About the Situation
By the Numbers
1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty around the world
Nearly 40 million people were pushed into poverty in 2010
More than 1.5 billion people—nearly half of the world’s working population—work in vulnerable or insecure jobs
(Source: International Labor Organization, United Nations)
Poverty is a cycle, but so is growth!
Some 1.4 billion people around the world live in extreme poverty, but why?
Not everyone starts out in life with financial stability, education, good health and community support. And even if someone attains these early in life, stability can easily be lost when disaster strikes. When their only way of earning an income is gone, it’s very easy to slip into poverty, and even more difficult to get out.
Without a reliable and adequate means of earning a living, even hard-working families are more vulnerable to stresses such as conflict, an earthquake or a drought. When such incidents occur again and again, it becomes even more difficult for them to earn a living or get out of debt.
Poverty is a cycle, but it doesn’t have to be unbreakable. Solutions are possible.
Growth is a cycle too, and by creating sustainable livelihoods in impoverished communities, we’re helping people prosper for many years to come, insha’Allah.
How Islamic Relief is Helping
Cultivating change. Inspiring hope.
Through sustainable livelihood projects, Islamic Relief is able to help the individuals acquire the skills they need to develop a reliable means of earning income. We’re helping families get the basics they need to survive—we’re helping communities prosper by boosting the local economy and by creating jobs.
You and Islamic Relief helped Sha Ximei in China break the cycle of poverty and become an entrepreneur.
Growth begins with you.
Through your generous support, Islamic Relief’s sustainable livelihood projects can help reduce poverty globally now and well into the future.
Your donations to Islamic Relief sustainable livelihoods help us to:
- Provide skills training and education
- Promote better business practices
- Provide supplies and tools
- Provide access to small-business financial support
- Reduce disaster risk
- Connect community businesses
- Create job opportunitiesHere are some of Islamic Relief’s current and recently completed sustainable livelihood programs:
- Vocational training for orphans, Afghanistan
- Livelihood support to orphan families, Chechnya
- Haiyuan Ecological Management, China
- Islamic Microfinance Program for Pingliang, China
- Zhuangheji Integrated Development, China
- Emergency livestock intervention, Ethiopia
- Community livelihood improved project, Pakistan
- Nowshera integrated rehabilitation program, Pakistan
- Punjab integrated rehabilitation program, Pakistan
- Farmland rehabilitation, Palestine
- Livelihood support for refugees and impoverished families, United States
HOW YOU CAN HELP
By supporting Islamic Relief’s sustainable livelihood projects, you help Islamic Relief plant seeds of opportunity that empower individuals to improve their own lives and create a better tomorrow for their communities.
