Al-Khair Foundation

Al-Khair Foundation (AKF), one of the UK’s fastest growing Muslim charities, is continuing to expand its efforts at home and overseas.

It has spent around £75m from 2012 to 2017, tackling unemployment and disaster relief for floods as well as supporting education, women’s empowerment and domestic violence projects.

Al-Khair Foundation, which is based in Croydon, started as a small school which is now an acclaimed academy but has since expanded with offices around the country.

Its leader, Imam Qasim, and AKF staff, have worked tirelessly to promote harmony across the UK.

The Charity, which runs two satellite TV stations (IQRA and IQRA Bangla) has a series of innovative UK projects that provide health and lifestyle support, employment opportunities and shelter for domestic violence victims.

AKF is an influential force for humanitarian aid and disaster relief internationally. In March, 2016, Imam Qasim detailed how the charity distributed £50m from 2013 to 2015 in the UK and over 70 countries.

A further £25 million has been spent over the last two years. 

AKF programmes address language and integration issues and create a pathway for people to gain confidence and build independent, enriched lives.

Its global campaigns, stretching from aid for refugees to supplying light for struggling villages, have received widespread praise. The United Nations recognised AFK in 2010 for its support of the Haiti earthquake survivors..

Current AKF schemes include Schools4Gaza, which will reach over 4,500 Palestinian children, and the Help for Refugees Appeal, which has distributed mobile kitchens and health units in Greece. 

AFK believes in balance without compromise, accountability and mindful giving. It teaches that charity and education go hand in hand. 

History

The name of the foundation, ‘Al-Khair’, is translated to mean ‘goodness’ in Arabic.^[1] The AKF began as an Islamic school in Croydon in 2003.^[2] It evolved into a service organisation to the UK community first, with an initial focus on education, and also charity work. The founder of the AKF School is the Imam, Imam Qasim.^[3] The Islamic school began with only five pupils. The sports hall was previously a converted warehouse and the school itself was previously an office. By 2013, the school grew into a primary and secondary school with over 350 pupils. AKF then began to build schools overseas for orphans and children from underprivileged communities. This led to AKF’s work with widows and vulnerable women, and then to the establishment of the AKF shelters. Eventually AKF launched their water aid and livelihood projects, as well as the AKF medical aid programmes.^[4]

In 2005, AKF launched their first Overseas Disaster Relief venture to provide emergency aid during the Kashmir earthquake. That October, and in the winter months which followed, AKF's relief teams provided survivors with medicine, food, shelter kits and moral support.^[5] Ever since, AKF has undertaken emergency aid missions all over the world.^[4] Al-Khair school continued to progress by passing their first Ofsted inspection.^[6]

In 2007, AKF established their shelter programme, beginning with a project in Kashmir. Two years later AKF bought IQRA TV, a free-to-air channel available on Sky TV. IQRA TV's educational Islamic-based programmes including 'Live with IQ', 'IQRA with IQRA', and 'Questions and Answers'.^[5]

In 2010, AKF was a founding member of the Muslim Charities Forum.^[7]

AKF has supported the victims of many earthquakes, including the Haiti earthquake and Pakistan floods of 2010, the horn of Africa famine relief, and the Japan earthquake of 2011. Their work in Haiti was recognised by the United Nations in 2010, and they were the only UK Muslim charity working with survivors on the ground in the Japan earthquake of 2011.^[5]

In 2012, AKF created their first official partnership- a MoU with Malaysian Red Crescent.^[7]

In 2014, the revenue made by AKF was 21.4 million.^[3]

In July 2015, AKF signed a MoU with the UN to facilitate education for Gazan children.^[8]

AFK has delivered £75 million of aid spanning from 2013 to 2016 in the UK and over 70 countries.

For late 2017, there are plans to open a new school in Derby, with nursery, primary and secondary classes.

The Foundation aims to save lives in emergencies and provide for disaster zones with medical aid, food and shelter. Al-Khair also aims to help the needy by adopting practical ways to root out poverty from the world through relief and development programmes in South Asia, the Middle-East, East Africa and United Kingdom.^[9]

Activities

AKF's activities are categorised into the following: sustainable development and aid, awareness raising, working with partners and advocacy.^[8]

Sustainable development & aid

AKF provides relief to help those affected or displaced by disasters and conflict. However, AKF also enable vulnerable people to be in a position in which they can help themselves in the long term. This is through the use of sustainable development programmes, which range from livelihood projects to long-term water aid projects. Notable ongoing work by AKF also includes work to prevent future floods in Pakistan through the use of infrastructure relief, rehabilitation and aid projects. Such projects extend beyond the basic provision of aid to impoverished areas through the creation or reconstruction of basic public services which are damaged by natural or man-made disasters.^[5]

Awareness raising

Al-Khair Schools aim to educate and encourage children on how they can engage with and give back to their communities. AKF is conscious in advocating the needs of the wider community, through local action in order to make a difference.

Partnerships

AKF works nationally and globally with more than 30 partners, including the following: Qatar Red Crescent,^[10] UNRWA,^[8] Kenya Red Cross,^[11] United Muslim Relief,^[12] UNHCR,^[13] Global One,^[14] Afghan Aid,^[15] Tayyab trust,^[16] Christian Aid,^[17] UMR ^[18] and Islamic Help ^[19] and many more. AKF is also a member of the Coalition of Muslim NGOs ^[20] and participated in a Christian-Muslim Humanitarian partnerships workshop, hosted by the Lutheran world federation in Jordan in 2013.^[10] AKF is also regularly involved in attending Aidex conferences and events.^[21]

Advocacy

AKF aims to advocate for global issues, which its members believe requires more than donations.^[22] AKF also aims to promote interfaith dialogue and harmonious relations, and is actively involved in annual conferences to engage religious leaders and people of many backgrounds to promote tolerance and understanding .^[5][4]

Senior management

The founder and chairman of Al-Khair Foundation, Imam Qasim Rashid Ahmad,  A graduate in Islamic sciences, he has been actively involved in AKF’s work both at home and overseas.

For many years, Imam Qasim led AKF’s fundraising efforts by utilising his expansive reach and influence in the UK Muslim community. He has also played a large role in establishing and overseeing many of the charity’s aid and development programmes to date.

Prior to AKF, Imam Qasim served as counsellor, community/faith leader and imam at the Croydon Mosque and Islamic Centre. He also worked as visiting imam at Her Majesty’s Prison, for nine years. Here he counselled, taught and offered general welfare support to reforming prisoners.

Imam Qasim is also the CEO of IQRA TV, which has come to be known as one of the UKs premier Muslim television broadcasters.

Dr Jafer Qureshi, ^[23] a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist based in Birmingham and Al Khair Foundation's trustee. He also serves on the board of Muslim Aid, UK ^[24] and Peace TV.

In April 2015, AKF appointed a new CEO, Saif Ahmad.^[25] He has worked with local and central government for over 30 years, as well as in the private and voluntary sectors. He was formerly CEO of the UK charities Muslim Aid and Islamic Help, and was also the founder of charities- Faith Regen foundation, MADE ^[26] and Global One. He has also been a member of the National Young People’s Learning Committee of the Learning and Skills Council, the Regeneration Practitioners’ Group of the Home Office, and the Policy Action Team of the Social Exclusion Unit of the Cabinet Office.^[27]

Locations

In the United Kingdom, AKF has offices in London (East Croydon and Bounds Green), Bolton, Glasgow, Sheffield, Leicester and Blackburn.

The group also operates in Bangladesh, Somaliland,^[28] Kenya, Japan, India, Pakistan, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Albania, Myanmar, Philippines, Afghanistan, Haiti and Chile.

Programmes

• Humanitarian Response- Over the past few years, natural and manmade disasters have a effected many countries across the world. These have completely impacted, and sometimes changed, the social, political and economic landscape of entire countries - either exacerbating pre-existing issues or creating new ones. In the event of an emergency, AKF is quick to respond by dispatching relief teams to assess the situation and deliver aid according to the immediate needs. We coordinate with local governments and other organisations to ensure our response is e ective and appropriate. In the last year alone, we have helped tens of thousands of people to access basic necessities and services in the most dire emergencies.
• Wash- Improving water hygiene and tackling water scarcity is a key priority for AKF. In Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Somaliland alone, we have installed: 6,000 water hand pumps, 1,520 water wells, 70 water filtration units and 15 deep boreholes. We provide water for both humanitarian and long term development purposes through the most sustainable methods possible.
• Medical aid- According to World Health Organisation, an estimated 830 women die from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications globally every day. Maternal mortality is higher in women living in rural areas and poorer communities. Almost all of these deaths occurred in low-resource settings, and most could have been prevented. In the light of these gures, AKF is committed to developing long-term health programmes that provide urgent healthcare services to the most vulnerable people. Our programmes range from maternal health clinics in East Africa, to mammography units and full-time ambulance services in South Asia, to constructing hospitals and mobile clinics in the Middle East and Europe.
• Shelter- provision of temporary shelter in tents or camps for internally displaced people
• Education- Since our establishment in 2003, we have been committed to improving literacy amongst the most marginalised groups. We have eight schools in our portfolio - three in the United Kingdom, one in Somaliland and four in Pakistan - where we educate over 6,000 children in secular and Islamic studies. Providing quality education is a core value to our organisation, as we believe a basic education paves a way out of poverty. 
• Sustainable Livelihood- AKF seeks to give those a ected by internal con icts, natural disasters, poverty, gender and religious discrimination the tools and opportunity to become independent from aid and earn a livelihood. We believe that when given support, training and opportunity, people can work their way out of poverty. 
• Seasonal & religious- AKF recognises religious and seasonal events throughout the year including Ramadan and Qurbani. During Ramadan, AKF provides food packs to vulnerable families around the world to last one month. In 2016, AKF distributed tens of thousands of food packs, iftar meals and Eid gift packs across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. For Qurbani, meat is supplied to some of the poorest families who have very limited access to a nutritious protein source. In 2016, we per- formed 39,722 Qurbanis that bene ted 3,542,640 individuals in over 50 countries worldwide. 
• Support for vulnerable people and communities- Funding sponsorship programs to support international orphans, widows and vulnerable elderly people, as well as community support projects to aid female victims of domestic violence in Britain.^[9]
• UK At AKF, we believe it is important to address the needs closer to home as well. In the UK we run two successful annual campaigns, Feed the Homeless and Let’s Warm Britain, provide hot meals, warm winter clothes, sleeping bags, health and shelter advice, for the homeless and vulnerable people across the country. We also work with local mosques, schools and organisations to build their capacity by training sta to enhance their skills and engagement within the community.

Recent campaign appeals

• East Africa draught and famine appeal
• Family Food Pack, Ramadan Food Pack 2017
• Myanmar appeal for Rohingya
• Feed someone for 30 days in Greece
• Help Refugees appeal 2016
• Refugee Rescue Appeal Europe 2015 ^[29]
• South Asia Earthquake appeal
• Schools4Gaza
• Asia Flood Appeal
• Roingya Appeal
• Nepal Appeal
• Water Appeal

Awards and nominations

• Al-Khair Foundation won Global Sustainability Leadership & GCC Best Employer Awards in 2016
• Al-Khair Foundation received the award for "Most Successful Fundraiser of the Year 2011" by the national charity fundraising platform 'Just Giving'.^[5]

References