The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust

19 9 7 - 2 0 1

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9th Lady Fatemah Trust Gala Dinner

Thistle Hotel London Heathrow

Saturday 26th April 2014

for Salima

1972 - 2011

Welcome

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the volunteers who have organised this event, I would like to welcome you to the 9th Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust Gala Dinner. For those who have attended the Gala Dinner before and those who have worked with us in the past, we thank you for continuing to support The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust. For those who are new to the trust, we hope this evening will inspire you and provide you with an indication of our vision.

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust takes its inspiration from Lady Fatemah (a.s.), the beloved daughter of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). Lady Fatemah teaches us how to stand up against injustice, how to live by the Quranic principle of giving away what you love most and how to give in charity without looking for praise or reward save from Almighty Allah (s.w.t).

The mission of The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust is to eradicate poverty and suffering; this we believe, is not a distant dream, but a goal that we can achieve by working together. Every human being has the right to be safe, healthy, and to live a dignified life, regardless of his or her race or religion. The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust adheres to the philosophy of empowerment, for it is only through this that a lasting solution to poverty can be found.

In 1997 the trustees set up the charity with a vision of working alongside a global network of like minded partners to assist in responding effectively to urgent and unplanned natural disasters as well as working with communities and organisations catering to meet long-term needs, such as the provision of clean water, education, healthcare and most importantly income generation. It is the The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trusts vision that anyone who is helped via trust funds will be in a position to not require further charity and indeed is in a position to provide charity.

The trustees are inspired and humbled by how fast the Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust has grown and evolved over the last seventeen years. It is only through the generosity of you, our donors, that together we have been able to assist thousands of disadvantaged people worldwide. We know that if we continue to work together and spread our message, we can and will make an even bigger difference in the years to come.

We hope this evening and the following pages will inspire you and provide details of the scope and nature of our myriad activities. Should you wish to work with us in any capacity please let one of our team know. We hope that you will continue to support us in us in our endeavours, and help us to eradicate poverty wherever we may find it.

With warm appreciation and prayers,

Amirali G. Karim

Chairman of the Board of Trustees

The Gala Dinner

Today marks the 9th Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust Gala Dinner. The Gala Dinner serves as a celebration of what your assistance has allowed us to achieve through the year and allows us to showcase our ambitions for the coming year.

We hope that this year the dinner will emphasise the trusts core ethos of sustainable giving, we aim for a situation where those we assist do not continue to remain dependent. The Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust doesnt give hand-outs; instead, we believe in giving people an opportunity to empower themselves and live a life with full dignity. Here at The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust, sustainable giving has been, and continues to be, the backbone of the various projects and appeals we implement throughout the year. The generosity of our donors has enabled us to assist thousands of impoverished people worldwide.

The mission of The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust is to try and assist anyone who comes to us with a worthy cause or need which we can verify and fund in accordance with our ethos. This has over the years resulted in ambitious projects ranging from sustainable development programmes to the simplest of charity, putting a smile on an individuals face.

As you will see from the following pages, we operate globally and support projects in the Indian subcontinent, Burma, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Occupied Palestine, East Africa and Indonesia.

Our key philosophy and USP is to operate on the basis of zero administration fees, thereby ensuring every penny donated goes directly to those in need. We ensure that the trust carries out all activities with complete transparency, from verifying appeals, providing full receipts to benefactors for every donation and providing comprehensive spending breakdowns even down to the last pencil.

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust works with charitable partner organisations who are on the ground. This allows us to closely inspect each of the appeals that arise and provide on-going support and advice. As they have local expertise and connections and are in direct contact with the communities in need, we can try and ensure that the assistance reaches exactly where needed, as efficiently and quickly as possible.

Wherever possible and particularly for large projects, The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust works closely with other international charities so as to leverage the full benefit of collective goodwill and local expertise. We have found that joining hands with other organisations often results in achievements beyond the scope of any one charitable institution.

All the above can only be done with the support of our donors who give up their time, assist with finances and most of all provide us with their expertise to assess and analyse the projects that come before us. If you believe you have expertise and/or time to assist behind the scenes please let us know.

What We Do

As those who receive our newsletter and email updates are aware, the variety and number of projects the Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust supports and carries out each year is great. The following pages provide a snapshot of the nature of projects we have carried out this year and hopefully will inspire and move you. The number of projects that we have to turn away is also great but with your continuing support we can continue to put smiles on the faces of those we assist.

Although we provide support in emergency and disaster relief situations we aim primarily to reduce dependence on humanitarian aid and facilitate the transition on a path to self-reliant, long-term development. We hope to empower communities and provide them the skills both to pull themselves out of poverty and to ensure their future generations are empowered to produce long lasting change in their own communities.

For detailed information on our appeals and projects, or to contribute and make a difference, please visit www.ladyfatemahtrust.org, sign up to our e-mail newsletter or download our new mobile app.

Projects and Case Studies

Orphan Care

Unfortunately one of the results of war, natural disaster, poverty and malnutrition is that millions of children are left alone and without support. It is our aim to assist orphans wherever we work to provide them with the love and support they deserve.

In countries where war, famine or poverty is part of everyday life, millions of children are orphaned and left to struggle for survival. Over the last decade alone, armed conflict has resulted in six million children being wounded or disabled for life, and one million orphaned.

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust along with our partner organisations has established orphan sponsorship programmes to care for orphans in Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, Lebanon and occupied Palestine.

Blessed is the wealth of a Muslim from which he gives to the poor, the orphans The Holy Prophet (pbuh)

The Orphan Sponsorship Program

The program intends to reach the most destitute families, who frequently do not have access to any other charitable organisations or public welfare departments. Sponsorships are also granted to assist orphaned students in attending school, university, training programmes and apprenticeships, aiming to provide young orphans with the means to earn a living.

We continue to receive appeals from more orphans than we can currently support. The cost of provision is only 25 a month which gives the children a chance for a better future.

They ask you as to what they should spend. Say: Whatever wealth you spend, it is for the parents and the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, and whatever good you do, Allah surely knows it. (Quraan 2:215)

An Iraqi orphan draws a picture of his mother on the ground and sleeps in her arms

Case study: Iraqi Orphans - The forgotten children

A decade has passed since the Iraq war, yet the unrest endures, and the great tragedy is the children who have suffered as a result. With no adoption system in the Middle East as in the West, orphans are taken in by extended families. However, when conflict occurs, often entire villages can be destroyed, leaving orphans with no support or care.

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust, with the assistance of its Iraqi partnership, distributed a monthly allowance for their living expenses. Grateful beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the LFT. One widow commented: May the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (as) rewards you in Duniya and Akhira for remembering the widows and orphans. Another widow remarked that this stipend contributed to have my children remain in schools and give them a bright future.

With more generous support, the LFT will be able to help more of these disadvantaged orphans, and enable them to have access to a brighter future.

We have carried out water projects in Pakistan, Kashmir, India, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Iraq, three of our key water projects are highlighted below.

Birre Sakina Water Wells - The Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust have now built over 170 water wells in the name of Bibi Sakina, the granddaughter of our patron. These wells have been built in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan and these provide consistent access and supply of drinking water. This means the sanitation conditions in these villages have improved leading to a reduction in illness.

Hand Water Pumps, Afghanistan - Only 13% of the country currently has regular access to clean water. As part of our water strategy in Afghanistan, we are installing hand water pumps at a cost of 600. These pumps mean that the women and children in the villages will no longer have to walk for hours to collect water for their families.

Basic Water Sanitation, Iraq - Sometimes before we can set up longer term water solutions, the Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust sets up water sanitation projects. This is particularly important following the outbreak of infectious diseases. For example in the last year there was an outbreak of cholera near Karbala which was becoming an epidemic. The LFT supplied water purification tablets to approximately 20,000 families. A project like this is relatively low cost but can have a huge impact in a short space of time.

Provision of Clean Water

Access to water is a fundamental human right and essential to life and health, yet approximately 780 million people worldwide lack access to clean water. As a result, more than 3.4 million people die each year from water related diseases.

The first act to be rewarded on the Day of Judgement is the charity of water.

Imam Baqir

Case study - Tanzania

Water storage facilities Pemba

The remote Island of Pemba in Tanzania has suffered from a lack of access to clean water. The vast majority of villagers are famers and animal breeders, but since they were deprived of a constant water supply, some were forced to permanently have only water collection duties. The only clean water supply is between one to five kilometres away, and even this is irregular and unreliable. Facilitated by the LFT, seven villages now have access to water storage facilities, providing the villagers with a constant supply of water. When the project is completed, 50% of the island will have access to a constant supply of water.

Projects such as these have drastically improved the villagers lives. Below are a few comments from the delighted beneficiaries:

With water now available at our village, we will be able to live a more productive life and have improved future.

Collection of water, especially when pregnant, was difficult. Now we have this blessing right here.

A special sincere thank you to the donors. May Lady Fatema (as) Trust always thrive, and continue to help people like us, who live in remote areas.

Socio-Economic Regeneration and Micro-Finance

Projects that allow the most deserving to work themselves out of poverty are the ones that the trust particularly focuses on and wishes to expand. Our income generation projects help individuals, families and institutions develop skills and income to become financially independent and in the long run, non-reliant on charity.

Goat Income-Generation Project

The live goat project is one that really highlights the power of sustainable giving and the multiplication of a donation.

Goats provided through this project not only provide milk for the families, but also can enable families in the areas that the project runs to build up herds. With this comes the opportunity to sell surplus milk and kids, and thus drastically increase their quality of life. The beneficiaries also pledge to donate back to the project one kid to another deserving family.

Case study - Pakistan

Goats for widows and poor families

Gohra and Narwara are remote hilly villages in the district of Abbottabad, North-East of the Pakistani capital Islamabad. There you find an impoverished community of traditional tillers and herders, among which a large group of widows, having lost the breadwinner in their family unit, have no recourse of a dignified income. This leaves them struggling to meet the basic needs of survival. The LFT initiated a pioneering microfinance initiative project, distributing goats to them to ease their struggle, providing them with a livelihood and in the long run enabling them to become self-sufficient.

The project proved extremely successful. Shaheen Akhtar, one of the beneficiaries, said I have a son and a daughter who are young, under 12 years old. My husband died 11 years ago and I work in peoples houses to feed my family. I will try my best to look after the goats and multiply them. It will help me get milk for the family and sell goats and earn an income in the future. I am exhausted of working in people houses and want earn with dignity and be independent financially.

With the help of more generous donations, the Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust can implement more of these microfinance initiatives, and improve the standard of living of hundreds of individuals worldwide.

Orphanage Poultry Project

An orphanage, situated in Lemara area, Arusha, Tanzania, is a small haven for 45 children run by two very dedicated ladies, Mama Amina and Mama Mchome. Over the years it has progressed well, and the two ladies managing the orphanage are now trying their utmost to make the orphanage relatively self-sufficient through a poultry project, started by the Trust. Over the past 15 months, the poultry project has provided the children with eggs, chicken, fuel for their stoves and electricity. Through the income generated by surplus eggs they have been able to purchase water, shoes and stationery for school.

Provision of shops, equipment and machinery

The trust has provided a variety of machinery, sewing machines, stock for shops and vehicles such as taxis and rickshaws to many deserving individuals and families who were hovering near or below the poverty line.

The recipients of the microfinance projects are provided with an opportunity to become self-sufficient and live lives full of dignity and self respect while providing a stable platform for their future generations.

This year, a number of different schemes have been put into place, such as the bakery project in Lebanon. By providing and facilitating the set-up of five bakeries, the scheme enabled the empowerment of the families running the shops, allowing them to earn a living and sustain their families.

26 The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust Gala Dinner

Healthcare

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust, since its inception, has been actively involved in promoting and protecting good levels of health worldwide. Historically, the Trust has received a wide range of appeals for medical assistance, which owing to the conflicts around the world, is increasing exponentially. It is unfortunately the innocent individuals who fall victim to such violence. LFT assists with healthcare from simple rehabilitative measures to complex life-saving procedures,

Assistance to Amputee Victims

Working with a Tanzanian partner organisation, IZAAS, LFT has been able to provide artificial limbs for young amputees from Tanzania. A lack of sufficient health and safety measures, coupled with poor medical services, means that frequently limbs need to be amputated. Amputees are then left to fend for themselves; unable to afford the cost of an artificial limb, most are reduced to a lifetime of begging on the streets. Through IZAAS, LFT has received a number of appeals for amputee victims, and has been able to help them to dramatically improve their life and completely transform their future prospects.

Ask Allah for forgiveness and health, for after being granted certainty, one is given nothing better than health.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Cluster Bomb Victims - Lebanon

The LFT, in association with the Philanthropic Association for Disabled Care, have been assisting patients who have sustained horrifying injuries as a result of the 2006 war. These projects are often coupled with micro-finance projects to enable the patients to go on and earn their own income. As a result, children treated on the program are then able to return to school, thus enabling them to transform their lives.

Medical Treatments

Until recently, appeals were being received from India and treatments provided included coronary artery disease patients, organ transplants and treatments, and cancer treatment. This project has now been extended to include Pakistan, where essential treatment is being provided to save lives.

Free Tablets Imam Sadr Foundation

Imam Sadr Foundation has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of tens of thousands of people in Lebanon. Since May 2011, the Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust has been working alongside the Health Department of the Sadr Foundation, providing it with essential drugs for patients who are unable to afford their prescriptions. To date, LFT has been able to distribute 281,000 tablets for free at the Imam Sadr Foundations health care unit.

Karbala Eye Clinic

In Iraq, the cost of specialised eye care facilities is so high that most people cannot afford it. The Karbala Eye Clinic has been helping the poor of Iraq since 2006 and performs thousands of examinations every year, ensuring the gift of sight for those who may not otherwise have been able to afford it. Restoring or improving an individuals eyesight means enabling him or her to be a useful member of society, and can be as simple as providing someone with reading glasses. With the continued assistance of the generous donations, the Kerbala Eye Clinic will be able to continue on with this project and make significant differences to the quality of their patients lives.

Cataract Operations Kashmir and Pakistan

Cataracts are a common, easily curable condition which often develop with age. In the developing world cataracts are the primary cause of blindness. Cataract treatment is available globally at a very low cost but many cannot afford 15 for this simple operation. For the cost of an average meal out, you can provide someone with the gift of sight and enable them to lead a fulfilled life. In Pakistan, the LFT is currently providing over 100 cataract operations a month. One beneficiary told us It is unbelievable that a poor woman like me is receiving such high quality treatment absolutely free of charge. May Allah shower his blessings upon the donors and staff of this hospital.

Medical equipment repair - Gaza

The Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) runs a pioneering community outreach programme, helping with the early detection of hearing loss. The early detection of hearing loss is essential as it allows patients to plan suitable intervention services to develop language and communication skills. However, the organisation encountered issues with its hearing screening equipment, and without this, its free service for more than 12,000 children and adults would be unable to continue. The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust was fortunately able to assist the ASDC, and covered all the needed expenses so that the necessary equipment could be repaired and services to resume. One patients mother, Haifaa Qudeih, expressed her gratitude to the LFTs generous donors: I was worried about my child hearing, and we were waiting to receive the screening service, however we were told that the equipment is in need of repair. Now I am assured that my son is ok. Thank you very much the Lady Fatemah Trust for helping ASDC in getting the equipment repaired.

Case study Brother Ali Raad Wali

Artificial limb recipient

12 year old Iraqi amputee is the eldest son of a poor family living in Madinat al-Sadr district of Baghdad. Alis father struggles to support his 8 children, all of whom are below working age. When Ali was 6 years old, he was severely injured in a car accident, and his left leg, including a hip joint, had to be amputated. Ali says he barely remembers having two legs and being able to walk normally. Remarkably, his spirit is undented: he likes singing, dances on two crutches and loves to play the guitar.

While there are centers for artificial limbs in Iraq, the sophisticated kind of leg needed for Brother Ali is not available, and his father unable to pay for the cost. The LFT, in partnership with the UK and Dutch company Human Film, endeavoured to provide an artificial leg for him free of charge.

In September 2013, Ali began his consultation and treatment, and after three successful sessions, he received his artificial limb and walked for the first time in six years.

Case study Brother Muhammad Wasif

Congenital Heart Disease surgery

15 year old Muhammad Wasif belongs to a low income family from Lodhi Khel village in Pakistan. As the only son of four, the discovery of the acuter cardiac condition was devastating for Muhammads family, who had hoped that he would be able to become a professional and take care of his three sisters and parents.

The family could not previously afford the necessary treatment. However, with help from the LFT, channelled through Madinatul Ilm Charitable Trust (MICT), Muhammad Wasif recently underwent open heart surgery at a leading cardiac facility in Rawalpindi, just outside Islamabad. His Doctors believe, Muhammad Wasif will return to full recovery in future. The members of this family have collectively sent their gratitude to LFTs donors for their support to Brother Muhammad.

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The LFT is involved in providing education at all levels, from primary to university, and aims to empower both genders and individuals of all ages to reach their full potential. As the following projects illustrate, education can enable adults and children to flourish in their local communities and with the continued generosity from LFT donors, these projects can continue to run and produce excellent results.

Education

The provision of education creates opportunities to improve the quality of life and helps people to lift themselves out of poverty. Providing educational prospects is one of the key focuses of The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust in its mission to tackle the root causes of poverty.

Allah elevates to high positions those from amongst you who are faithful and those who have acquired knowledge.

The Holy Quran Chapter 58 Verse 11

Salima Memorial Medical Education Project

Established in 2011, the project was named after the late Salima Ashfaq Khalfan, a former trustee of the LFT who dedicated her time tirelessly to the charity. The project is dedicated to providing funding for medical students, who without financial assistance would be unable to complete their education.

Currently, thirty-three projects have been launched and successfully completed as part of the Salima Memorial Medical Education Project. The project aims to sponsor talented students, and also continue to track their progress and training. It can cost as little as 35 per month to sponsor a university student to train as a medical professional, and achieves outstanding results for both the individuals concerned and the community at large.

Lebanon

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust is currently assisting special needs children from war torn Lebanon to develop their abilities and enable them to live independently. Many of these children have learning disabilities, lack essential motor or speech capabilities, or are hearing impaired. The LFT provides them with the required therapy and special care that will ensure that they have a future to look forward to. The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust has also supported bright students to attend university by helping with tuition fees.

Gaza

Conflict torn Gaza is one of the poorest regions in the world with 60% of the population living on less than one dollar per person per day. LFT continue to work hard to promote education in this area, and is currently sponsoring five students at the Atfaluna School, who have learning difficulties, are deaf, or visually impaired. It costs just $100 per month to sponsor a child at this school, and with continued donations, it will be possible to sponsor more of these children and help them to overcome the challenges they face and achieve a good education.

Iran

The Khazali School for the Blind is the first school for blind children established in Iran, and is situated in downtown Tehran. All 101 blind students come from poor families, and the school seeks to facilitate their learning by providing them with a cane, talking books, and a special typewriter to enable them to write. Without the opportunity to study, these children would have been condemned to a life of dependency and isolation. To facilitate the students with their learning, the LFT has assisted the school to acquire a number of key pieces of equipment, such as a specialist tape-recorder, in order to allow the school to improve their facilities.

Additionally, work has been done to facilitate education for Afghan and Iraqi children living in Iran. With the assistance of some educated refugees, informal schools have been established to do this. LFT continues to assist The Imam Mehdi School, which primarily serves to educate children from the neediest of families. It costs just 31 per child on registration, but families with several children often have to take out a bank loan to pay for this. The LFT has provided assistance to families to pay fees, and as a result of this and the recruitment of better staff, the number of students has doubled over the past year.

In September 2009, LFT established a Skills Training Center for refugees in Qum. The center is equipped with six computers and six sewing machines and has the capacity of teaching 96 trainees annually in each subject. Participants were selected from more than 40 applicants according to a set of priority indicators, for example families living on $1 per day. It costs just 52 to train a person in a marketable skill that enables them and their family to become self-sufficient and live in dignity.

India

The Trust has been involved in funding grants for basic and higher education since it began in 1997. St Pauls School in Mysore, India was founded in 1980 with the aim of offering an affordable education to students coming from poor families. LFT is currently sponsoring 68 students at this school, which will enable them to flourish as individuals and achieve their potential.

Food provision and emergency relief

Ramadhan Iftaar Appeal 2014

This is one of the Trusts most widely supported projects, where, in some countries, as little as 3.35 can feed one person for an entire month.. In addition, the Trust also distributes zakaat funds to the poorest families on Eid, as well as gifts to children whose lives have been devastated by war.

When natural disasters strike or conflict affects innocent civilians lives, the Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust responds quickly to help those most at risk. A wide range of events, such as war to extreme weather conditions, causes millions of adults and children to be without the most basic human needs. LFT strive to provide as much relief as possible to individuals faced with such conditions.

For most of us, it may seem debilitatingly difficult to fast during tirelessly long summer days, but we do so with the knowledge that at the end of each day, we can quench our thirst with refreshingly cool water drawn from readily accessible taps, and satisfy our hunger with an abundance of food in our iftaar and suhoor, often over indulging. Unfortunately, for hundreds of millions of people elsewhere in the world, the fear and anxiety of remaining hungry and perpetually malnourished is an endless and devastating reality every day of the year.

In a month where fasting allows us to understand the plight of those less fortunate than ourselves, the LFT humbly requests you to donate.

Blanket and pyjama assistance project Lebanon

Lebanon was ill-prepared for what scientists predicted would be the worst winter in a century, with the harshest weather in almost 100 years. Flooding, closed roads and power outages have become a routine as winter rain in Lebanon over the years, as infrastructure deteriorates and government bodies trade blame over who is responsible.

Tents, shacks and unfinished buildings throughout Lebanon are home to tens of thousands of impoverished Syrian refugees, facing a miserable winter as aid organizations rally to meet their needs. Additionally, there is the added problem of the relentless flow of people fleeing the Syrian conflict, now entering its third year. Sadly, in many cases, the vulnerable and elderly often perish from hypothermia as they have nothing to protect themselves.

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust, in conjunction with its partner organisations, aimed to provide as many Syrian refugees with items such as wool pyjamas and blankets to protect families from the harsh, unforgiving winter. With more generous donations to the LFT, more children and families can be kept warm this winter.

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust is YOUR CHARITY. It is only with your support that we have improved the lives of thousands of people in many of the poorest countries worldwide. Although the need is great, we can make a difference. Thank you for being here today and continuing

to support the Trust in its goals.

Together we can change the world, one life at a time.