Livelihood Helping the Poor to Help Themselves Food parcels and handouts offer temporary respite from hunger, but unless people are given the means to lift themselves out of destitution, the aid will eventually run out leaving only dependency. Many of the beneficiaries of these projects are rebuilding their lives after war or disasters in which they may have lost their homes or family - and also their livelihoods. The road out of poverty begins with the community itself. In order to become self-sufficient, impoverished people need improved resources and diversified skills.

Women and Work

Women face the greatest difficulties in finding work. In many developing countries women tend to manage the household while their husbands provide financial support. But when they are widowed or left abandoned with several children they have no skills to earn an income. Women are also less likely to inherit land or property, and therefore lack the credit to start a business.

Rural Poverty

In developing countries a high percentage of the population lives in rural areas, making a living from agriculture. When floods and drought lead to crop shortages, thousands of people and animals die in the famine that follows. The death of livestock and harvest failure deprives these people of their only source of income.

Islamic Relief and Income Generation

Islamic Relief aims to make a lasting difference in the lives of the poor by building the capacity of local communities to sustain themselves. IR provides training and Islamic acceptable loans enabling people to earn a better living, either by running small businesses or by seeking well-paid employment.

Several of our projects attempt to redress the gender imbalance by focusing on widows who have no source of income. The schemes are also sustainable as once the loans are repaid the money can be loaned out once more.

Aims of Livelihood Projects

• Vocational training programs (computer classes, tailoring, making handicrafts etc.)
• Interest-free loans to start small businesses.
• Widows welfare (training and micro-credit)
• Distribution of livestock
• Promoting agriculture: distributing seeds and fertilizer, improving irrigation
• Strengthening community governance