Sponsor an orphan family and help them out of poverty.
Family Sponsorship
Living in poverty can mean an orphan child is without basic essentials such as warmth, food, and shelter. The recent cost-of-living crisis is increasing and more frightening every day, putting even more pressure on families that were already struggling to buy food and heat their homes.
Many families around the world struggle to survive with no opportunities to work, unable to break free from the spiralling cycle of poverty in which they are trapped.
For just €195 a month, you can help entire orphaned and vulnerable families with their essential needs. We believe that each family knows best what they require, and we aim to help meet their basic needs so they can live more of a dignified life.
You can help support an orphan family that has a minimum of 4 children within it. Your monthly donation is allocated directly to the head of the orphaned or vulnerable family, a mother, grand parent, or carer to help them cover their basic needs.
Together we are building stronger families, with our innovative solutions we are reaching out to those in need, strengthening communities and building skills and resilience – improving the chances of bright futures for orphaned and vulnerable families.
For the purpose of the Family Sponsorship Programme, we define a family as a group consisting of 2 parents and a minimum of 2 children, living together as a unit under 1 household.
We look to cover the most basic needs of the family, mainly in terms of nutrition, health and education. The cash transfer empowers the family to use the funds for their immediate needs.
From every £1, 80p of your donation goes directly to your sponsored family. The rest is used to provide social support to families through our dedicated staff on the ground. We pride ourselves on transparency and we ensure that your money goes towards the project you intended – we know that we are accountable to you, our beneficiaries and ultimately Allah. Every year Islamic Relief prepares financial accounts, which are audited by independent accountants.
The donations are received by the family on a quarterly basis, quarterly payments throughout the year are distributed in March, June, September and December.
Sponsorship will continue until the family are able to support themselves and no longer need to rely on the sponsorship. We will assess the family’s situation regularly to ensure the neediest families are supported.
You will receive an initial report providing some basic information on your sponsored family, usually within X weeks after the first payment has been received. We will then aim to provide an update on the family’s situation annually, focusing primarily on their health, nutritional needs and children’s education. Please note that on some occasions, there may be delays to reporting back on the family you are supporting, due to the situation in the countries where the families are residing.
We request that you give us 3 months’ notice before cancelling to give us time to find another sponsor. If this notice is not provided, you will be required to make a payment to cover the 3 months. We are certain you will agree that we need to ensure your family continues to receive support to minimise disruption to their life. However, if you are unable to do this due to exceptional circumstances, the family will be supported by Islamic Relief for a further 3 months until another sponsor is found.
Islamic Relief sponsor any families regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, background or belief.
If donations are missed for 3 months in a row and not repaid, Islamic Relief will have to cancel the sponsorship and find a new sponsor for the family to ensure support is continued. Donors will be informed as soon as a monthly donation is missed, this could sometimes be due to technical issues. If the donor arranges for the missed donations to be made the sponsorship will continue.
Islamic Relief has a duty to ensure that all our sponsored orphans are receiving their donations, and this can only be done when the income is received. We have a duty of care to those we serve and can only do this with the support of the donor. Should any changes in circumstances occur for the donor, they should inform Islamic Relief as soon as possible
Simply sign up as you did when first registering after informing the Islamic Relief office. Islamic Relief reserves the right to refuse to accept a donor onto the Orphan Sponsorship Programme who has previously shown their lack of ability to make regular donations, such individuals are encouraged to donate to the Orphan General Fund instead.
Please read the following statements from our Child Protection Policy
– Islamic Relief upholds the protection of life and dignity of those they serve and are confident that our donors share the same values of protection and safety for the orphans under our care.
– Islamic Relief will not publish the contact details of the sponsored orphan or their family in order to protect their safety and preserve their privacy.
– Donors can contact their sponsored orphan through letters and emails via Islamic Relief who will review the suitability of the content. The orphan may reply, however they are under no obligation to.
– Donors can visit their sponsored orphan, however this will be at their own cost and risk. The visits are limited and are situated in the Islamic Relief office, with a welfare officer present. The office will need a months’ notice in order to accommodate the visit and no unannounced visits are permitted. The safety and wellbeing of the child is paramount.
– Photos are for the purpose of passing on relevant information. Photos are not to be copied or distributed without the permission of Islamic Relief.
We will always treat your personal information with the utmost care and will keep it private (read our privacy policy). You can opt out at any time by contacting us via email at IslamicReliefWorldwide@irworldwide.org or by clicking the unsubscribe button on one of the emails you receive from us.
Zia Salik was appointed Interim Director of Islamic Relief UK in 2025, and brings with him over 18 years of third sector experience. He has held several leadership roles within Islamic Relief UK, including National Events Coordinator, National Community Fundraising Manager, Head of Fundraising, and Deputy Director. Zia has led national fundraising strategies, managed large-scale campaigns and events, and contributed significantly to volunteer development, donor engagement and public outreach.
As Interim Director, Zia oversees multiple teams and contributes to strategic planning, operational leadership and organisational growth. He is recognised for his expertise in major donor management, public speaking, media engagement and community fundraising. Zia has been instrumental in building strong community networks and delivering impactful campaigns.
Before joining Islamic Relief, Zia served as Programmes Manager at Humber All Nations Alliance, where he led organisational growth, project delivery and funding proposals.
Zia is a seasoned leader committed to social justice, who brings a collaborative, mission-driven approach to his work, helping to amplify voices and maximise impact in the charity sector.
Nadeem has a wealth of experience from the charity, statutory and private sectors. He is the Managing Director of HAD (a division of IRW) which is a centre of excellence seeking to empower the humanitarian sector and maximise its effectiveness and from October 2025 will serve as our interim CEO.
Before joining Islamic Relief, for nearly a decade at the General Medical Council — a globally recognised professional regulator — Nadeem managed strategic relationships with Chief Medical Officers and senior leaders. Prior to that, he served as the UK Director of Islamic Help, engaging closely with many international non-governmental organisations and playing a key role in fundraising and media activities.
In 2000, Nadeem was admitted as a solicitor. He spent nearly 8 years as a Partner at a law firm specialising in employment, regulatory and charity law. He has published papers, including in the Modern Law Review, and chapters in books.
Nadeem is deeply committed to strengthening civil society organisations and the charity sector, and throughout his career has focused on improving foundations for future generations and building strong networks. Nadeem has particular expertise working in matters of Learning and Development, especially personal and professional development, combining Islamic principles with modern techniques and interventions. He is also especially interested in psychological perspectives and cognitive distortions. He has designed and delivered training to thousands of people for nearly 3 decades.
As well as individual development and growth, Nadeem has spent 20 years working with organisations to manage and lead people to improve outcomes and efficiencies. He is a Consultant Coach, qualified at ILM Level 5 in Effective Coaching and Mentoring and ILM Level 7 in Executive and Senior Leadership Coaching. He was Chair of the Independent Advisory Group for the Professional Standards Department of West Midlands Police for 4 years, where he was awarded recognition for his ‘Outstanding Work.’
Saqeb Mueen
Asha joined Islamic Relief in 2025 with the aim of working with colleagues to create an environment where everyone feels valued, empowered, and motivated to contribute meaningfully to our shared mission.
Asha has more than 20 years of experience in HR leadership across a range of industries, holding roles at Thomson Reuters, BMW, Movado Group and others. She is passionate about building strong, resilient teams and fostering positive workplace cultures where individuals are empowered to thrive, contribute and do their best work.
Asha holds a BA in Management, Economics and Law, as well as a BA in Business Studies. She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.
Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.
Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.
Nadeem Azhar
Nadeem joined Islamic Relief Worldwide in September 2022. He has worked in the charitable sector for over a decade.
He studied Modern History and Politics at Manchester University, and at the University of Law in London before qualifying as a solicitor in 2011.
Nadeem is an experienced corporate, commercial and governance lawyer, having worked with various faith-based and grant making charities as well those in health and education settings. He was a partner at a law firm in London before moving in-house where he focused on setting up and restructuring charities and social enterprises.
Most recently, Nadeem was Lead Counsel at Mind, a leading mental health charity, where he co-authored a new federation agreement, revamped legal processes, and played a major role in developing its strategic and fundraising partnerships.
Nadeem has been a charity trustee for the Seafarers Charity, as well as many grant-making bodies and theatre companies.
Salaheddin joined Islamic Relief UK in 2006 and over the next 7 years held multiple roles, including Community Fundraiser and Campaigns Manager, before joining Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2013.
Since then, Salaheddin has been instrumental in the launch and growth of new Islamic Relief member offices in Ireland, Spain, Norway and Finland, as well as providing essential support and guidance to existing members, including Italy, where he served as CEO for 3 years.
In 2023, Salaheddin became Deputy Director of Global Family Development and in this role has continued to play a crucial part in steering Islamic Relief’s growth and expansion. He has also led global fundraising and media engagement for major emergencies including the Türkiye-Syria earthquake and Libya floods. Salaheddin became the Interim Director of Global Family Development in 2025.
Salaheddin holds a master’s degree in International Development and is actively involved in several community-led initiatives. He is currently the Vice President of the International Union of Muslim Scouts and Deputy Chair of the UK Muslim Scouts Fellowship as well as Chair of the South Birmingham Muslim Community Association.
Martin Cottingham joined Islamic Relief in 2012 as IRUK Media Relations Manager, and was appointed Head of Communications in 2015 before taking up his current position as Director of External Relations and Advocacy for Islamic Relief Worldwide.
Martin has helped Islamic Relief to increase its mainstream media profile and expand its campaigning work, producing hard-hitting advocacy reports on floods in Pakistan (2011) famine in Somalia (2012) disaster risk reduction (2013) and aid to Afghanistan (2014). He has over 20 years’ experience working in media, communications and marketing roles for international development and environmental charities.
Martin graduated from the University of London with a degree in English and Drama (1982-85) then trained as a journalist with a postgraduate diploma at City University (1986-87). He has previously worked for Christian Aid as Editor of Christian Aid News and Media Relations Manager (1988-97) for Oxfam as Regional Campaigns Manager (1997-2000) and at the Soil Association as Marketing Director (2001-2006), as well as working for a wide range of organisations as a freelance writer, researcher and communications consultant.
Waseem Ahmad joined the Islamic Relief family over 24 years ago, serving as Programme Officer in the Balochistan province of south-western Pakistan before becoming Head of Programmes in Pakistan. Waseem then moved to Oxfam and Tearfund before returning to Islamic Relief to establish our mission in Malawi. Later serving as Head of Programme Funding and Partnerships, Waseem led the response to major crises across the globe, including the East Africa drought, Pakistan earthquake and the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Waseem then served for nearly 6 years as our Director of International Programmes, during which time the charity secured and retained the coveted Core Humanitarian Standard certification in recognition of the quality of our programming. He was appointed CEO of Islamic Relief in May 2021.
With a special interest in community mobilisation and infrastructure, Waseem received an MSc in Project Planning and Management from the University of Bradford, as well as an MSc in Economics from Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Waseem has also worked for Lepra Health in Action and is a member of the International Civil Society Centre’s Board of Trustees. The father-of-3 enjoys walking and playing football, and is a keen birdwatcher.