Over the past decade, Islamic Relief has provided hundreds of Bosnian orphans and their families with material and financial support. However, many children are still traumatised by the conflict and need more than money.

Islamic Relief, in partnership with Amica Educa, has begun providing psychosocial support for traumatised orphans and their carers.

Islamic Relief aid workers in Sarajevo and Tuzla work closely with orphans on the sponsorship programme and identify children who exhibit behavioural problems.

Treating traumatised children requires specialised experience and so IR has partnered with a local NGO, Amica Educa, that helps women and children with psychological problems.

Amica Educa offers a variety of services for traumatised women and children. An SOS-Helpline is provided for crisis support, painting groups are organised for children, teenagers and adults under the supervision of specialists, massage therapy, complementary therapy and self-help groups.

Islamic Relief staff regularly assess how well the orphans respond to the project.

Project Objectives

• Helping orphans and their carers cope with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Project Activities

• Group therapy

• Individual sessions

"Islamic Relief is striving for a fairer world. Our mission is to help the poor and needy to live sustainable, self-reliant lives within safe and caring communities. Our work is guided and shaped by the core values of accountability, humanitarianism, neutrality and impartiality, inclusiveness, integrity and co-operation, all of which are also integral to the Islamic faith."
Dr Hany El Banna - Founder of Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief was established in 1984 and our unique approach is the result of these many years of hands-on experience.

1. Where possible we adopt a community partnership-based approach; encouraging community involvement, understanding and ownership of projects.
2. We run the majority of our field projects ourselves, giving us direct insight into the problems faced and how best to solve them.
3. We aim to empower those we help in order to achieve sustainable results.
4. Though our emergency response teams are quick to respond to emergencies around the world, we continue to support communities long after the initial media interest has died down.
5. We recruit staff locally to benefit from their local knowledge. This ensures that we are culturally sensitive and allows us to reach communities and areas other organisations cannot.
6. Where necessary we coordinate our work with other reputable aid agencies, local organisations and governments.

Millennium Development Goals

Islamic Relief is committed to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been agreed by the world’s leading development institutions in an effort to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by the year 2015. 

The goals:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

For more information about the MDGs, please visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/