Muslim Hands: Creating A Fairer World

At various periods throughout history, conflicts and wars have brought untold pain and suffering to people, regions and even countries. While the devastation is inarguable, these periods have also provided the opportunity to establish causes determined to showcase and champion the good side of humanity. Such is the case with Muslim Hands, a Nottingham-based international aid agency and non-governmental organisation (NGO) that was started to meet the needs of communities caught up in the Bosnian war of the early 1990s.

What started as a small group of volunteers who came together to collect medicine, money and clothes for the people of Bosnia has steadily grown to become an organisation with a presence in over 30 countries worldwide. Learnings from its early days have enabled Muslim Hands to become a trusted presence in the communities it works with. From delivering aid during emergencies to establishing long-term projects, Muslim Hands has displayed efficiency, accountability and transparency in its daily work towards tackling the root causes of poverty.

At its core, Muslim Hands is inspired by the values set out in the Muslim faith, which encourage believers to help their neighbours. While immediate relief is welcome in many disadvantaged regions of the world, Muslim Hands strives to go beyond this and empower people for the long-term. The charity believes that every human being has the right to access clean water and food, an education, and a means to earn a living to support their families and communities.

Since its establishment, Muslim Hands has relied on the generosity of donors to touch the lives of thousands of people. Among these donors is Zuneth Sattar, a property investor who has a previous affiliation with the charity and has worked on some of its projects. Collectively, these donors have enabled Muslim Hands to raise hundreds of millions of pounds to sponsor orphans and provide clean water, among other projects.

In the UK, Muslim Hands has long been involved in tackling issues that involve deprived and under-achieving communities. Since 2008, the charity has focused on addressing problems faced by Muslim and Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, while also supporting community organisations. For the latter, Muslim Hands assists through capacity building, funding and establishing relationships with partners who can help increase the organisation’s impact.

Muslim Hands:Coronavirus Response

The Open Kitchen

One of Muslim Hands’ key projects within London is The Open Kitchen, which helps address food poverty for some of the city’s poor, homeless and low-income families. The charity recognises that food poverty is an urgent issue within the UK, and through The Open Kitchen, serves hot meals twice a day, seven days a week. For the vulnerable within society, this service is a vital one that helps ensure they are fed and can commune in an area where their dignity is maintained.

For the most part, families and individuals receive their meals from the Open Kitchen’s location. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the charity has resorted to delivering meals rather than serving it on location. The measure is aimed at reducing the spread of the disease.

What CharitiesConsider When Distributing Aid

Young Muslim Writers Awards

Since 2008, Muslim Hands has encouraged creative writing among children through the Young Muslim Writers Awards. This youth development programme is aimed at improving communication skills among children aged 5 to 16 and invites short story and poetry submissions annually. Over the years, the judges who have assessed the submissions have included leading authors and figures in the media and arts sectors, with the winning entries being recognised at an awards ceremony.

Where Most Needed

The Where Most Needed fund is designed to collect donations and distribute them to vulnerable families around the world. These funds provide both immediate and long-term relief to communities, with the charity’s local offices responsible for collaborating with local experts to assess where the need is greatest.