Located in the capital, Bamako, the Centre of Hope is a healthcare centre for orphans and their families. Staff at the centre carry out supplementary feeding, hearing tests, dental check-ups, psychological support and advice on health-related issues. There are also forums for children to talk about their needs and work together to fight discrimination.

Islamic Relief is working in partnership with a local organisation on the Centre of Hope project. The project is an extension of the Orphans Sponsorship programme, which has been running in Mali since 1997.

Mali is one of Africa’s poorest countries, with over two thirds of the population living on less than $1 a day. The healthcare system is basic and has been unable to address ongoing health problems, such as cholera and yellow fever.

HIV/AIDS is also rapidly spreading throughout the country. An estimated 130,000 people have been diagnosed HIV positive and around 94,000 children have been orphaned due to the disease.

Women are amongst the poorest members of Malian society, particularly widows. Many widows struggle to support their children, as the loss of a husband often means the loss of a sustainable income.

In the capital, Bamako, around 45% of the population are under twenty. Many children have been orphaned or abandoned and so there are large numbers of children living on the streets.

Project Objectives

• To improve the health and nutritional status of orphans, destitute children and their families;
• To ensure that children’s social and psychological needs are met;
• To promote and maintain children’s rights ;

Project Activities

• Screening mothers for HIV;
• Organising sessions on personal, environmental and food hygiene;
• Organising sessions on basic sanitation and transmissible waterborne diseases;
• Carrying out cooking demonstrations;
• Holding information sessions on breastfeeding;

"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/