcome the outbreaks. Focusing on sanitation and hygiene thousands of litres of concentrated chlorine and disinfectant were used in the affected regions, including the local hospitals which had become a source of infection rather than cure. With further distributions of disinfectants alongside awareness programmes 150,000 people were protected from the risk of catching and spreading cholera.

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Children suffering from special needs or disabilities are often not understood or diagnosed correctly. Lack of awareness about disabilities such as autism, mental retardation and visual hearing/loss, leaves countless numbers of children to continue suffering and find themselves marginalised from society. Healthcare in Iraq has taken a devastating blow following the invasion of 2003 and continued civil unrest in the country. MH Iraq has set up a unique Special Needs and Disability Centre for children in Baghdad. Using a team of trained medical professionals, the centre works with 50 children every month, providing them with treatment, counseling and where relevant, medication. Based on the success of special needs projects like these, MH set up a series of similar Disability Centres in Palestine and Pakistan with plans to expand this to further countries, inshaAllah.

Saying attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib r.a:

Good health is a crown that only the sick can see.

IRAQs disabled children

5000+ CATARACTS REMOVED

Cataract removals are simple life-saving procedures, which fully restore sight and can remove blindness almost instantly. MH runs Gift of Sight programmes in China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sudan. To date over 5,000 people have had their sight restored. As in previous years, in 2012, MH China successfully treated over 100 elderly patients in the Gansu Province by removing cataracts, performing visual corrections and providing essential reading glasses and eye checkups.

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water, Hygiene & sanitation

For over a billion people, lifes most pressing challenge is gaining easy access to safe, clean drinking water. Poor health due to unclean water and conflict surrounding scarce water sources prevents many from escaping the poverty trap. When children and adults have drunk contaminated water, illness prevents them from attending school or work. In fact, at any given time half of the worlds hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease. Having adults too ill to work means a loss of labour and wages and this inevitably damages the economy of mostly desperately poor countries. Children drinking dirty water results in them staying home to recover, often suffering chronic conditions, which means, they are not able to complete school or go into the working world. Approximately 443 million school days are lost in this way each year due to children hit by water-related illness. In this way, having only contaminated water to drink not only damages health and causes death- but can also debilitate an economy and ensures the cycle of poverty and dependence continues on.

The link between unsafe water and poverty

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WATER AID

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MH install a variety of wells. The simplest of these is the Tube Well. A single tube well will serve 2-3 families with water to drink, wash and cook for at least 10 years. Tube wells are manually operated and lift filtered water up to about 100 feet beneath the ground with minimal maintenance. We have tube well projects running throughout Pakistan, Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Over the last 10 years, MH has installed over 10,000 such wells. However, where the wells need to serve a community or access water from larger depths our Dig-a-Well programme is used. These are bigger installations where 25-30 families can benefit from a single well.

Bore/tube Wells

Ground water wells are ideal for families who rely on agriculture and farming. The wells have mechanical hand pumps and draw water up to 35 meters deep underground making them a dependable resource for the communities which they serve. Each well serves over 300 families and their livestock. In recent years such wells have been built in Afghanistan, Sudan, Nepal and The Gambia.

Ground water wells

There are times where water storage is just as important as accessing water itself. Our underground water storage tanks hold water for communities to use for their daily needs. Constructed using bricks and cement, these tanks are built in areas where the water table is too low and are filled on a regularly basis by mobile water tankers. Underground storage tanks have been constructed in Sudan.

Underground storage tanks

Safe Water schemes are made more effective in preventing illnesses, when sanitation and education about hygiene is also provided. Put simply, clean water drank from a dirty cup or unwashed hands is no longer safe. Hence, where no sewer facilities exist, our Combined Safe Water Scheme includes the building of family and communal latrines, and we also provide awareness to the community on the efficient and hygienic usage of water.

Combined Water and Sanitation scheme

No intervention has greater overall impact upon national development and public health than the provision of safe drinking water and the proper disposal of human waste.

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focus: water aid

When Farid unexpectedly passed away, his wife Nurun Nahar was left alone for the first time in her life. Widowed, poor and a mother of three young children, Nurun was solely responsible for the welfare of her young family. Like millions of poor people in Bangladesh, the only water they have access to is not safe to drink- however, they have little choice but to drink it. Muslim Hands Bangladesh provided Nurun and her family with a hand powered tube well by her house. This simple addition drastically transformed the lives of Nuruns family, providing a regular and dependable source of clean and safe drinking water. Indeed, her childrens health has drastically improved with no instances of diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting or risk of cholera. Poor families neighboring Nuruns home have also been given access to the well. Since 1995 MH Bangladesh has installed 3,800 tube wells.

case study: nuruns well

1500+ GROUND WELLS

War-torn Afghanistan has remained a focus for MH water aid programmes over the past 20 years. With a permanent field office in Kabul, MH Afghanistan has been working to provide easily accessible and safe drinking water across the country by installing tube-wells in homes and the larger ground wells that are able to lift water from greater depths. In the past five years, Muslim Hands has dug over 1500 ground wells around the world, the majority of these are in Afghanistan.

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Agriculture remains the main source of income for over 2 million Palestinians. Yet, once fertile and productive, agricultural lands in Palestine have increasingly become barren and arid. Since 200X Muslim Hands has been supporting farmers by providing irrigation systems comprising of wells, motorised pumps and water storage systems. In Gaza, access to clean drinking water is critically low. By constructing large water wells and filtration units, MH has been successful in providing regular safe and clean drinking water to over 50,000 Palestinians.

palestine: agriculture

MH Nepal has been helping farmers in irrigating their land in a bid to reduce their dependency on rain water alone. Thereby, allowing farmers to grow crops throughout the year, including the dry season. As part of a three year plan, MH Nepal has been installing a series of deep ground water wells, digging a network of irrigation channels and using diesel powered water pumps to apply the water more efficiently over a larger area. The work is being carried out in the Raurahat District of Terai, Nepal by the farmers themselves. Imran Alam, MH Nepal Country Manager said: This is a promising and successful project. The farmers are delighted as are their families.

nepal: irrigation scheme

Villages in South Kordofan, Sudan have suffered drought and chronic water shortages over the past decade, with entire villages having to travel 40 km or more for drinking water. Where drilling wells and building water storage schemes are not possible, MH Sudan has been delivering clean drinking water by means of water tankers. Typically a single water tanker covers a gruelling 250km daily reaching up to six separate villages.

sudan: water tankers

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28
LIVELIHOODS

livelihoods
Muslim Hands Livelihood Schemes are designed to allow individuals to translate their skills and hard work into the opportunity to support their families with dignity. Hence, MH livelihood projects are incredibly diverse.

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Muslim Hands runs several vocational training centres in Afghanistan, Kashmir and Pakistan. MH has provided sewing machines in countries including India and Indonesia, where women have set up tailoring businesses. In Morocco where mint is used a great deal in cuisine, MH has set up mint farms for those who couldnt afford seeds, tools or land. Some more unusual projects that have been extremely successful include smoked fish businesses in The Gambia. Run almost exclusively by women, they smoke fresh fish in smoking rooms bought by small loans from Muslim Hands. The fish are then sold onto local markets for profit. The strong presence of MH field staff in our areas of operation has led to a reflective approach to income generation schemes, learning from individuals and the rural economies.

Sarjo Jammeh, Mali Country Manager:

Giving people the dignity to earn for themselves is a sure way to fight poverty

Specialist field staff always begin by discussing options with people that they have identified to be in need. Many times, these are young men and women who have the willingness to work hard, but simply havent got the finance to invest in any small business of their own together with a spouse, children or parents to support. Field staff analyse the local economy to choose a suitable business. Interest-free microfinance is also available to individuals so they can receive a small loan which they can pay back as soon as their business is profitable allowing others to benefit from the scheme. Through this simple model, hundreds of individuals have been able to live in self-sufficiency and dignity. Here are some of the more recent examples:
n

Establishing Small Businesses through interest-free micro-finance

Tree sapling nurseries in Bangladesh provide employment for those tending to them until they are mature enough to produce fruit for their owners. Seeds and fertilisers given to farmers in Mali mean that after a year they produce more seeds for neighbouring farmers to benefit as well. Farmers provided with sheep in Nias, Indonesia meant that local sheep could be purchased later that year for the annual Qurbani. Other businesses have included rice growing, ice-cream making, fish farming, poultry farming, refreshment stalls, welding shops, rickshaws and honey production.

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30
UK PROJECTS

aT HOME: UK PROJECTS
Although Muslim Hands has always supported and funded an array charitable projects across the UK, from youth development and funding of Muslim schools to the reducing child poverty in East London it is an inescapable fact that much more needs to be done here at home in the UK. Five years ago MH began working with inner city schools to harness and develop creative talent and nurture aspiring writers, particularly within the Muslim community. In 2012, MH established a dedicated Welfare and Community Development Programme which focuses on the key areas of;
n

Tackling drug abuse and associated problems Academic underachievement of Muslim school children Prisoner rehabilitation and resettlement Empowerment of marginalised women

Addressing the academic underachievement of Muslim school children, Muslim Hands has been running a series of intervention sessions with schools and other educational establishments for young students with either learning or behavioural related issues. The sessions have not only improved their academic grades and social skills but helped them to achieve meaningful qualifications - improving their chances of entering the workplace in the future.

Booster sessions

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Since 2000, the Muslim prison population in Britain has continued to rise sharply. Denial, stigma and the lack of assistance from Muslim institutions has meant once released, Muslim prisoners have little if any support from their communities- causing reoffending and further imprisonment. To help prevent this cycle from continuing, Muslim Hands has been working with youth groups, police probation and prison services to develop tailored made rehabilitation programmes and faith based interventions. Through the delivery of these programmes, exoffenders will recieve the support required to re-integrate back into the community, return to education, seek employment and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

prisoner rehabilitation

The Young Muslim Writers Awards has for the past seven years been celebrating the literary talent of young Muslims in the UK. The nationwide writing competition acknowledges creativity, and coupled with the workshops MH runs with schools and community organisations further hone the communication skills of the thousands of children we have worked with.

Muslim Writers Awards

Joining millions across the UK, the Young Muslim Writers Awards annually celebrates World Book Day by delivering creative writing workshops to hundreds of students at Islamia Primary School. This year, award winning authors Naima B Robert and Sufiya Ahmed ran workshops to help primary school children understand the foundations of writing a story and how to develop their style.

World Book Day

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MU

M HAN I L S

FOR THE

Established in 1993, Muslim Hands is an international NGO working in over fifty countries worldwide to help those affected by natural disasters, conflict and poverty.
We are a UK Registered Charity (No. 1105056) and a signatory to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Muslim Hands trustees, who are volunteers, form the governing body of Muslim Hands and are legally responsible for all of the organisations activities under the Charities Act.

M U S L I M H A N D S . ORG . U K |

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0115 911 7222

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UNIT

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