Monthly Archives: September 2010

ramadan

Truly Celebrate Ramadan with OICI by Giving Sadaqa

To be truthful, to be righteous, to give back: as every Muslim knows, Zakat or Sadaqa, “alms giving,” is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is the fair or just share that every person should give to the poor and needy. One does not only give because one feels like it, but because it is the right thing to do. A true gift is one that is voluntary. That is why during Ramadan, we are encouraged to give Sadaqa.

As many of the people that we work with and for approach the close of their most important holiday, Ramadan, they contemplate their own gifts of Sadaqa. And they need the gift of it as well.

We have been trying to give Sadaqa to countries throughout Africa. In addition to immediate necessities, such as food and medicinal support, we believe in the type of charity that empowers individuals, institutions, and communities through the transfer of knowledge and skills. During Ramadan, many citizens will fast from dawn to dusk.

ramad

While celebrating their piety, we at OIC International work to ensure that fasting is a choice of religious observance – not a life in deprivation. This is why we have been working on creating more productive farming practices, so that the month of Ramadan is the only time a person goes without food. To achieve these goals, OIC International offers agricultural assistance and nutrition education. We also work to improve food security, providing houses with more technical assistance, better storage systems, and better soil management techniques. These and other projects have benefited over 180,000 Guineans.

No matter what your religion, embrace the joy and opportunity of Sadaqa. Help us continue to give Guineans food security and basic health services by donating here.

900 Million People Cannot Read this Message

Reading and writing is what first enabled us to partner with you, communicate with you, and improve the lives of people in developing nations. Yet around the globe, there are nearly 900 million illiterate adults and children who are at a disadvantage due to a lack of educational infrastructure, war, or poverty. Two-thirds of illiterate adults are women. Sadly, it’s no coincidence that the places in the world that have the highest illiteracy rates are the same places where gender inequality, severe poverty, and violence are rampant. In OICI’s work around the world, literacy is a crucial tool for personal empowerment, gender equality, and more peaceful and just societies. That’s why we are celebrating the United Nation’s 44th International Literacy Day on September 8th. We hope you’ll join us in the celebrations as a Partner in Literacy.

OIC International integrates literacy initiatives into our programs to empower and enable the incredible men, women, and children we work with. In Ghana, HIV/AIDS orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS are taught reading and writing along with health and vocational education. In Liberia, we reach out with literacy to give refugees and war-affected youth options for their future. In Sierra Leone, we use literacy and skills training in our work to rehabilitate former child soldiers. In our micro-enterprise programs around the world, we help men and women create sustainable employment for themselves by teaching literacy in conjunction with business skills training.