Supporting communities through sustainable livelihoods
Many people across the globe struggle to find work and earn a reliable living with which to support their families. This makes everyday life a challenge and fosters worry and uncertainty around the future.
Islamic Relief helps to create new sustainable livelihoods, to help lift communities out of poverty and empower them to become self-reliant.
We distribute cash grants and interest-free loans so people can start their own small businesses, as well as providing them with the training and equipment needed to succeed.
In Gaza and Yemen, youth unemployment is rife. Islamic Relief is by their side, helping to meet their basic needs, improving access to high quality education, and creating and nurturing new livelihoods. This allows them to earn a living to be able to provide food and other essentials to help their families, as well as giving them hope for a brighter future.
We run extensive livelihood projects to help lift families out of poverty. Below are some examples of our projects from across the globe. (The following should be sub-categories)
Please donate now to help lift communities out of poverty and help empower them to become self-reliant.
Barber shops
We support vulnerable families in Jordan by setting up barber shops in their villages. This allows families to earn a reliable living, and helps to create new jobs and benefit the wider community.
Barber shops also serve as a safe social space, and are helping to create new connections in the community.
Beekeeping
Islamic Relief are running a project to support Syrian refugees. The project involves providing vulnerable families with beehives, tools and training around beekeeping.
Those benefitting from the project are then taught how to harvest the honey and sell to their local community, as a reliable source of income.
Chicken houses
Islamic Relief run a project to provide vulnerable families with chickens, chicken houses, incubators and training on how to breed and take care of the chickens.
After rearing the chickens, families use the eggs for food, or sell them at a local market for profit. This allows them to buy important items such as food or school items for their children.
Coconut oil production
In the Philippines, we have established local cooperatives who work together to create a sustainable community enterprise based on virgin coconut oil.
The virgin coconut oil is harvested and sold by the cooperatives, and has created jobs and income for the local community. It’s allowing families to become self-reliant and build a more stable future for themselves.
Fish ponds
Islamic Relief build artificial fish ponds, to help create new livelihoods across the globe. The artificial fish ponds allows for intensive fish farming, and is helping to create new jobs for both fishermen and market sellers.
One fish pond can typically sustain 30 trained fishermen and support 20 women to set up a fish selling business
This initiative is helping to create reliable sources of income, and a reliable source of food, particularly for communities who have suffered from the effects of climate change.
Goat farms
We work with vulnerable communities to establish goat farms, which serve as a sustainable source of income for local families.
The farms are helping to create new jobs, as staff are needed to rear the goats and sell the meat, milk and cheese produced to their local communities for profit. Staff are also needed to build sheds to house the goats, as well as a well which serves as a water supply.
Some of the produce from Islamic Relief’s goat farms is also donated to local orphanages, to help vulnerable children.
Handicraft training
We work with local cooperatives, vulnerable families, and women’s enterprises to help them manufacture handicrafts and bring their produce to market. Manufacturing handicrafts enables individuals to generate an income, which is a lifeline for many.
The initiative is helping vulnerable families to break out of the cycle of poverty and build a more stable future.
Livestock rearing
Islamic Relief supports communities with the livestock, training and equipment needed to rear animals such as cows, goats and sheep. We help them to earn a living as they sell meat, milk and other animal-based products to their local communities.
Raspberry farms
Our organic raspberry farms support hundreds of vulnerable families and empowers them to become self-reliant. In Kosovo, our project is benefitting families returning to their homes after they were forced to flee their community, and is enabling them to rebuild their lives.
Sewing machines
At Islamic Relief, we provide vulnerable women with a sewing machine and training around making clothes. We also provide access for them to sell their goods in stores, ensuring that they can maximise their skills and earning potential.
This initiative is helping to empower women to live dignified lives, free from relying on support from others.
Tree planting
Islamic Relief is planting thousands of trees and providing fast growing seeds with the help of local people. In the long run, this will help restore environmental balances and ensure that the soil is healthy to grow crops.
What’s more, we also work with communities to rehabilitate degraded land, learn new adaptive farming methods, and improve productivity of grazing lands.
For communities in need, this means they’ll be able to grow (more) food and secure a stable source of income and nutrition for their families.
Vocational training
At Islamic Relief, we train those who’ve been unable to gain an education in critical trades such as carpentry, electrical repairs, hairdressing, mobile phone repair, and sewing so they earn a reliable living.
At the end of their training, they can apply for equipment grants, loans, or join existing projects.
They are also supported with business plans and start-up toolkits to ensure that they’re supported every step of the way on their new venture.
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