Support Vulnerable Children and Communities in South Africa with Samiya Arshad

Support Vulnerable Children and Communities in South Africa

Islamic Relief Canada is dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities through a range of impactful initiatives. These include organizing educational workshops for children and youth, offering psychosocial support programs, rehabilitating schools and homes, and distributing food and essential supplies. Your generous contributions play a vital role in empowering these communities and fostering their long-term development. Together, we can bring hope and relief to those who need it most.

Hear from the Inspire team's experiences in Capetown, South Africa here!

Who Are We?

The Inspire volunteer abroad program at Islamic Relief Canada is a unique opportunity that provides hands-on education to volunteers on the field and at home. Over the past 7 years, we have taken 40 cohorts to 9 different countries to learn from our teams and right-holders on the ground. This program focuses on having volunteers raise donations and awareness while allowing them to serve their communities locally and globally.
Through this experience, IRC volunteers will engage directly with vulnerable community members and orphans in South Africa in order to better understand their circumstances and raise awareness.

My Previous Experience with INSPIRE - Morocco 2025

Last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Morocco on an INSPIRE trip where I worked directly with local communities providing educational and psychosocial support to children and families. Every community around the world has different needs. We’ve been blessed by Allah (SWT) with privilege, and part of our responsibility is to use it to show kindness, serve others, and learn from people whose realities are different from our own. This trip reminded me that service is not about arriving with solutions - it’s about listening, understanding, and standing alongside others with humility and compassion.

Islamic Relief in South Africa

Islamic Relief has been working in South Africa since 2004, and has implemented several projects that address healthcare, food insecurity, education, livelihoods, and orphan care. Over the past 19 years, Islamic Relief’s operations in South Africa have been aimed at developing and creating sustainable long-term solutions for impoverished communities, including handing out provisional hampers. We prioritize the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. In 2005, we launched our orphans’ sponsorship program to provide assistance to households that are child-headed, and those that house female children, infants, and younger children. In order to do this, we provide guardians of the households the education and training they need to acquire the necessary skills to become self-sufficient.

What is this for?

This fundraising effort supports Islamic Relief Canada’s community development projects in South Africa, as well as Islamic Relief's global emergency initiatives wherever the need is greatest. Your contributions will directly empower vulnerable communities, particularly children and youth, through educational programs, psychosocial support activities, community service projects such as school and home rehabilitation, and the distribution of food and hygiene kits. These initiatives address socio-economic challenges, build resilience, and promote long-term self-reliance. Your support will make a lasting impact on the lives of those in need, where it is needed most. Your donation helps our rightsholders in various way; $1080 is used to sponsor an orphan for a year, whilst the rest of the money is used towards deliverables in the country. Additional money may be used in other high-need areas in other countries.

What will I be doing?

Over the duration of the field study, we will focus on providing orphans with psychosocial support and educational activities in addition to house rehabilitation, distribution of food and hygiene items and other community service activities.