The sponsorship programme is integrated with other IR projects in Bangladesh and orphans are supported with education, shelter, food, clothes and recreation facilities.

Orphans from poor and distressed families live in destitute conditions and are often homeless, neglected and receive very little care.

This programme serves orphans in the southern, northeast and western areas of the country, where cyclones, flooding, river erosion, and drought are regular occurrences.    

Orphans on the One to One Sponsorship Program receive regular payments from a donor which they can use for their needs.

The project is community-based, which means that orphans are encouraged to use the resources already available in their communities in order to prevent them and their families from becoming over dependent on the donor. 

In addition, families with orphaned children also receive shelter, water and sanitation facilities and training in practical skills to help establish sustainable livelihoods.

More than 1,600 orphans are currently served by this programme and receive food, school uniforms, primary health care and educational support.

Project Objectives

·       Improving the quality of life for IR sponsored orphans and their families;

·       Providing education appropriate to the needs of sponsored orphans;

·       Establishing proper health care mechanisms for sponsored orphans;

·       Helping orphans and family members establish livelihoods after termination of sponsorship.

Project Activities

·       Extensive home visits to provide continuous counseling and support;

·       Regular school visits to provide adequate follow-up of Orphans presence in school;

·       Regular health checkups and health awareness sessions;

·       Training in practical skills for orphans and their families;

·       Organising recreational activities.

"Islamic Relief is striving for a fairer world. Our mission is to help the poor and needy to live sustainable, self-reliant lives within safe and caring communities. Our work is guided and shaped by the core values of accountability, humanitarianism, neutrality and impartiality, inclusiveness, integrity and co-operation, all of which are also integral to the Islamic faith."
Dr Hany El Banna - Founder of Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief was established in 1984 and our unique approach is the result of these many years of hands-on experience.

1. Where possible we adopt a community partnership-based approach; encouraging community involvement, understanding and ownership of projects.
2. We run the majority of our field projects ourselves, giving us direct insight into the problems faced and how best to solve them.
3. We aim to empower those we help in order to achieve sustainable results.
4. Though our emergency response teams are quick to respond to emergencies around the world, we continue to support communities long after the initial media interest has died down.
5. We recruit staff locally to benefit from their local knowledge. This ensures that we are culturally sensitive and allows us to reach communities and areas other organisations cannot.
6. Where necessary we coordinate our work with other reputable aid agencies, local organisations and governments.

Millennium Development Goals

Islamic Relief is committed to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been agreed by the world’s leading development institutions in an effort to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by the year 2015. 

The goals:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

For more information about the MDGs, please visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/