Islamic Relief’s microcredit project in Mali will help 600 women from thirty widow and female-headed household associations. The project will provide women with small interest-free loans and develop the associations’ management capacity.

Widows and their children are amongst the poorest members of Malian society. High illiteracy amongst women is one of the largest obstacles to development. It has also made it hard for women to earn a living and support their families.

Many orphans and their families are dependent on external aid because they cannot generate an income. Orphans sponsored through Islamic Relief need support when they become eighteen so that they can complete their studies and earn an income. The microcredit project will provide them with a small interest-free loan to start a business. These loans are based on Islamic finance and range from €700 to €1000.

The loans will mainly be given for agriculture, raising livestock, cereal trade, poultry production, food processing and domestic energy. Loans can also be used to pay for food, education, healthcare and housing services.

Project Objectives

• To provide small interest-free business loans to widows, orphans and their families;
• To strengthen the way that household incomes are managed;

• To develop the management capacities of thirty widow and female-headed household associations;

Project Activities

"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/