Published May 20, 2013

Current Situation - A monstrous tornado at least a half-mile wide roared through Moore, Oklahoma Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds up to 200 mph. At least 24 people were killed, including at least 9 children. Pictures

Disaster Response - Baitulmaal is calling on all volunteers to help in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. We have already coordinated with a partner organization in Oklahoma and notified them of our planned effort. A team of people will be mobilizing to travel to Oklahoma within the next couple of days Inshallah to assist with clean-up and to deliver aid to those in need. To join the team click here or call our office using the info below.

Published 5/20/2013

Picture Album

Thanks to our generous donors the first mobile home units (Caravans) have been delivered with more on the way! The homes are constructed from thick durable material that is quite sturdy and weather resistant. They are well insulated and ventilated to give proper protection in the cold and heat.

One of the major concerns for the refugees these last 2 years have been sickness due to a weakening of the immune system as a result of prolonged exposure to the often harsh elements and unsanitary living areas. While organizations like Unicef have supported these problems with mass immunizations (Video) The temporary mobile units provide a vastly improved environment making life a little more comfortable for the recipients. The recipients we choose are among the most needy. We select recipients based on the following categories: Age, health, disability and duration of stay in the camps.

Published May 14, 2013

Background on region

Wajir County is situated in the heart of North Eastern Kenya. It covers about 56,800km and mostly inhabited by Kenyan Somalis who are Muslims and are nomads’. Pastoralism is the economic backbone of their living.

Poverty & Illiteracy

Since Kenya attained independence in 1963, Northern Kenya has remained sidelined and marginalized due to the remoteness and the harsh climate. The region is generally under- developed compared to the rest of the country. 64% of the inhabitants live below the poverty line. The road infrastructure is almost non-existant with its more than 1800km road stretching from the capital, Nairobi, to the North East border town of  Mandera remaining unpaved. More than 90% of households in the region have no access to power, clean water or adequate nutrition. This situation is compounded by perennial droughts that ravage the nomadic lifestyle.

Published 5/11/2013

The severe weather in the Zaatari camp in Jordan and the unstable condition of the tents in the refugee camps have placed the lives of the Syrian refugees at risk and resulting in severe hardships for thousands of families. Forced to flee their homes in Syria as a result of the ongoing violence, hundreds of thousands of refugees have poured into Jordan seeking asylum and assistance. While many relief organizations and the Jordanian government itself have been contributing greatly to this relief effort, the circumstances are still very difficult in most cases. 

One solution proposed and accepted by the relief teams involved is to implement a caravan campaign that will provide more durable temporary housing options by installing pre-fab housing units in lieu of the tents.

Published April 12, 2013

Last December we informed you about a new project we had launched in the village of Jati, Pakistan. Here we are four months later with a lot of progress and news to share.

Construction has begun on the Jati Model Village project with the foundations and many of the structures well on their way to completion but we are not there yet. 

The goal of the Jati Model Village project is to construct an entire functioning village for the victims of the 2010 floods who were recipients of homes during our housing project. Those we supported by building sturdy brick homes were also in need of educational facilities for the children, a place of worship and religious knowledge, and a means by which to support themselves due to the fact that their land was left devastated and all their structures were almost entirely leveled.

Published 04/04/2013

In keeping with our pattern of operation Baitulmaal has transitioned our work in Palestine from Emergency Disaster Relief to Sustainable Development. In this time Baitulmaal has focused on ways to get the people of Gaza back to work and tackling the unemployment problem plaguing the region. To do so Baitulmaal launched a micro-finance campaign in Gaza to provide employment for needy families. The Baitulmaal micro-financing project for the people of Gaza has become a HUGE SUCCESS! Since the small start with 10 families in October of 2012 the businesses took off and today we have 18 famlies that have started 18 new businesses! 

The families we have targeted for assistance have been those who are at a disadvantage due to circumstances beyond their control such as families with disabled members and those women who are widowed and have orphaned children.