“O ALLAH! AWARD DIGNITY AND PEACE OF MIND TO OUR ELDERLY.” (IMAM MAHDI, AS)
The World Federation in partnership with CoEJ and NASIMCO is pleased to announce the re-launch of the Al-Qa’im Sponsor Our Seniors (SOS) Appeal. First launched in 2005, this program aims to give dignity and peace of mind to our elderly Shia Muslims living in severe poverty in developing countries - by providing monthly financial aid so that they can afford some of the basic essentials of life.
To date we have sponsored 332 seniors in India, Iraq and Pakistan; and with your help our hope is to continue supporting these and many more seniors from various different countries in the world.
For only 10 GBP / 20 USD / 20 CAD a month (or 120 GBP / 240 USD / 240 CAD a year), you can offer a needy senior the opportunity to have access to basic meals, decent clothes and access to medical care
Make a one time donation, or contribute monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually. Every bit helps.
The Problem: Villages in third world countries are seriously undeveloped where many people live in mud shacks and in inadequate housing. To earn a living in these villages is difficult, as the jobs are often scarce and based around manual labour. Many families depend on their young males to earn them this livelihood. However, seniors, who have no young family to look after them, are too old and too frail to earn themselves a viable living. As a result, these elders go to sleep hungry night after night, suffer from old-age illnesses because they cannot afford necessary treatment, do not have access to a simple glass of clean water and wear clothes that are old and torn. At present, our elders are trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, and in their old age, they have no hope of ever escaping from it.
Respecting the Dignity of our Elders: Each month, seniors who are sponsored through the SOS Program receive financial aid. Every effort is made to ensure that the funds are transferred to them both respectfully and systematically. For instance, in Bihar, India, a bank account is set up for each senior where funds are deposited into each of their accounts monthly for them to spend. This method ensures and respects their dignity, independence and security and has made a significant difference in the quality of foods that they eat, the shelters they live in, and the health benefits they can now afford.
Please Donate Today. The Scheme left a huge impression on one of the India Documentary Team Members, Abbas Akbar (aged 17) who witnessed the huge positive effect the Scheme has. He had the opportunity to visit one of the villages in Bihar, India where seniors there are sponsored through the SOS Program. Upon his return, he commented: “On my visit to villages in the state of Bihar, I witnessed that the small help we give really goes a long way to help the deprived seniors in the villages around Bihar. One particular encounter I remember is when we met the oldest lady in the village who had passed her 90's, and she broke down into tears to express to Allah (swt) her gratitude that she had been helped by her community; men and women who hadn't forgotten their roots.” Your donation today will change the life of a senior.
Shan-E-Abbas Hassam, Assistant Secretary General described the reporting framework for the program: 'We would humbly encourage you to please sign up as a sponsor. We will be allocating all our sponsors a deserving senior; and we shall inshAllah send you regular updates from him or her at least on an annual basis. At our side we have put in place a tight reporting framework with our partners on the ground to ensure regular updates on each senior sponsored.'
To view or download poster, click here.
To request a status report on your sponsored senior (applied only to Annual or Monthly donors only), please click here.
To Donate in Canada or USA, (via NASIMCO), click here
To Donate on The World Federation website click here
To Donate payment in Europe (via CoEJ), click here
For more information, please email relief@world-federation.org
