Over £14,000 raised by youths for Iraq Relief Orphan Fund: Saturday 9th February 2008
Over two hundred and fifty young people took part in an all day London wide collection to raise money for Iraqi children affected by the war. The youngsters who came from across the UK gave up their Saturday to collect at various tube and train stations, and managed to raise a grand total of £14,520.
The money raised will go towards sponsoring around three hundred Iraqi orphans in Sadr City, one of the poorest parts of Baghdad. This project has been jointly organised by: The Council of European Jamaats, The World Federation of KSMIC and the Student Iraqi Medical Association. For just £30 a month a young orphan can be provided with primary school education, books, healthcare and shelter. The aim is to provide access to basic necessities for children, but in a way in which they can remain with their families.
Munawar Rattansey, President of The Council of European Jamaats said: "This project was enthusiastically led by the young people themselves and I am very proud of the way in which they dedicated themselves to this very worthy cause. It is pleasing to see young people holding such a strong sense of social responsibility and giving up their time in order to help those who are suffering in Iraq."
Views of the participants:
"It was amazing to see how so many people from different communities came together and worked so hard to achieve a common goal." - Anisa Rajbhai, Birmingham
"Although we were raising money for a serious cause, it was a fun experience! This was a good way to get young people involved in charity projects." - Asif Bhimani, Peterborough
"I took part because I felt like any amount of money – no matter how small would help these children in Iraq. At times it was tough answering people's questions about what we were doing, but it was satisfying when people who were planning to walk past stopped and donated. I really enjoyed taking part and would definitely take part next year!" - Nishaat Rajani, Leicester
"It was a challenge but we rose up to it and as a result three hundred innocent children will get a chance for a better life." - Zayd Shalchi, London
"When I was collecting, at first it seemed like no one seemed interested, but when people did stop it was very satisfying. In particular one little boy asked me what an orphan was and then called his parents over to donate. It was a truly inspiring sight, which brought tears to my eyes!" - Sajida Manji, Peterborough |
