For most people who survived the tsunami, loss of livelihood is the most pressing concern. This is particularly true for widows who are often left to cope alone with the loss of the family’s sole breadwinner.

Islamic Relief’s income generation projects allow people to become self-sufficient by providing skills training, tools, assets and financial support for small scale entrepreneurs.

Many people have been provided with items such as sewing machines, bicycles, canoes and carpentry tools, as well as loans to establish small businesses for textile vendors, grocers and others.

Planning is also underway to under take livelihood support for 30 Laundry Men (Dhobi) and 60 fishermen who will be provided with a boat.

A backyard poultry project will be planned and is expected to help around 400 people maintain their livelihoods. They will be provided with training on asset development.

Project Objective

• Alleviating poverty by improving the livelihoods of the poorest people in Ampara that have been affected by the tsunami and the war;
• Provision of tools and equipment to establish sustainable livelihoods, microfinance services to help start small businesses, and small business development.

Project Activities

• Vegetable Cultivation;
• Backyard Poultry Farming;
• Fisheries support;
• Laundry service livelihood Support

"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/