Right now, there are more than 153 million orphans around the world. Sadly, that number is continuously growing, as an estimated 6,000 additional children are orphaned each day.
All children deserve loving care, healthy food, medicine, education, and a safe home, but these essentials are out of reach for many orphans. Many live in regions scarred by conflict, war, and poverty. These youth are at an increased risk of violence, trafficking, poverty, starvation, illiteracy, and psychological trauma. An orphan may have a guardian or extended family to look after them, but the loss of one or both parents is both an emotional tragedy and a financial one. Even well-meaning guardians may struggle to afford to care for the child.
These children’s futures are far from secure—the consequences of being orphaned affect a child far into adulthood. Without access to the education and training that will help them earn an income as adults, they may struggle to afford essentials like housing and food.
If you want to help, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) provides donors with a simple, safe, and secure way to sponsor orphaned children. Around 30,000 children around the world are currently sponsored through the program.
Where Islamic Relief USA Sponsors Orphans
Through IRUSA, you can sponsor an orphaned child in several countries, many of which are currently suffering through conflicts, extreme poverty, humanitarian crises, or the aftermath of natural disasters. These include Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kosovo, Malawi, Mali, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.
IRUSA is also supporting orphaned children from Palestinian, Syrian, Uyghur, and Somali refugee communities in Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye, and Kenya.
Orphan Sponsorship Program
Donors can sponsor an orphan and their host family for as little as $100 per month ($1,200 per year). These funds are generally given to the child’s guardian in increments throughout the year, although each country’s program is different. These much-needed funds are used for essentials like food, clothing, housing, education, and medical needs that directly benefit the child. Use of the donated funds is monitored throughout the year to ensure that the support is going directly to the sponsored child. Monitoring often includes health and wellness checks and education evaluations.
Once you commit to sponsoring a child, a recipient is chosen based on five criteria: need, vulnerability, health, family size, and accommodation conditions. Those children and families with the greatest need are given priority when recipients are being selected. The selection process is not biased with respect to race, gender, religion, age, or disability.
As a sponsor, you can communicate with the child you support by email, which is sent safely through the IRUSA system. You will also receive an initial evaluation of the child’s well-being at the beginning of the sponsorship, as well as follow-up evaluations every year. Sponsorships can continue as long as you wish, although most children graduate from the program when they turn 18. Exceptions included some sponsored children who are enrolled in educational programs and those receiving essential medical care at the time they age out of the program. These youth can continue to receive support until they’re 24.
Islamic Relief USA asks that prospective sponsors commit to a minimum of one year of support, in order to facilitate planning and logistics. That being said, sponsors can cancel at any time (after providing advanced notice) in cases that involve difficult circumstances.
Medical Sponsorship
In addition to full sponsorships, donors can also provide specific medical sponsorships to orphans and their families, which includes their siblings and guardian. Medical sponsorships of $50 per month ensure that money is available to cover urgent and essential medical treatments throughout the year. These include prescriptions for medications, supportive equipment (such as glasses, hearing aids, and wheelchairs), travel expenses to and from medical facilities, and treatment for chronic illnesses.
In 2023, IRUSA funded essential surgeries for conditions such as spinal damage, cancer, and brain conditions in 16 countries, largely through the support of general donors and targeted sponsorships. People with blindness, epilepsy, heart disease, and kidney dialysis also received life-altering treatment thanks to IRUSA.
Higher Education Sponsorship
IRUSA has a new program that enables donors to support the higher education pursuits of orphaned children after they finish elementary and high school. Many of these young people excel in school when they are given the opportunity and means to do so. They dream of continuing their education, but find that college, university, and other higher education institutions are too costly or located too far away to be feasible. Through a $50-per-month donation, you can give young people the opportunity to further their education and equip themselves for lifelong success and self-sufficiency—effectively ending the poverty cycle, one child at a time.
Sponsor an Orphaned Child Today If you’re interested in becoming a donor and helping an orphaned child, you can read more about IRUSA’s sponsorship program and begin the sign-up process at https://irusa.org/orphans-and-children/.