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The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust

1 The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust Gala Dinner 2012

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15th Anniversary

Gala Dinner
Thistle Hotel London Heathrow Saturday 5th May 2012

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust Gala Dinner 2012 1

Welcome

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to welcome you to The Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust. This trust was founded in the name of Lady Fatemah, the daughter of the beloved Prophet Muhammad, with the vision to follow her teachings and translate them into meaningful change. The mission of The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust is to eradicate poverty and suffering; this we believe, is not a distant dream, but a goal that we can achieve by working together. Every human being has the right to be safe, healthy, and to live a dignified life, regardless of his or her race or religion. The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust adheres to the philosophy of empowerment, for it is only through this that a lasting solution to poverty can be found.

In 1997 the trustees of the The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust formed the trust in response to the persistent worldwide appeals for humanitarian assistance that they were receiving. They noticed that the appeals were growing, and they took action. Since then, The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust has created a framework that responds effectively to both urgent requests, such as those of the Pakistan floods, and to programmes catering to meet long-term needs, such as provision of clean water, healthcare, education, and income generation, The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust seeks to tackle the root causes of poverty. The trustees are inspired by how fast the Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust has grown over the last fifteen years. It is the generosity of our donors that has enabled us to assist thousands of impoverished people worldwide, and it is our hope that together, we will be able to make an even bigger difference in the years to come. The following pages provide details of the scope and nature of our various activities. We hope that you will join us in our endeavours, and we look forward to working with you. With warm appreciation,

Amirali G. Karim Chairman of the Board of Trustees

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In Memoriam
Salima Khalfan
The trustees and volunteers of the Lady Fatemah Charitable trust honour Salima Khalfan, who passed away on 1st November 2011, aged 39, after a twentymonth battle with cancer. Salima gave all her energy and compassion to everything and everyone she touched. She was dedicated to the work of the Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust, she was the inspiration and driving force behind the first five LFT Gala Dinners and for seven years she was the editor of the LFTs monthly newsletter. In 2006 Salima agreed to become one of our four Trustees. She was known for being extremely well prepared, for her love of lists and for being a teacher that her students at the Islamic Saturday workshop could confide in. Salima qualified in 1995 as a dental surgeon from the prestigious Guys & St. Thomas Hospitals (University of London), she consistently topped her class and won numerous awards. However, she was never competitive and always helped her colleagues. She was a technically gifted dentist who had high standards, often criticising her own work even when others thought it was brilliant. Her fellow students remember her as the perfect friend. Upon qualification she was one of only a handful of the top students chosen to work as a house surgeon at Guys Hospital and then went into dental practice. Her colleagues recall her as a dental surgeon who treated her patients as if they were an extension of her own family. Salima developed a reputation among her patients as a dentist who would treat them with dignity, kindness and with whom they could be safe. Because she was calm and patient, she was often asked by her practise to treat patients who were scared of dentists. Despite her many, diverse roles, Salima was very modest and went out of her way to avoid being the centre of attention rather, she tried to make sure that everything was running smoothly behind the scenes. She was a warm, funny, kind-hearted, dignified and intelligent woman. But more important than all these qualities, Salima had tremendous faith. She believed in Allah and dedicated her life to serving Him by giving her energy to her community, and to the needy throughout the world. The Trustees of the LFT have set up The Salima Memorial Medical Education Project to honour Salimas service and dedication to the trust, and to humanity. The trust will provide bursaries for impoverished students in developing countries who wish to undertake medical education, including nursing, dentistry, general practice and other medical professions. The Salima Memorial Medical Education Project will be a definitive way in which Salimas short but inspiring life can live on through many others. Although Salima has passed on from this life, she will be missed for her unconditional dedication and commitment to all those that knew her and for the work she did for the community. We owe it to Salima to apply her example in our own lives, and in doing so, keep her memory alive.

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The Gala Dinner

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trusts Gala Dinner 2012 is a celebration of what our core ethos has enabled us to achieve over the past 15 years. The trusts core ethos of sustainable giving means that The Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust doesnt give handouts in such a way that people remain dependent. Instead, we believe in giving people what they need in order to elevate themselves and earn their living with full dignity. This we believe empowers people, not just in the moment, but also through time. Here at The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust, sustainable giving has been, and continues to be, the backbone of the various projects and appeals we implement throughout the year. The generosity of our donors has enabled us to assist thousands of impoverished people worldwide. The Gala Dinner will focus on three of the many appeals our charity continuously carries out: orphan care, micro-finance and education.

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What We Do
The mission of the The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust has resulted in ambitious and often pioneering activity in a variety of projects, ranging from emergency relief to sustainable development programmes. The projects we support span the globe and include the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Occupied Palestine, East Africa, Burma and Indonesia. We operate on the basis of zero administration fees, thereby ensuring every penny donated goes directly to those in need. We ensure that the trust carries out all activities with complete transparency, from verifying appeals to providing full receipts to benefactors for every donation. The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust combines a global perspective with local insight. As such, our partner organisations closely inspect each of the appeals that arise and provide on-going support and advice. They are on the ground, and in direct contact with the communities in need, thereby ensuring that the assistance reaches exactly where intended. Wherever possible, The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust also works closely with other international charities so as to leverage the full benefit of collective goodwill and local expertise. We have found that joining hands with other organisations often results in achievements beyond the scope of any one charitable institution.

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Projects and Case Studies

We assist people in need to reduce their dependence on humanitarian aid and facilitate their transition on a path to self-reliant, long-term development. Only when individuals are given the means and skills to help themselves can poverty be eradicated. The range and quantity of the projects that the LFT carries out each year means that it is impossible to describe everything that we do here. The following pages provide a brief look at the scope and nature of some of our various activities and we hope will give an idea of the ways in which our donors enable us to help those in need. For detailed information on our appeals and projects, or to contribute and make a difference, please visit www.ladyfatemahtrust.org.

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Orphan Care
In countries where war, famine and poverty are part of everyday life, millions of children are orphaned and left to struggle for survival.

The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust has established orphan sponsorship programmes to care for children in India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Palestine and Lebanon. I feel that there are people who are so far in distance but so near through their love and care for me. Thank you very much to all the good people of the Lady Fatemah Trust! Khaled Shakour, orphan sponsorship programme, Gaza The orphan sponsorship program intends to reach the most destitute families. Frequently, such families do not have access to charitable organizations or public welfare departments. Disease, ignorance or quite simply their abject poverty prevents them from seeking assistance.

An Iraqi orphan draws a picture of his mother on the ground and sleeps in her arms

Over the last decade, armed conflict has left millions of children wounded or disabled for life and in Iraq alone recent figures suggest there are 4.5million orphans in the country (Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs). Our partner organization IRAC recently opened an office in Emara, Iraq, and was soon approached by widows with orphans who had heard about LFT/IRACs orphan programs in Karbala, Baghdad, Basrah and al-Kut where over 1,000 children who are under the age of 15 are receiving on going assistance. The Trust has a similar sponsoring scheme for Iraqi and Afghan orphans in Iran where currently 150 orphans are sponsored. Our proposal is to initially sponsor 150 orphans additional in the first phase of this project. The cost of this provision is just 20 a month, and gives the children a chance for a better future.

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Provision of Clean Water

Clean, safe water is the most essential need of life, yet millions of people do not have this basic human right. Easy access to fresh water can give life, health and sustenance to an entire village.

To date, over 123 water wells have been dug in areas where drought and lack of infrastructure made it virtually impossible to have clean water available. Wells have been dug in Pakistan, Kashmir, India, Afghanistan, and Kenya. This year for the first time the LFT is digging wells in a remote village in Ethiopia, these wells will be complete and functional by the end of 2012. Examples of other LFT water provision projects include: Pakistan The Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust does not discriminate between any religion, community or caste. A project to provide clean water and sanitation to a Christian community in Islamabad, Pakistan has been completed. Afghanistan Three water network irrigations have taken place in three villages. These villages have now become completely independent. Al Khalil District, West Bank, Palestine The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust recently carried out a project to provide clean drinking water to two schools in the Arroub Refugee Camp. Prior to this project being completed, 1,057 students were drinking polluted water. The LFT supplied the schools with a water filtering and cooling system to ensure that these children always have clean and safe water to drink

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Socio-Economic Regeneration and Micro-Finance

Income-generation projects aim to help individuals develop their own skills to earn livelihoods and become financially independent.

Sewing Machine Project This project has previously been implemented in India, Iran, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Burma where women were provided with a sewing machine. The income generated from their sewing practice is used to support the families. This enables the women to work from home taking care of their children as well as helping to make ends meet. This year, the LFT is planning and implementing a project to set up a sewing workshop for Iraqi refugee women who have been displaced to Iran. This workshop will provide Iraqi widows the opportunity to have sewing classes. Materials and sewing equipment will also be provided so that these women can begin to support their families and earn a dignified living in the months and years to come.

Provision of shops, equipment and machinery Microfinance projects taking place in Pakistan have been providing machinery, shops and vehicles such as rickshaws and taxis. Projects implemented in Lebanon also include the provision of food shops, enabling the recipients to be self-sufficient and earn their living with dignity.

Milking Cows Project Needy families living in Lebanon, whose businesses have been destroyed, have been provided with a milking cow and a grant for one months fodder. The objective is for the cow to yield milk that will be sold to provide for essentials and the childrens education.

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Case Study - Mama Amina Miraji

Live Goats Project - Arusha, Tanzania
The high breed wether (female goat) that LFT provides deliver twins, and can have up to two sets of kids in a year. The first female kid will be given back to LFT for other families to start their herds from, no recipient is allowed to slaughter any goat from the first two set of kids. Mama Amina Miraji, with a family of nine, is the first recipient of Live Goats Project in Arusha. She is one of the good Samaritans who helps run the Kibowa Orphanage. Goat Income-Generation Project The Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust is assisting poor families and widows to generate an income by providing them with live goats. The aim of this project is to help these women and families become self-sufficient by having breeding goats and raising a herd. This project has been implemented in Jordan Valley, Palestine, East Africa, and Pakistan in 2011. In January 2012, this project has been implemented in Arusha, Tanzania for the first time. The number of goats varies between 2 and 5, depending on the location, financial requirements, and the size of the family. Mama Amina received two goats, which are now pregnant and should give birth to twins in three months time. These goats also have the ability, with Allahs assistance, to reproduce at the rate of 2 - 3 sets of twins in 18 months. Mama Amina has pledged to return two kids, from the first set of twins, back to Lady Fatemah Trust for onwards donation to other deserving families, to enable them start their project too. These kids would be expected to reap fruits in about 18 months time. She plans in 3 4 years to have a herd of at least 10 goats. Mama Amina hopes to not only feed her family through the milk and meat, but also help other deserving families. She also hopes to be able to pass on her acquired knowledge to families like hers.

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Healthcare
The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust assists with healthcare from simple rehabilitative measures, to complex life saving procedures.

Medication provision, Lebanon This programme is run in association with our partner organisation, the Imam Sadr Foundation in Tyr, south Lebanon. LFT donors have allowed us to supply 175,164 tablets free of charge to the needy in an area where the poor lack basic healthcare provision. Eye Camps in Tanzania, Pakistan and Kashmir The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust regularly funds eye camps in remote Tanzanian villages where cataract removal and other ophthalmic procedures are carried out. Due to the lack of facilities and extreme poverty, many of these patients would almost certainly go blind without these camps. In association with our partners in Pakistan and Kashmir, cataract surgeries are undertaken every month. Since 2007 we have been able to save the sight of 6,951 people. The cost of each surgery is 15, but they are being provided either free of charge, or at a nominal cost. Karbala Eye Clinic The Karbala Eye Clinic has been helping the poor of Iraq since 2006 and performed 18,073 examinations in 2011, ensuring the gift of sight for those who may not otherwise have been able to afford it. Medical Treatments Until recently, appeals were being received from India and treatments provided included coronary artery disease patients, organ transplants and treatments, and cancer treatment. This project has now been extended to include Pakistan, where essential treatment is being provided and saving lives. Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust Gala Dinner 2012 21

Medical Referral Programme, Iran We have been working with IRAC in Tehran providing medical care for Afghan and Iraqi refugees. This programme supports people that generally work, but their income is insufficient to cover the cost of their treatment. Iraqi patients also come to Iran for this treatment as travelling to Baghdad is costly and dangerous. An average of 90-100 patients are treated every month and a total of 6,080 patients have been treated since the projects inception in 2005.

Healthcare Patients, Tanzania People in rural parts of Tanzania are often in need of prosthetic limbs. Providing them with an artificial limb can dramatically turn around these patients lives. Our charity also recently helped blind and deaf children travel to Nairobi to have medical care. Their treatments included cataract removal, treatment of severe infections and cancer care. 20 The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust Gala Dinner

Education

Case Study - Khawaja Basit Ali

Medical Education Project - Bhawalpur, Pakistan
Khawaja Basit Ali belongs to a poor family. His father is a kidney patient and unemployed for the last two years while his mother died of cancer last year. His mother was a primary school teacher from Bahawalpur. During her lifetime, the late mother of Khawaja Basit sold her house and her other belongings to raise funds for educating her children. However, the funds raised by Mrs Khawaja had to be supplemented by support from elsewhere. The Lady Fatemah Trust and Madinatul ilm Charitable Trust (MICT) joined hands to support Khawaja Basit Ali, enabling him to complete his course work for his MBBS degree in China and return to Pakistan just over a year ago. Khawaja Basit completed his internship at the District Hospital Bahawalpur, Pakistan as a pre-requisite before being awarded an MBBS degree from his university in China. With the support of the LFT he recently returned to China to complete the final stages of his degree program and has now received his qualification. "I have no words to express my regards and thanks for this generous and kind favour to me. It is purely because of the support of MICT and The Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust that the dream of my parents (especially my late mother) took the shape of reality. During my studies my family suddenly suffered from a money crisis and at that time it was looking almost impossible for me to carry on my studies further. During this I brought myself in touch with the trust and they helped me to complete my studies from their donations. For this huge favour me and my family will always pray for those kind donors who really proved angels of kindness and gratitude for me in my time of desperation." (Letter from Khawaja Basit Ali) Supporting medical education in cases such as this does not only make a difference to the recipient of the funds but also brings much needed medical skills into impoverished areas, hopefully changing lives for an entire generation. The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust Gala Dinner 2012 23

The value of education can never be underestimated for it tackles the root causes of poverty, opening up vast opportunities for economic improvement. The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust strives to advance impoverished communities through education.

The LFT has been involved in funding grants for basic and higher education since its inception in 1997. Undergraduates have been supported for degrees in medicine and engineering, and full sets of reports for the younger children are regularly sent to sponsoring donors. Salima memorial Medical Education Project Established in 2011 and named after former LFT trustee, the late Salima Ashfaq Khalfan, this project is dedicated to providing funding for medical students who without financial assistance will be unable to complete their education. In 2011 the LFT sponsored 13 female students who aspired to study nursing. These students will be funded until their nursing degrees are complete. In addition, two medical students are also being sponsored for a period of two years. All future appeals for medical education will be sponsored from the Salima Memorial Medical Education Project. 22 The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust Gala Dinner

Lebanon The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust is currently assisting special needs children from war torn Lebanon to develop their abilities and enable them to live independently. Many of these children have learning disabilities, lack essential motor or speech capabilities, or are hearing impaired. The LFT provides them with the required therapy and special care that will ensure that they have a future to look forward to. The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust has also supported bright students attend university by helping with tuition fees. Palestine Since January 2008, The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust has sponsored five students at The Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children, situated in Gaza. From 2011, an additional nine students are being sponsored. Each child is making remarkable progress, learning to use sign language, communicate with words and interact with other children. It costs just 50 per month to give a deaf child the chance for a better life. I would like to thank the Lady Fatemah for supporting me for years now. Through their help, I was able to complete my education and I am now on my way to be a productive and an independent member of the community. Mahmoud Al-Banna, student at The Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children. Five university students are being sponsored in the West Bank. These students were already in university but were at the verge of dropping out due to a lack of funds. Each student is being provided with a sum of 1500 per academic year for the next four years. Sponsorship is conditional on academic excellence and each student must provide a progress report each term. 2011 was the very first time that university students have been sponsored by the LFT in this region. Since the inception of this project, additional students have come forward and are currently awaiting support. The LFT is aware of this need and is encouraging donations towards educational projects.

Iran Afghan and Iraqi refugees in Iran cannot afford to send their children to Iranian public schools. With the assistance of some educated refugees, informal schools have been established to educate these children. The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust assists The Imam Mehdi School, an institution that educates children from the most needy of families. The Imam Jafar Al-Sadeq Skills training centre set up by LFT and IRAC is intended to teach Iraqi and Afghan female refugees marketable skills that will improve their chances of employment, or of generating an income from their own initiatives. The centre offers sewing and computer courses and since its inception over 213 students have completed the training successfully.

Food Provision and Emergency Relief

When natural disasters strike or conflicts affect innocent civilian lives, The Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust responds quickly to help those most at risk. We ensure the vulnerable receive food and shelter, and thereafter provide long-term support helping these people rebuild their lives.

Food assistance During 2011, the Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust provided food assistance to the drought-affected region of Kenya. In addition, the LFT exported 165,000kg of rice to Iraq in response to the poverty and poor economic conditions that the country continues to suffer. The rice was distributed to widows and poor families, who cannot afford even one full meal a day. The need for further assistance is apparent and the LFT is exploring possibilities of setting up microfinance projects in the region, implementation of which will begin between 2012-2013.

Humanitarian relief Where natural disaster affects the lives of impoverished people, the LFT has taken the initiative to help. In 2011, floods destroyed the homes and livelihoods of thousands in Pakistan. The Lady Fatemah (a.s) Charitable Trust responded and built 60 houses for the flood victims. In addition, the LFT also provided winter clothing and food assistance. However, more is still required. The LFT is currently exploring projects to provide microfinance in the form of fertiliser, seeds and equipment to the farmers of this region to help them rebuild their farms and their lives.

Meat Distribution Project As part of the meat distribution project, one chicken per family is distributed to Iraqi and Afghan widow refugees in Iran. In 2011, this project has allowed 944 orphaned and destitute families to have at least have one protein rich, nutritious meal a month. Although not much, this can have a significant impact on their health and well being.

Ramadhan Iftaar Appeal This is one of the most widely supported LFT projects, where as little as 20 can provide food for a family for an entire month. Iftaar relief has been provided in various countries including India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, East Africa and Palestine

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Thanks to your support, the Lady Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust has helped save and improve the lives of thousands of people in many of the poorest countries worldwide. Although the need is great, we can make a difference. Together we can change the world, one life at a time.

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