AJMAN // A charity has revealed that it is sponsoring 59,000 children in need in the UAE and abroad.
The UAE’s support is vital for children who have lost one parent or both, according to Abdulla Al Awadhi, who is assistant secretary general of The Human Appeal International.
He said the group sponsored children based on criteria such as the degree of their poverty and whether they have proper identification.
It cares for the children until they turn 18.
Most of the youngsters are UAE residents, but others are from Muslim countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Bangladesh and Kosovo, he said.
Mr Al Awadhi said the group’s field offices in those countries identified orphans who are suitable for sponsorship, while its women’s committee administration decide upon individual cases in the UAE.
A mufti from the Official Ifta Centre of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments said Allah accorded the sponsorship of orphans “great appreciation and appraisal”.
Mr Al Awadhi said the financial sponsorship was beneficial for the children, as they received medical care, education, field trips and even small loans to run their own business.
The authority provides the sponsor with two annual reports on the orphans’ condition and how they were faring in their daily life, schooling and socially.
“The sponsor can also request additional information from the authority, but it must pass by us first,” said Mr Al Awadhi.
aalkhoori@thenational.ae
