Sectors of Work
We sent a Messenger among every people saying: "Worship God and keep clear of all false deities." Among them were some whom God guided but others received the misguidance they deserved. Travel about the earth and see the final fate of the deniers.
Qur'an, 16: 36
Islamic Relief is our primary partner in our work in Forced Migration and Refugee Relief. We are currently focusing our efforts in tsunami affected regions of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India, as well as the earthquake affected regions of Pakistan and Kashmir.
Sectors of Work: (flash page coming soon)
Invitation's International Health Focus and Projects
Regions of Focus
Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Latin America and the Carribean
Middle East
Europe and Eurasia
North America
Sectors of Work
Asia
Indonesia
Cambodia
Pakistan
India
Sri Lank a
Bangladesh
Afghanistan
Middle East
Palestine
Iraq
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sudan
Niger and Mali
Horn of Africa
Togo, West Africa
Malawi
Europe
Chechnya
Central America and the Carribean
Belize
North America
South Central Los Angeles, California
Hurricane Katrina and Rita Relief
Southeast Asia/Indonesia: Tsunami Truth and Invitation's Blueprints For Reconstruction
The tsunami of 26 December 2004 wreaked havoc across eight countries around the Indian Ocean. From Thailand to Somalia, coastal villages and towns were washed away by the waves. By far the worst hit was Aceh, Indonesia's northernmost province, which felt the full force of the tsunami. An estimated 170,000 people were killed in Indonesia alone, while over 600 communities were wiped out. More than a third of those who died were children.
The destructive effect of the tsunami and forced migration in Indonesia was enormous. An estimated 500,000 people were left homeless, around 38,600 students and 2,500 teachers were killed, and 800,000 people lost their sources of livelihood, most of them fishermen and farmers.
Aceh, Indonesia
Invitation to the Truth has joined efforts with Islamic Relief-Indonesia and has been working since summer 2005 distributing food and assisting people affected by the natural disasters. In the Aceh province itself, Invitation is helping to provide emergency funds, clothing, toys, and school equipment for children. Invitation's President, Hassan Akmal, is working closely with the Islamic Relief's Orphan Program Coordinator to help facilitate funds and activity. Upon Invitation's initial visit, Hassan delivered over $5,000 directly in person specifically to orphans and to undeserved areas in Jakarta, Indonesia. Hassan visited Indonesia in July 2005 and was overwhelmed by the rubble and how the first Musjids built in Aceh were still standing unscathed. “The area where the tsunami hit the hardest was an area where prostitution had been ongoing and where corruption was on the rise”, said Hassan. “Thus we are now focusing on providing support in nine main areas: health, water and sanitation, livelihood, education, orphan sponsorship, widow support, self awareness, shelter, and anti-prostitution/self-awareness campaigns.”
Jakarta, Indonesia
Invitation to the Truth has started a large scale self-awareness and anti-prostitution campaign in Jakarta and is collaborating efforts with local organizations who are already active in the region. Invitation's President, Hassan Akmal, began working with Annisa Suci Wulandari, Invitation's Chief Program Officer, during his visit to Jakarta in summer 2005, targeting specific locations where prostitution is on the rise. Funds are currently being allocated to help girls who are subjected to prostitution change their lifestyle and help them afford education, in addition to helping open doors to new positive job opportunities.
Support Our Efforts in Indonesia, Donate Here!
Buy Tsunami Truth DVD, Click Here!
Southeast Asia/Cambodia and Invitation's Link Efforts
The mention of Cambodia conjures visions of war, torture and a country plagued by suffering. The reign of the Khmer Rouge is over by 25 years. During the three years that the Khmer Rouge empowered Cambodia, millions of people were killed, tortured and used as slaves. Today, the legacy of terror lives on with the remaining 5 million landmines maiming at least 2/3 people every single day.
Our UK representative, Ayesha Ahmad, visited Cambodia in the beginning of 2006.
“Stepping into the country is a completely different experience than the perception I entered with”. Cambodia is a barren land yet it is filled a hope for the future. Young people want to attend university and their parents set up their market stall at 4.30am until midnight. A yearning for peace overrides any desire for revenge on those who inflicted such pain on their families and their country.
Invitation to the Truth is aiming to establish links with several of the excellent projects that are evolving at present. Phnom Penh, the capital, has several orphanages with a restaurant/gift shop attached. “Friends” is just one example of these orphanages. Here, the older children work, gaining a sense of self worth, their independence and invaluable skills for the future.
Similarly, a Land Mine Museum has been established in order to educate people about the land mines and the cost of clearing land mines. Hundreds of land mines can be cleared in a day at a cost of $35. Yet $35 is more than a month’s wage of the average Cambodian. The founder of the Land Mine Museum visits rural villages around Cambodia. In these villages there tends to be high incidences of land mine victims, mainly children who were looking for firewood or farming. These children are offered a place to live at the museum and earn a living explaining to visitors the different land mines that are on display. The children also show how the land mines are planted and disguised so that it is almost impossible to notice a land mine amid the terrain.
Invitation is concentrating on the establishment of these links to such projects in order to help finance them so that the country of Cambodia will be allowed to grow. The people have moved on from the reign of the Khmer Rouge. If the country as a whole can move on then this will be the best justice of all.
Support Our Efforts in Cambodia, Donate Here!
South Asia/Pakistan: Invitation Responds to Earthquake Aftermath
Despite poor weather conditions and difficult terrain, Invitation to the Truth has joined Islamic Relief, Response International, Plan Pakistan, and Helping Hand aid worker efforts to continue to work in 300 villages in four of the worst affected districts of Kashmir. Around 260,000 earthquake survivors have benefited from projects in shelter, food security, health, water, education and livelihood. Invitation to the Truth's President, Hassan Akmal, the International Right to Play Athlete Ambassador to Pakistan and the United States and a former Professional Tennis Player and Davis Cup Player for Pakistan, visits Pakistan frequently to oversee and coordinate efforts.
Opening Roads
65 large earthmoving vehicles have been hired to clear landslides and open roads linking the remote Neelum Valley. The earth movers, working round the clock, have opened roads to light transport vehicles. Engineers have cleared 29 routes in the affected area, providing access to over 1.7 million people.
Shelter
Engineers have designed a form of temporary shelter that will be used in two shelter projects. Funding has been secured for the construction of 1,500 shelters.
Water
Many survivors have been forced to resort to drinking unsafe water after water supply systems were destroyed in the earthquake.
1,383 latrines have been constructed and 46 water tanks have been installed in 50 camps in Muzaffarabad and Bagh district. Around 23,000 people benefit from this project.
Distributions
Invitations to the Truth funds and efforts have helped Islamic Relief distribute 15,121 tents benefiting around 100,000 people. Around 200,000 quilts and blankets and 30,000 mattresses and sleeping mats have been distributed to survivors in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Rawalakot and Neelum Valley.
In agreement with the World Food Programme, Invitation is also helping Islamic Relief distribute food to 180,000 people in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Rawalakot, and Neelum valley. The project is planned to last for six months. Distribution of medicine that has been donated is underway to be delivered to three major medical camps in Muzaffarabad. Warm clothing is being provided to 25,000 survivors of the quake in four districts of Kashmir.
Health
In partnership with HMD Response International, four clinics are being set up in the worst affected areas of Bagh, two of which will be mobile. The project, implemented by Response International, will provide healthcare services to around 40,000 people.
Education
287 large tents have arrived in Muzaffarabad and Bagh and will be used as schools until permanent structures are built.
Orphan Sponsorship
Invitation to the Truth is working with Plan Pakistan to sponsor orphans. Invitation's sponsorship efforts are helping to give children the opportunities they need to make the most of themselves - starting with the basics. Over time these children can become healthy and educated young people with the power to transform their communities.
Sponsorship can help:
• build schools, train teachers and provide textbooks to make sure children learn practical skills, which will benefit everyone;
• drill boreholes for clean water so children don’t die or get sick needlessly, help the community build medical centers and latrines and train community health workers;
• train each parent about the importance of hygiene and immunization to give children a healthy start in life and protect them from disease;
• help local people gain access to cooperative village banks where they can save securely for the future or borrow small loans at affordable prices.
Sport For Development
• Invitation to the Truth President, Hassan Akmal, is working with Right to Play as an International Athlete Ambassador to Pakistan to develop Sport For Development Projects in Pakistan and raise funds. Additionally, Hassan is working with Pakistan celebrities and national heroes to promote relief efforts in a wide array of areas, including Sport for Development, which evolved out of the growing evidence that strengthening the right of children to play enhances their healthy development and builds stronger communities. Sport* is now recognized by many as an effective tool in the pursuit of development and peace including international experts in the fields of development, education, health, sport, economic and conflict resolution.
Support Our Efforts in Pakistan, Donate Here!
South Asia/India: Invitation in India
India is located in southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan. Muslims comprise about 14% of the total population of India which is over 1 billion. Invitation has joined efforts with ICNA Relief-Helping Hand to help carry out several relief projects in India.
Education
Since 2005, Invitation is channeling its efforts toward the development of education in India by supporting many serious and needy educational institutions.
Educating young girls leads to knowledgeable women whose children grow up to be educated and productive members of society. Thus, funding schools for women, housing residential and non-residential students in Hyderabad, India, etc. are among some of the current projects.
In Calcutta, West Bengal, Invitation is raising funding for schools for poor children.
HIV/AIDS
Invitation is working with local organizations across India to help support and develop comprehensive, community-based approaches to improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. Efforts are underway to provide the infected individuals and families health care and services that are close to home. This includes teaching skills in providing home-based care to lessen the burden on the established health care systems.
Invitation is dedicated to helping the suffering and oppressed people of the world. The goal is not only to provide free services but also to develop programs which will enable people to help themselves.
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South Asia/Sri Lanka and Invitation to the Truth
The tsunami caused widespread destruction in five provinces of Sri Lanka. Invitation has joined local organizations and Islamic Relief workers to provide emergency relief immediately after the disaster and are now rehabilitating areas affected the most. Invitation is helping in the restoring of homes, providing clean water supplies, supporting orphans and orphanages through local organizations and independently, and helping widows and the poor to reestablish their livelihoods:
Invitation's Projects
Cleaning Up Houses and Clearing Roads
The tsunami made thousands of houses uninhabitable. Debris from the coastline was washed into homes and survivors had to find elsewhere to live.
Environmental clean up
Invitation is helping to employ 600 local laborers to clear up the debris from houses and roads. This project enabled thousands of people return to their homes, cleared up land for the construction of temporary shelters and provided employment for the laborers. In total, 2409 houses and compounds were cleared.
Temporary Shelters
In Nintavur, Invitation is helping in shelter construction. In total, 956 shelters across six districts have been built. Another 107 shelters are planned. The shelters provide a stable and secure environment for families. The project also benefits the survivors in other ways. Health and well-being are improved, as well as access to water. The homes provide the stability necessary for the re-establishment of livelihoods.
Repairing Houses
For most survivors of the disaster, repairing their homes is a major priority. Invitation and Islamic Relief have helped 75 families leave their temporary accommodation in camps or with host families and return to their own homes. Female-headed households, the elderly, and families with young children were given priority. Reconstruction materials, technical support and skilled labor were provided.
Water and Sanitation
After the tsunami, wells in Nintavur and Karaithivu were polluted with seawater and debris. Several organizations tried to clean out the wells, but the water remained unfit for use. Aid workers inserted tube wells to a depth of 25 feet to supply villagers with clean drinking water. A total of 12 wells were installed at first, but then villagers requested several more. 32 additional wells in Nintavur and Karaithivu were installed, and is planning to install another 18. 446 latrines were installed across five districts of Ampara.
Nintavur Hospital
Nintavur District Hospital is on the eastern outskirts of Nintavur and only 100 meters from the coastline. The hospital suffered heavy damage during the tsunami and has now been relocated to a building formerly occupied by the Nintavur Boys School. Invitation is helping to provide assistance to the hospital by building a store, garage, constructing a labor room and extending the existing outpatient department.
Preparing for the Monsoon
Monsoon rains flood coastal areas of Sri Lanka every year. This year the situation is extremely precarious because of the number of people living in temporary accommodation. Foreseeing the potential problems, a flood preparedness plan has been implemented. Additionally, relief staffs have constructed pipe culverts in roads to prevent the congestion of drains. Trenches were dug in all local effort settlements to improve drainage, corrugated iron sheets were provided for roofing, and an area was prepared to receive any people that needed to be evacuated.
Widows, Widowers and Orphans
Invitation is working with other local organizations to help widows and orphans regain their livelihoods. Invitation is providing training and giving out interest-free loans to widows and widowers, and is tackling mental health problems. Orphaned children are provided with educational support, and Invitation and Islamic Relief are distributing school kits and clothing to pupils. 23 dropouts have been encouraged to return to school. Psychosocial workshops have taken place for widows and orphans to help them rebuild their confidence. Also included in this project were donations of computers and office equipment to the Ministry of Health, canoes, sewing machines, and masonry and carpentry tools.
Thousands of people live in very difficult conditions in temporary homes, makeshift camps and with host families. In Ampara district, around 12,000 permanent homes are needed. A project to build 108 permanent homes on government-allocated land has started and an additional 85 homes on private land in Nintavur.
Over a year has elapsed since the tsunami that killed more than 35,000 people in Sri Lanka alone and left half a million people homeless. The huge destruction wrought by the waves prompted one of the world's largest relief efforts.
The Damage
The tsunami affected five out the nine provinces in Sri Lanka and the economic impact was enormous. Around $900 million worth of assets were destroyed, and the livelihoods of around 200,000 people were ruined. Nearly the salty water damaged 24,000 acres of cultivated agricultural land. In its wake, the tsunami also left Sri Lanka's fishing industry in ruins. 75% of the total fishing fleet was wiped out, and nearly 100,000 people in the fishing industry lost their jobs overnight. In total, around 275,000 Sri Lankans lost their jobs following the disaster. The tsunami also shattered health and education infrastructure. 86 medical facilities, 195 vocational training centres and university buildings were destroyed along with 59 schools.
The Response
Invitation to the Truth began coordinating with local and international relief organizations towards the emergency response in Nintavur.
Recovery Phase
Rehabilitation of areas affected by the disaster is now ongoing. During early phases, staff helped to rehabilitate the Nintavur hospital, and began projects to restore homes, provide clean water supplies and support orphans and widows.
Reconstruction Phase
The reconstruction and rehabilitation of the areas devastated by the tsunami is well underway. Invitation's staff is currently working to provide survivors with long-term shelter and care.
Support Our Efforts in Sri Lanka, Donate Here!
South Asia/Bangladesh and Invitation's Developmental Projects
Bangladesh shares borders with India and Myanmar, and is ranked as being amongst the world's most economically deprived countries. With a population of 130 million, it is one of the most densely populated nations in the world and is extremely vulnerable to floods, cyclones and epidemics. Invitation began operations in Bangladesh in 2006, partnering up with Islamic Relief and many local active organizations working in the country.
Invitation's main development projects in conjunction with Islamic Relief, include the Mother and Child Health (MCH) Project, Community Action Project (CAP), and the Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) Project. These projects have had a massive impact in Bangladesh. In addition to these development projects, welfare projects like the Orphan Sponsorship Program as well as emergency relief projects in times of crisis are being facilitated.
The general public also received regular sessions on health education. Throughout the year, approximately 10,000 sessions are held.. A further success of the project was the establishment of testing facilities (blood and urine) which have not always been readily available to more deprived members of the community due to their prohibitive cost.
Implementing health projects in remote villages in Bangladesh is not an easy task. Superstition among uneducated villagers means that there is a great resistance to change. Invitation has managed to overcome this barrier and with the widespread use of local volunteers, have countered many of the suspicions that initially met the project. Learning from every day experiences, Invitation's approach to the work in Bangladesh is dynamic, reflecting the ever-changing needs of beneficiaries, but always assuring maximum effects. With new project proposals being constantly prepared, services will soon be extended to benefit greater numbers of people in other regions.
Support Our Efforts in Bangladesh, Donate Here!
South Asia/Afghanistan: Faces of Despair and Invitation's Commitment
After building a partnership with Plan Pakistan and UNHCR following the September 11th attacks and the war in 2001 in Afghanistan, Invitation to the Truth is taking precautionary measures and observing the situation closely. Invitation’s President, Hassan Akmal, was almost kidnapped on the Kandahar border while completing his Columbia Practicum on the Psychosocial Impact of the Ongoing Conflict on Children in the summer of 2003. Invitation is regularly participating in security meetings consisting of various national and international organizations. The targets of Invitation’s efforts are in new Afghan refugee camps which include hygiene promotion, sanitation, relief activities, education, and upgrading of health services.
Invitation’s main partner in Afghanistan and in Chaman, Pakistan, on the Kandahar border, is Plan Pakistan. Invitation to the Truth President, Hassan Akmal, recently visited Plan Pakistan's Headquarters in Islamabad to discuss psychosocial interventions. Plan Pakistan is a UK based non-profit community development organization and started operating in Pakistan in 1997 after an agreement with the government of Pakistan, helping local communities in areas like safe motherhood, child survival, education, water sanitation, community capacity-building and income generation schemes. The organization is also working with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to implement a nation-wide project on birth registrations.
Refugees and Relief
The number of Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan has lessened considerably, with around 3,000 people going back daily. As reported by UNHCR, almost 1.4 million Afghans have left Pakistan since the start of the repatriation program in March. With cold weather now less than three months away, returnees and the humanitarian community are in a race against time to ensure that late arrivals receive the aid they need to get through the coming winter.
There are still thousands of Afghan refugees stranded at the border with Pakistan who do not want to return to Afghanistan because they fear persecution. "The killings continue in Afghanistan and there is a new government every 10 kilometers [six miles] in Afghanistan. Under these circumstances we cannot return to our homeland," refugee Mohammad Akram said.
There are also reports that 230,000 Afghan refugees are returning to Pakistan after repatriation. These refugees are coming back to Pakistan through informal routes from Afghanistan because of the insecurity and lack of opportunities and resources for economic activities in the country.
Activities of Invitation to the Truth and Plan Pakistan with Afghan Refugees:
1. Distribution of Non-Food Relief Items
Through our relief units in Quetta, Invitation to the Truth is engaged in the distribution of relief items. The latest consignment of non-food items will be completed in few days from now.
2. Rehabilitation of Health Facilities in Chaman
As per the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Balochistan, Invitation to the Truth, WHO, IFRC and Plan Pakistan, and other partners are implementing activities within the project. Meetings of the steering committee, comprising of representatives from all the partners, are regularly held to ensure the smooth implementation of the project. The hospital has started functioning and a good number of Afghan refugees and local population are benefiting from the health facility.
3. Non-Formal Education with Afghan Children
Organization for Social Development (OSD) has started 6 non-formal schools in Hazara town, Quetta with support from Invitation and Plan Pakistan. Around 300 children involved in carpet weaving activities are getting education during their work hours.
4. Health Project
Self-awareness on health will be carried out through a child-to-child health program and formation of health committees in the camps.
5. Working with Afghan Refugees
Invitation to the Truth is committed to work with Afghan children, women and men to lessen their sufferings. The above mentioned projects in the areas of supplying non-food relief items, education and health projects are aimed to meet both the practical and strategic needs of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
6. Sport For Development
Invitation to the Truth President, Hassan Akmal, is working with Right to Play to develop Sport For Development Projects in Afghanistan. Sport for Development evolved out of the growing evidence that strengthening the right of children to play enhances their healthy development and builds stronger communities. Sport* is now recognized by many as an effective tool in the pursuit of development and peace including international experts in the fields of development, education, health, sport, economic and conflict resolution.
Support Our Efforts in Afghanistan, Donate Here!
Middle East/Palestine: An Invitation to Peace
Hidden Hunger, Open Fear
Poverty has been artificially created in Palestine. Increased military checkpoints coupled with strict curfews have choked economic development. At the same time, house demolitions in the refugee camps have left 12,600 people homeless.
Unemployment in Palestine now stands at 70%. Without a regular income, families are left impoverished and dependent upon aid to survive.
Over two thirds of the population lives below the poverty line on less than $2 a day, resulting in rising rates of acute malnutrition - especially amongst children. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 44% of children are anemic.
Invitation to the Truth has joined Islamic Relief and other organizations to help alleviate suffering.
Latest Palestine News:
Orphan sponsorship
The number of orphans supported in Palestine has rocketed to over 2,300. These orphans are individually sponsored by generous donors worldwide, receiving education, health care, and emotional support.
Milk for Malnourished Children
Malnourishment in Palestinian children leads to a failure to grow and develop normally, leaving some children mentally and physically impaired. In extreme cases, it can result in blindness and death.
To alleviate the effects of malnutrition, coordinated efforts are taking place to provide preschool children with nutritious flavored milkshakes, using milk bought from local dairies in the West Bank. High Energy biscuits to children as an additional supplement are also being provided.
These biscuits, currently distributed in the West Bank and Gaza by the World Food Program, are fortified with vitamins and minerals, and will provide a valuable addition of nutrients, especially iron.
New Classrooms
An extra floor has been added to the Al-Azhar Educational Institute in Khan-Younis, Gaza Strip. Three new classrooms will accommodate local students who are unable to reach their schools and universities due to travel restrictions. A new water system and well were also officially opened in Khan-Younis refugee camp.
Computer Centers
Computers are being provided for Gaza Islamic University. Two new IT centers will provide access to IT training and education for both male and female students.
How Can the Palestinian Issue Be Resolved? An Invitation to Peace...
By using the principles of tolerance and moderation outlined above, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has caused so much bloodshed over the last 50 years, can be solved. In our view, establishing peace depends upon two conditions:
1) Israel must immediately withdraw from all the territories it occupied during the 1967 war and end the resulting occupation. That is an obligation under international law, various U.N. Security Council resolutions, and mere justice itself. All of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip must be recognized as belonging to an independent State of Palestine.
2) East Jerusalem, the site of significant places of worship belonging to three divinely revealed religions, must be administered by the Palestine authority. However, it must have a special status and be turned into a city of peace that all Jews, Christians, and Muslims can visit comfortably, in peace and well-being, and where they can worship in their own sanctuaries.
When these conditions are fulfilled, both Israelis and Palestines will have recognized each other's right to live, shared the land of Palestine, and solved the contentious question of Jerusalem's status in a way that satisfies the adherents of these three religions.
Support Our Efforts in Palestine, Donate Here!
Middle East/Iraq: Invitation's Crisis Update
The humanitarian crisis in Iraq is extremely grave. The complete lack of security affects the population in almost every aspect of their lives. Baghdad and other cities have suffered regular bombings, disrupting everyday life. Some cities have been placed under curfew. People are faced with increasing challenges in accessing basics such as food, water and health services. Invitation to the Truth has joined Islamic Relief Efforts in Forced Migration and Refugee Relief.
Violence
The recent violence in Fallujah began on November 8th, 2005. Families trapped inside the embattled city have been living without food, water, electricity or medical supplies. The numbers of civilians killed or injured are expected to be high. Although over two-thirds of the city's population fled the violence, anywhere up to 2,000 families are believed to still be trapped within Fallujah. The impact is greatest on the young. Some residents have reported that their children have not eaten for days, and are suffering from diarrhea.Many of those who remained behind were the heads of families; afraid their homes would be looted if left empty. Residents have lived through days of heavy bombardment, unable to sleep for fear of attack.
Destruction
Hundreds of houses have been flattened, roads have been torn up by tanks, and most buildings have smashed windows, bullet holes or torn down walls. Several mosques have also been reduced to rubble. Aid trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies have been unable to deliver humanitarian supplies to the city's residents.
Displaced
At least 150,000 people fled Fallujah and sought refuge in cramped make-shift camps in surrounding villages, or Baghdad. The poor sanitation and crowded conditions in these camps have led to illness amongst the displaced population.
Invitation to the Truth
Invitation to the Truth in Iraq is continuing to help people in need despite the increasing violence.Basic relief aid has been distributed to displaced families wherever possible, and staff continue to closely monitor the humanitarian needs of the cities suffering from the latest violence.
Support Our Efforts in Iraq, Donate Here!
Sub-Saharan Africa/Sudan: Invitation's Desperate Appeal
An ominous escalation of violence in Darfur, Western Sudan, has rapidly manifested, a state torn apart by three years of conflict. The resumption of fighting has meant that for a third year running some two million people will be unable to return home.
A cruel mix of conflict, drought and failed harvests has ruined agricultural production in the region. For many farmers, this will be the third consecutive year they will be unable to work their fields, while others will have no seeds to plant this year.
Invitation Action
Invitation has joined Islamic Relief Efforts and is working with around 35,000 people in and around the western town of Al-Geneina. Invitation to the Truth Marketing and Promotion Director, Murwa Farah, is helping to make Invitation's Appeal public and visible. Ongoing efforts to manage the Kerinding II camp for displaced families, many of whom had been living in local schools have taken move. The camp now accommodates over 6,000 people who regularly receive food, plastic sheeting, soap, jerrycans and local building materials to build traditional homes.
100 orphans have been registered in Kerinding II who will receive additional support.
Water and Sanitation
Staff are drilling wells in and around the Kerinding II camp in Al-Geneina. Around 25,000 people have benefited from water projects in Darfur.
A total of 76 wells have been bored so far: 11 in the camp, 58 in neighbouring areas and another 7 in Azerni to the north of Al-Geneina. Hand pumps have been installed for 48 wells, and 196 people, both men and women, have undergone training as hand pump mechanics.
270 latrines have been constructed, 181 bathing cabinets and 252 communal showers. Water bladders that can hold 62,000 litres of water have been set up in Kerinding II. A set of 20 latrines were also installed in the camp school and nursery for children.
Water is supplied by tankers at least twice daily, but new plans to develop a more permanent water supply system in the camp is being discussed.
Health
Training women to act as midwives as well as workshops on HIV/AIDS awareness are carried out regularly, as well as counseling for victims of rape. Pregnant women also benefit from antenatal programs run in the camp.
Invitation and Islamic Relief also supply Al-Geneina Hospital and Kulbus Hospital with medicines periodically.
Education
Residents of Kerinding II send their children to Islamic Relief's Masakhane School where over 1,000 children are enrolled. The school has 19 classes and 28 teachers – some from the local community and others from the capital, Khartoum. The pupils also receive meals, uniforms and school bags. Ten prospective teachers are undergoing teacher training in the camp. Four additional adult literacy classes in Kerinding II have also opened.
Support Our Efforts in Sudan, Donate Here!
Horn of Africa/Niger and Mali: Invitation Intervention
Children across Niger and North Mali are starving as the world ignores appeals for help.
Around 150,000 children will die soon without aid, according to Jan Egeland, head of UN Emergency Relief.
A deadly combination of poor rains and locust invasions have devastated last year's crops leaving around 3.5 million people in Niger with little or no food.
"If the famine continues my family and I will die," said 80-year-old Abdou Adamou, a farmer from Tondikiwindi , Niger . "We have nothing to survive on. There is no food, no property and no livestock."
Millions Affected
Experts say this is the worst food crisis for 20 years in Niger , which ranks as the second poorest country in the world.
A further 1.5 million people in the north of neighbouring Mali are also affected.
Rocketing Food Prices
Livestock are dying of starvation and drought in great numbers. It takes years for nomadic herdsmen to build up their herds, which have now been decimated.
Failed harvests have also sent farmers spiraling into poverty and hunger. Seeds for the next harvest have been eaten, leaving nothing to plant for October.
Food prices in the markets have more than doubled. In a country where two thirds of the population lives on less than $1 a day, most people cannot afford to buy food.
Desperate Search for Food
Dozens of villages have been abandoned as their hungry residents wander the desert in search of food. Some people head for the towns and cities, or even neighboring countries.
Villagers gather leaves, berries and roots of wild plants to eat. Even these are becoming scarce in some areas, as so many people are relying on them for food.
“I have no means to face this famine,” explains Zali Adamou, a 90-year-old widow from the Tillaberi region in Niger . “I have no food, livestock, nothing. I only have God!”
Invitation to the Truth is focusing effort with Islamic Relief and other partners in three main areas:
1) Emergency Food Aid
2) Emergency Nutrition
3) Medical Aid
Support Our Efforts in Niger and Mali, Donate Here!
Horn of Africa/Kenya and Ethiopia: Invitation's Cry For Help
As drought continues to ravage the Horn of Africa, an estimated 11 million people in the region are facing critical food shortages. Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia are the hardest-hit countries.
Invitation to the Truth is providing emergency assistance in the Mandera region of Kenya in the north-east, and in Ethiopia Invitation and Islamic Relief are coordinating efforts and working together to help people in the Somali region.
Crisis
Daily temperatures in Mandera continue to rise above 40C (104F), and are expected to increase. The prices of basic cereals have rocketed beyond the reach of drought-stricken families, while meat is both rare and very expensive.
Carcasses
An estimated 80% of the livestock in the Mandera region of Kenya has died from starvation, thirst or disease due to the lack of pasture and water.
Rotting carcasses of livestock litter water boreholes and tankering sites. There is neither pasture nor fodder for them to eat and weakened by starvation the animals easily fall prey to disease.
Inevitably, the market prices for livestock have crashed, leaving livestock farmers destitute.
Displaced
Many people have been forced to abandon their traditional nomadic lifestyle and travel to towns and larger villages seeking help. They are forced to live as squatters on the outskirts.
In Lafey and Libehia where Invitation is working, up to 100 nomadic families have arrived seeking food and water in the villages.
As the worst drought in living memory bites hard, the numbers of desperate people turning up at the Supplementary Feeding Centers also continues to increase, almost doubling in one week.
Water Crisis
The main water sources for the community are shallow wells and mechanically-operated boreholes. The shallow wells are no longer shallow as people dig ever deeper to locate water - some are up to 80ft deep now.
Many boreholes are in bad condition as they are poorly maintained and over-used. Run 24 hours a day to keep up with demand, they often break down. Although the government has introduced fuel subsidies to keep the boreholes running, the water is not free and many people cannot afford to pay for it.
Children
As many as 35% of children under five are malnourished and are in a fragile physical condition. Malnutrition leaves children extremely vulnerable to diseases, such as measles. Outbreaks of measles have already been reported, which can kill or leave permanent damage.
Invitation Intervention
Invitation to the Truth is responding to the crisis in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Invitation in Mandera, Kenya
• Emergency water distribution continues in Kabo and Kamor-Libaan in Lafey division where 2000 people receive 10,000lts of water daily.
• Water distributions to five more villages in the Lafey area are being organised.
• A Supplementary Feeding Programme is providing food each week to almost 600 malnourished children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and the elderly in Kamor-Libaan, Damasa, Libehiya and Kabo.
• Screening and registration is also taking place in Lafey town.
• 3 boreholes have been assessed for rehabilitation at Lafey, Fino and Arabia, in partnership with the local Water Department.
• Weekly distributions of emergency food are in progress.
Invitation in Somali District, Ethiopia
• In total there have been over 35,000 beneficiaries in the Somali District of Ethiopia
• 3 tankers have distributed water to 4 sites in Hargelle, reaching 12,400 people
• 3 tankers have distributed water to 4 sites in Charrati reaching 14,895 people
• A tanker has distributed water in Filtu Town reaching 8,500 people
• Two water treatment stations are also being set up by UNICEF to purify river water.
Support Our Efforts in the Horn of Africa, Donate Here!
West Africa/Togo: Invitation is Building Musjids, Schools, and Homes!
A Special Project For Orphans
Invitation to the Truth has independently acquired 2.5 large pieces of land and already allocated over $50,000 to build three schools, three Musjids, and three homes with orphans as the primary beneficiaries. Invitation to the Truth's Director of Operations, Affo A. Sakibou, has been coordinating efforts with local organizations and the local community of his native country to make this vision a reality. “The idea is that the orphans will live in and insha'Allah one day run the Musjid, says Affo. Invitation to the Truth's President, Hassan Akmal, is also greatly encouraging personal efforts of his staff to promote and raise funds for this special project.
An additional $200,000 is needed to complete the orphan project.
Child Prostitution and Trafficking
Invitation is also working with local organizations to fight child prostitution and trafficking. Many vulnerable children in Togo fall victim to traffickers who supply children as cheap labor or sex slaves throughout West Africa.
Better protection to the victims of child trafficking and more help for them to be reinstated back into the community is desperately needed.
Support Our Efforts in Togo, West Africa, Donate Here!
Southern Africa/Malawi: Invitation in Action
Food security and malnutrition in Malawi
Invitation to the Truth has joined efforts with Plan International to provide food aid when needed, while working on longer term projects to address the issue of food security. Efforts to monitor distribution to ensure that food does not go missing, and is given directly to women and children to help ensure it goes into homes and not the market-place.
Longer term: part of Invitation's strategy is to introduce new high-yield crops such as soy beans, fruit and vegetables as well as high yielding varieties of maize and peanuts. Additionally, introducing water conservation techniques to help shorten the hunger season is highly useful. Encouragement towards families to raise animals has started and grain mills and seed presses are being delivered to help families earn a cash income.
Invitation is focusing on the very poor districts of Malawi, in Lilongwe, Ksununga and Mzimba, where more than half the children have stunted growth as a result of malnutrition.
Support Our Efforts in Malawi, Donate Here!
Europe/Chechnya: Invitation to the Truth Accepts Invitation to Help
The Latest from Chechnya
After four years of war, Chechnya's economy and infrastructure lies in ruins, while nearly half of its pre-war population is either dead or displaced.
Unemployment is high and the vast majority of Chechens live below the poverty line, many without access to even basic services or shelter. For most people humanitarian assistance is an essential lifeline.
Refugee Camp Closures
At the height of the war, more than 300,000 Chechens lived in squalid over-crowded conditions in refugee camps in Ingushetia. The last remaining camp was closed down in June 2004, but without guarantees for their security or well-being, the 60,000 Chechens still in Ingushetia are reluctant to return home.
Those that do return often have nowhere to go, and are forced into the government-run "Temporary Accommodation Centres" in the capital Grozny. Overcrowded with eight or more people sharing a room designed for six, the temporary accommodation centers frequently have no running water or functioning sewage systems.
Invitation to the Truth has been committed to helping the Chechens by providing food, clean water, shelter, and primary medical care by working with Islamic Relief and other international organizations.
Support Our Efforts in Chechnya, Donate Here!
Central America/Belize: Invitation Joins Liberty Foundation in Efforts:
The work of Liberty Foundation is dedicated to providing for the children of Belize, Central America. A beautiful orphanage has been established with the funds raised over the last few years. The orphanage opened its doors to abandoned, abused and orphaned children in the summer of 2005. Children between the ages of 0 and 5 years old will be cared for in the orphanage. Adoption is possible for these children in the future. However the adoption process is still an extremely undeveloped process in Belize and a delicate issue considering the trauma the children have endured during their short lives.
Our UK representative, Ayesha Ahmad, volunteered at the orphanage soon after the first children arrived. “It is incredible how much Liberty has achieved in such a small period of time”. The orphanage consists of several dome-shape buildings. They are designed specifically to endure the heat and rain of a typical Tropical country. Inside, the Domes are equipped with play areas, learning areas, dining areas and sleeping areas. Following the turbulence of the children’s lives so far, Liberty is determined to create a strong, supportive atmosphere where the children can experience security and stability for the first time in their lives.
Liberty aims to integrate the local people and neighboring villages in its philosophy and work. The orphanage has created a multitude of jobs for the Belizeans, who in turn are helping to develop their country by sustaining a working life. In addition to the orphanage, Liberty is organizing outreach projects for villages in rural areas. Disabled children experience a great deal of problems in Belize. The problems arise from lack of specialist medical care, lack of provisions for the disabled and the exclusion of the disabled child from education. Therefore, Liberty is also focusing on helping the plight of the disabled child and their parents. For example, support groups are in regular practice for the parents of disabled children as the parents often have not been provided with enough information to understand the diagnosis of their child’s condition. In the support group a doctor is on hand to consult with in the event of any medical questions.
Belize is a very small country situated between Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. The size of Belize is enabling Liberty to make an amazing difference to the country. Belize is a beautiful country scattered with rainforests and outstanding barrier reefs. The children of Belize have the potential to add so much to this neglected country. It is vital that the needs and happiness of the children are catered for. Liberty can make a difference that will be felt through to the next generation.
Invitation to the Truth has built a strong partnership with Liberty Foundation to help raise funds for current and future projects pertaining to orphanages and orphans. In additional, Invitation is recruiting volunteers and supplying medical supplies.
Support Our Efforts in Belize, Donate Here!
North America/South Central Los Angeles: Invitation Gives Back to the Community
UMMA Free Clinic History
UMMA was established initially as a student organization based at UCLA by medical and graduate students at UCLA and Charles R. Drew University with the purpose of establishing a clinic.Invitation's President, once a volunteer at the UMMA Clinic, has decided to give back to the community by raising funds for the clinic through Invitation to the Truth.
“Hope through direction”, Hassan says, “give back to the community what it once gave me, an opportunity.”
UMMA is not a religious organization. Rather, it was conceived as a vehicle for the Muslim community, as well as people of all backgrounds, to provide community service to the public at large. It sought to do this by collaborating with other institutions and organizations. The group of students garnered the administrative and logistical support of the UCLA and Drew schools of medicine as well as LA City Councilperson Rita Walters. The clinic has now been operational since 1996.
Located in the heart of South Central Los Angeles, the clinic serves an impoverished but culturally rich population comprised of 51% Latinos and 43% African-Americans. The clinic serves the unemployed, working poor who do not receive insurance or qualifiy for Medi-Cal, and the homeless. It is one of the poorest and most medically underserved areas of the region.
Support Our Efforts in South Central Los Angeles, Donate Here!
North America/Hurricane Katrina and Rita: Invitation's Responsibility to Support and Rebuild
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged coastal communities throughout the Gulf Coast in August and September 2005, affecting over one million people and resulting in the largest national disaster in U.S. History.
Invitation to the Truth is helping to raise funds and support efforts aimed at both the major anchor facilities that provide specialized services and the network of safety-net clinics that play the key role of caring for people who have little money and no insurance. Both types of facilities have undergone tremendous strain from surging patient visits, lack of revenue and, in many cases, storm-related damage.
Support Our Hurricane Katrina and Rita Relief Efforts, Donate Here!