Annual Report & Financial Statements 2007
Islamic Relief Worldwide & Subsidiary Undertakings
SUPPORTING VULNERABLE CHILDREN 
Support for vulnerable children is key to Islamic Relief’s work, and many of our relief and development projects prioritise the needs of young people. In line with the Millennium Development Goals we are committed to ensuring that children, boys and girls alike, have access to quality education, essential healthcare and basic services such as clean water.
However, there are some children who need even more support. Children who have lost parents are often amongst the poorest in their community and may be forced to drop out of school and take dangerous jobs to support their family. Children who have been affected by HIV, natural disaster or conflict, face even more complex risks.
In order to support vulnerable children we run a successful orphan sponsorship programme which enables individual donors to support children who have been orphaned. The financial support the donors provide allows orphaned children and their families to go to school, have decent housing and access essential medical care.
By the end of 2007 our donors were supporting over 26,100 children in 21 countries, from Ethiopia to India, South Africa to Lebanon.
Extra help In addition to the financial support that each child receives, we also run other additional projects that help meet vulnerable children’s needs. For instance, in Kabul, Afghanistan we run an educational centre that provides over 100 children and their mothers with training in literacy and computing. These classes help to increase the women’s ability to gain employment and enhances the abilities of their children.
In order to meet the needs of children in Bangladesh we are working with sponsored orphans and their families to improve their quality of life. We do this by providing health checks and vitamin supplements, by installing hygienic latrines in children’s homes and by providing sources of clean water for the communities where our sponsored children live. We also support the children’s mothers by providing them with micro-finance to start small businesses, by helping them set up savings accounts and by giving them skills training.
In 2007, 400 sponsored orphans from Rajbari in Bangladesh joined a new Scouting project set up by Islamic Relief. Three new Scout units and one Girl Guide unit have been formed. The children undertake cultural, educational and sporting activities that contribute towards their developments. Activities include cookery, swimming, first aid, dance, creative writing and orienteering. Children also have the opportunity to take part in many cultural performances and carnivals.
We have been supporting orphaned children in Kosovo for many years providing them with access to education and decent housing. In 2007 we began a new project to provide sponsored children and their families with access to quality healthcare. All sponsored children were provided with routine general medical, dental and hearing checks and were provided with any medical care they needed.
In Bangladesh we provide additional support to sponsored children and their communities. We ensure people have access to clean water and sanitation facilities, healthcare and assistance to set up small businesses.
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