Working closely with local government and communities, we deliver both emergency and long-term development programmes in some of the most remote pastoralist regions in the country and in the capital, Addis Ababa. We work in the Afar region on the Eritrea/Djibouti border and the Somali region, close to the Somalia border.
Given the propensity to drought in the country, clean water is a major priority. We have delivered clean water supplies to half a million people over the years and we are building dams and drilling and rehabilitating wells and boreholes, which have so far provided water for a quarter of a million people.
In Afar and Somali regions, livestock are vital to people’s livelihoods and to help protect these important assets we are training community animal health workers, establishing private veterinary pharmacies, and providing animal treatment and food.
Despite many improvements in health care in Ethiopia, many children die each year due to preventable or treatable causes such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and malnutrition. In remote areas, many births occur without the assistance of a skilled health professional, and as a result, many mothers die each year.
In Afar and Somali regions we are expanding and equipping maternal and child care units, training health workers, providing ambulances, including motorbikes for the more remote areas and supporting the vaccinations of thousands of children.
In our health and nutrition work we prioritise the most vulnerable: pregnant women, children under the age of five, older people and people with disabilities.
Access to education, particularly for women in rural areas, is a major challenge. In a bid to provide primary education for all, we are building, upgrading and furnishing primary schools and supporting tens of thousands of children in hard-to-reach areas through primary school.
We are providing school kits, text and reference books, teaching aids and laboratory equipment and also improving the skills of teachers and parent-teacher associations for a more long-term impact. Furthermore, we are particularly encouraging families to send their girl children to school through community education, income generating activities and the construction of sex-segregated latrines.
Our work also helps people to be able to earn a decent living. In Addis we are providing micro-credit and vocational, technical and business training for young people. In Afar and Somali regions we are supporting small-scale agriculture projects involving irrigation, livestock and beekeeping.
The effects of climate change are looming above all of this work. Globally Islamic Relief is lobbying to address this key issue.
In Ethiopia, we are helping local government and communities to establish community-based early warning systems and put in place disaster-preparedness plans.
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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.
Adnan Hafiz
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.
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.
