This project provides orphans, widows and their communities with a sustainable means of earning a living.

This is an integrated programme and has several sub-projects such as health and nutritional support, provision of water and sanitation facilities, home improvement and educational support and social activities. This project is also known as Community Based Orphan Redevelopment (CBOR).

This project supplements Islamic Relief's one-to-one orphan sponsorship programme which serves hundreds of orphans in Bangladesh. The CBOR project helps orphans and their families make the best use of the money they receive from the sponsorship and also from resources available within their own community.

Many orphans can become dependent on the steady income they receive from the donor and are not prepared for the day the sponsorship will come to an end. This community based programme provides training for orphans and their families in how to establish sustainable livelihoods, so that they can stand on their own feet after they reach adulthood and the sponsorship period is over.

Material assistance is also provided in the form of food, school uniforms, shelter, water and sanitation facilities, health care and educational support.

The programme serves about 1,300 IR-sponsored orphans.

Project Objectives

• To build strategies for orphans and their families for establishing a sustainable livelihood after the termination of sponsorship.
• To improve the living standards of IR-sponsored orphans and their families.
• To educate sponsored orphans according to their specific needs.
• To provide health care for sponsored orphans.

Project Activities

• Providing training to the orphans and their families
• Organising extensive home visits to provide continuous counseling, guideline and awareness building.
• Regular school visits to monitor progress of orphans.
• Regular health checkups and health awareness sessions.
• Organising recreation for orphans.

"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/