Welcome to the family
Congratulations, mabruk, hambalyo, selamat, abhinandan, mubarak... You have now joined The Rainbow Family You are now part of one of the biggest families in the world; we have over 5,500 children sponsored across 17 countries around the world. Thank you for joining us.
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It’s lovely to see you In this vast global village we are all connected somehow, whether through familial ties, by association or a chance meeting with someone on the street - somehow the All-Mighty has ordained for us to connect in ways that transcend our everyday lives. By joining us, you have fulfilled what has been ordained for you: to be connected to a child in a different country, with a different culture and sometimes a different faith to your own.. That is the beauty of humanity – in all its glorious colours.
We believe children are our future
Thank you for joining us
Educating children and providing them with good healthcare, helps reduce poverty and prevents disease; providing future generations with the tools of self-reliance and empowerment. You play a huge role in building the future of vulnerable children all over the world.
As we continue on this journey to support children across the globe to reach their full potential, we hope your sponsorship brings you the greatest happiness and spiritual satisfaction.
We believe every child sponsored will grow up to become a responsible member of society, contributing considerably to his/her country’s growth and poverty alleviation.
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Our family reaches across the globe We believe that everyone deserves to have a family. That’s why our network of aid reaches far and wide, delivering joy and hope to some of the world’s neediest people.
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Our Feed the Fasting programme provides food packs so hungry families can have two meals per day.
Our mobile library travels across the country and provides books to children’s homes, who otherwise do not have access to books.
We help disadvantaged young people to achieve Diplomas in Computer Studies, increasing their ability to secure stable employment.
Our Qurbani campaign distributes meat to the needy, providing muchneeded sustenance.
Your support means we have been able to build a school and take children off the streets and give them a future.
We provide isolation shelter systems, medicine and protective supplies in the fight against the Ebola virus.
We provide refugees with much-needed food packs and clothes, so they have the aid they need to face another day.
Thousands of desperate, displaced families are provided with food and hygiene kits
SOAP
Our Mother and Child Clinics provide medicine and nutritional supplements across the country.
We support and protect thousands of people by giving them skills in Disaster Risk Reduction in regions highly vulnerable to tsunamis and earthquakes.
We empower low-income families with interest free loans to help them to start their own business.
We distributed over 1.4 million water purification tablets and aqua boxes, giving the gift of clean water.
We provide study programmes to help young students to earn skills such as tailoring, catering, electrical engineering and mobile mechanics.
Our sustainable programme builds wells for communities, to deliver clean water and irrigate crops, supporting livelihoods.
You Give, We Serve
SOAP
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What will your sponsorship money provide? Your regular sponsorship will change the life of a child, bringing them hope, happiness and a brighter future. Here’s how your donation can make the difference:
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Education Proving school fees, uniform, learning materials, transport and any other educational needs means that the child you sponsor can have a future.
Food and Clothing
Emotional Support
Children are usually forced to earn money in order to feed themselves and their family, preventing them from going to school or learning. Muslim Aid recognises this and offers basic needs (food, clothing and shelter) along with education. Because no child should have to go hungry.
In some countries and regions where there is war, children face trauma and can be in dire need of psychological support. This service is offered with trained professionals who work with the child to help increase their self-esteem, provide encouragement and help the child to establish a positive attitude towards education. This type of support ensures retention, transition and completion of primary and secondary education.
Medical Care A life free from disease is the right of every child. Through Muslim Aid, your money will provide access to medical care and resources to ensure they can enjoy good health, strength - and the boundless energy they should have for a life rich in opportunity.
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Our family is always growing Our Child Sponsorship Programme is specifically tailored so each child receives the best support available in their specific country or region.
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Muslim Aid ensures the sponsored child receives holistic care which also supports their community. Meaning they can grow up in an environment which is conducive to their positive, personal development. Uniting communities Your monthly sponsorship goes a long way, even further than you could imagine. Through sponsoring a child, you have also invested in their community. Our unique Rainbow Family Community Fund ensures that we can help the whole community to rise up – together. We don’t want to leave anyone behind.
Empowering children All donations are sent to our field offices where a highly-trained team are responsible for managing the Rainbow Family children directly. They work closely to establish an excellent working relationship with the children, their families and the whole community to provide each child with the best care possible. It is this type of specialist support that brings laughter, happiness and confidence back to children who really deserve it.
“It’s a small donation that I make but with a massive impact. Sponsoring Deluxsan gives me the feel good factor!”
Shemsa, South Africa Rainbow Family sponsorship beneficiary.
Shakhura Dawood, Yorkshire. Read her inspirational story on page 17
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Meet some of our Rainbow Family!
Lana
Syria, Age 13
Lana is 13 years old and from Syria. She now lives in Jordan, after being forced to leave Syria due to the war. Her father and her mother have passed away, leaving Lana and her brothers devastated and traumatised. She has seen and experienced things that no child should have to deal with. She is shy and protective of her siblings. The look in her eyes shows her to be older than her years. Lana’s guardian, her Aunt, now looks after Lana and her brothers Muhammad (12) and Ahmed (7) years old. She explains “In January 2012, I travelled with my family from Syria to Jordan and my brother brought his children, Ahmed, Muhammad and Lana. He was not allowed into the camps so he sent the children on and returned to Syria for his elderly mother. He was in Syria for 2 years and then he was killed. The children had already lost their mother some years before.” When Lana and her brothers first arrived, they were very traumatised by
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what they had seen and been through. They were scared and Lana used to stay in her room a lot and not mix with other people. Times for the family were very tough. When asked about her life in Syria before, Lana says: “Three years ago I was in Syria and I was only 10 years old and I used to go to school. We used to go to the parks and play with my grandmother and father.” Lana has very few memories of her mother who died when she was 6 years old. Talking about her is too painful and Lana cries a lot, missing both parents
greatly. “When we were in Syria, we were a happy family” she says, through her tears. “Baba said he would come back for us in a month, but we didn’t hear from him again for two years, we received news that he was killed.” Lana’s Aunt approached Muslim Aid for sponsorship who took on Lana and Muhammad. She says: “When I came to Muslim Aid, they heard our story and took as much documentation as I could give and then they gave us the monthly sponsorship. I can buy the urgent things that they need now. The children come to me and get excited and ask when will the sponsorship money come? We really need this.” Now Lana is able to go to school. She likes school and has 2 close friends. When asked what she would like to be when she is older, she says: “I want to
be a business woman. I want to give cash to poor families.” She says of her donor: “I want to give my heartfelt thanks to those supporting us.” When asked about the difference the sponsorship has made to Lana, her Aunt is clear: “She now mixes with people her own age and she is brighter. I am very thankful to the generous donor. They have helped us a lot. Not just Lana, but Muhammad too. You cannot imagine the joy that you have brought each family. Each month when I bring the sponsorship money, they start calculating their needs and costs. They ask our donor’s name and make special dua (special prayer) for them. Thank you.”
Fatou
Gambia, Age 20
Fatou is from Gambia and joined the Muslim Aid child sponsorship programme after being identified as an orphaned young person living in poverty. She lives with her Aunt and disabled uncle who have many children but little income. Her uncle requires specialist care, and they are unable to afford looking after Fatou. Before sponsorship, Fatou was bullied at school for having dirty clothes and ostracised from her local community due to her family’s poor living conditions. She also had painful stomach ulcers which meant she was unable to attend school regularly, falling behind in school work and exams. The sponsorship Fatou now receives has allowed her to improve her living standards and education. It’s also helped to pay for her hospital fees so she has been able to recover from her illness, live a healthy life and
finish secondary school. Fatou is now a beautiful 20 year old woman and works for a charity, focused on creating awareness on contagious diseases affecting her community. In the future, she hopes to study further to become an independent journalist and to work in an international development organisation like Muslim Aid. She says: “As a person who experienced poverty first hand and who knows what it’s like to feel invisible, I want to serve as a voice for the voiceless.”
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What can you expect from us?
• With this brochure, you will have received a Welcome Pack which includes details of the child you are supporting, a photo, postcard and profile. • Annual updates which can include the following: • Your child’s school reports, letters/drawings or photos. • An annual feedback brochure showcasing the stories and achievements of the programme. • The opportunity to send letters to your child and their family.
IMPORTANT: Please note that photographs posted to you of your sponsored child may not be used, downloaded, copied or reproduced without the written permission of Muslim Aid, in line with our guidelines for the protection of children.
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What is unique Something about the special Rainbow Family programme? • We offer all-round support in a healthy, safe and loving family environment. • Children in our Rainbow Family Programme are included in our other major campaigns, including Qurbani, Ramadan, Special Eid gifts and livelihood projects.
• We recognise the importance of donor - child communication and encourage this as an important aspect of a child’s sponsorship. • Our support is not limited to financial help, but also social and emotional development.
• We provide regular updates to give you the opportunity to chart the progress of the child and see the difference your support is making. • Your sponsorship with us will not only benefit the sponsored child, but also the rest of their family in meeting their basic human needs (food, water and shelter).
• Our Rainbow Family Community Fund which caters to the community of the sponsored child. • Eid gifts for each child irrespective of country or religious background.
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Contacting your sponsored child
Children love to hear from you, it helps them to feel connected and creates a beautiful bond between the child and you. We encourage you to write to your sponsored child and send letters, cards, emails or photographs. Simply send your correspondence to us and we will make sure your child receives it.
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Reach out today
Keeping your letter simple, brief and friendly is all that is needed to bring a smile to your sponsored child’s face. A great way to break the ice is by asking questions to the child regarding school, favourite subjects and games, family or ambitions. They will also love to hear about you, your daily life and routine. If you are worried your sponsored child may not understand or be able to read your letter, pictures and drawings can be a wonderful way to reach out to them. At Muslim Aid, children’s safety and well-being is of paramount importance to us. We therefore ask that you do not include any personal details and avoid sensitive topics. If you aren’t sure what to write, just get in touch with us and we are more than happy to help!
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Jackie & Islam Jackie from Cambridge regularly writes heartfelt letters to her sponsored child in Gaza, Palestine.
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“He was at the end of my rainbow – and I was at the end of his.” Jackie is a retired English and Drama teacher and currently a Carer for her husband, who has Multiple Sclerosis. As a devout Christian she volunteers at her local prison chaplain in her spare time. When Jackie’s two children grew up, she found the resources and opportunity to sponsor a child and chose Muslim Aid because of its impressive and long-standing sponsorship programme. When asked about what inspired her to sponsor a child, Jackie said: “When a UN school was bombed in Jabilya in 2009 – I knew that as a Mum myself, I wanted to reach out, to build a bridge of hope, to a Mum and her child in Gaza”
for him and his school friends. The response has been wonderful and he sends the most beautiful letters and drawings in return. Jackie also sends Islam letters and since he loves colouring and drawing - her letters are full of colourful pictures. The Muslim Aid team on the ground print and deliver the Rainbow story to his one room dwelling in the camp. Jackie is delighted to receive regular school reports of her child’s progress which she is very impressed with.
Jackie has been sponsoring 5 year old Islam from Gaza since Christmas of 2011 and regularly writes to him. Every month, for four years she has written a special rainbow story/resource
support and fun and games – you will carry on blossoming as a wonderful person, who will have the knowledge, kindness and ability to help others!”
If Jackie could give Islam one piece of advice on his future she would tell him: “Little Bear – hopefully by the provision of a good education, family
“When a UN school was bombed in Jabilya in 2009 – I knew that as a Mum myself, I wanted to reach out, to build a bridge of hope, to a Mum and her child in Gaza.”
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Shakhura & Deluxsan In 2014, Shakhura Dawood from Yorkshire visited her 15 year old sponsored child Deluxsan in Sri Lanka. She has been sponsoring him since 2010 and had always wanted to find a way to reach out to him further.
“It’s a small donation that I make but with a massive impact. Sponsoring Deluxsan gives me the feel good factor!” Deluxsan’s father went missing
Before Shakhura left for Sri Lanka,
after the terrible Tsunami that
she was very apprehensive and
hit in 2006, leaving his family
did not know what to expect. It
devastated. His mother is disabled
was a long journey to a place that
and unable to look after her
was unknown to her but knowing
children so Deluxsan is looked
Deluxsan was waiting at the end,
after by his grandmother.
spurred her on. She remembers
Shakhura decided to sponsor a child as she wanted to do something that was going to make a material difference to a child. She says: “By sponsoring a child I realized that in the long term there were benefits to be gained by releasing poverty not just for a child but his family too. I chose Muslim Aid because of their unique programme, the long history, their contributions internationally and their reputation as a charity that had accountability. It seemed like the obvious answer.”
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when they met for the first time: “It was an amazing gathering. I was as nervous as he and his family were. I had reservations because of language and cultural barriers. When I decided to sponsor a child I didn’t think I would ever meet my sponsored child and then it all became an amazing reality! All my concerns were thrown out as soon as I stepped out of the vehicle and met Deluxsan and his family.”
Shakhura had a great time visiting Deluxsan and together they built a connection of friendship and
Shakhura (far left) with Deluxsan (middle with cap) and his family.
love. She fondly remembers spending time together, reading books, playing cricket, going on local day trips and she was able to see first-hand the difference her support has made to his life. She says: “It’s very difficult to single out any one particular memory. There were so many from the time of my first meeting to saying our goodbyes it was all good. I hope an opportunity arises for me to visit him again. I hope that a time will come when through Deluxsan’s hard work and efforts he and his family will come out of poverty and be able to support themselves. I believe that through the team at Muslim Aid, I am giving him this chance and opportunity.” Since Shakhura’s visit, she has made the amazing step of sponsoring another child through Muslim Aid. We are forever grateful to Shakhura and those like her who open their hearts and join our Rainbow Family.
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You are now part of an amazing family – a Rainbow Family stretching right around the world. 20
The child you sponsor will have a future bright with opportunity and free from the heartache and suffering of poverty. Your efforts will mean they can learn, prosper and grow - knowing that you are there to support them.
At the end of every rainbow is happiness. Thank you for creating another rainbow with us.
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If you would like to sponsor children with Muslim Aid or recommend us to friends or family, there are two price bands available: 22
Design: WeareOneAgency.com
£25 a month
£30 a month
Choose from:
Choose from:
• Afghanistan • Bangladesh • Cambodia • India • Indonesia • Pakistan • Somalia • Sri Lanka • Sierra Leone
• Bosnia • Gambia • Iraq • Lebanon • Palestine • South Africa • Sudan • Jordan
OR ‘Where the need is greatest’.
OR ‘where the need is greatest’.
By choosing to donate ‘where the need is greatest’ you can help us to ensure that those in the most desperate conditions can benefit from your help. We will ensure that children who are suffering are not forgotten, by distributing your aid to priority areas first.
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muslimaid.org/rainbowfamily
Rainbow Family PO Box 3 London E1 1WP Charity Reg: 295224
This brochure was printed using recycled paper.