Sustainable Development

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

All our work is underpinned by our commitment to furthering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as we help bring about sustainable change in developing countries.

Our Sustainable Development programmes are changing lives

“I was an artisan gold miner, relying on luck to support my two children. Previously we had no water and farming knowledge,” says Juma, 26. He lives in Moyale, Kenya, an area on the frontline of the climate emergency.

Working with communities devastated by recurring flooding and droughts, we constructed dams and installed solar-irrigation technology. Juma decided to take up farming and joined other local people in one of the farmers’ groups we formed. As a result of our work, 3,000 families – including Juma’s – now have livelihoods that can better withstand the challenges of climate change.

“I make a good income. During a three-month season I can earn £19 per day from the sale of tomatoes. Our children are healthy because they now eat food fresh from the farm, unlike before.”

Our programmes are not just about providing access to essential services – they also address the multiple challenges communities face and empower them to lift themselves out of poverty.

Empowering communities

Through our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals; particularly Goal One- to eradicate poverty, and Goal 13- to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, we want to ensure the eradication of poverty by providing families like Juma’s with long lasting changes that ensure he has a sustainable income for the future.

Our approach aims to tackle the root causes of poverty and its impact, as we aim to bring about transformational change.

Transforming lives through Waqf

Islamic Relief established its Waqf programme in 2000, to support our charitable purpose. We have since prioritised the growth and development of the programme, which is seen as key in diversifying its income and reducing dependency on other income streams.

We promote Cash Waqf in the form of Waqf shares and Sadaqa Jariyah. The portfolio Return on Investment (ROI) funds humanitarian projects in more than 25 countries.

Donors can give any amount to Sadaqah Jariyah funds or they can buy a ‘share’ in Waqf programme, which has a fixed value (currently £890 in the UK). Islamic Relief enables donors to restrict the ROI from their share to any of the humanitarian sectors in which we work.

Funding much-needed projects worldwide

Our Waqf portfolio continues to be invested in low risk, ethical and Shariah compliant investments which are critical for Waqf. Ten per cent of the ROI is reinvested, ten per cent covers investment management costs, and 80 per cent funds humanitarian projects aligned with the donor’s selection.

Sustainable livelihoods in Indonesia

In 2013, three of the poorest villages in West Sumatra, Indonesia, benefited from £30,000 funding from sustainable livelihoods Waqf shares. Over 90 women received training to cultivate mushrooms and to produce local delicacies from their crop, as well as in marketing their products.

With the money they now earn, the women can support and feed their families, as well as send their children to school.

Kasniawati, 40, is a single mother-of-three and the main breadwinner for her family. She told us that the project raised the confidence of all the women involved. Now, she dreams of having her own mushroom plot. “It might be small,” she said, “but it will be enough to support my children’s living costs and school fees.”

Designed to be sustainable, the six-month project has seen products now sold widely in Indonesia and exported to Singapore. The Indonesian government replicated the project in other parts of the country, engaging women trained by Islamic Relief in passing on their skills to other vulnerable people.

For over thirteen years, Islamic Relief has enabled our generous supporters to change lives and transform communities worldwide through our Waqf programme.