Poverty is many things. It can be seen as a trap, keeping those who get caught in a perpetual cycle of hunger and misery. It can be seen as a weapon used against the most vulnerable in society to keep them compliant and bowed. It can be seen as a curse, a trick of fate over which you have absolutely no sense of control or power.

But for those who are shown another way, poverty can be seen as an opportunity – the chance to learn, to grow, and to build something solid and tangible from the ground up.

Orphans, particularly, are at greatest risk of missing out on a consistent education. Without a proper family foundation, they often have to resort to working whenever they can, creating a hand-to-mouth existence that leaves no time for school. This leaves them at an added disadvantage as they grow older.

How Can We Help Orphans?

Education is about learning – but not just about learning to read and write. These are the foundations, but going to school encourages children to think outside the box, to think more critically, and to push the boundaries of their own understanding.

The best Muslim charity will ensure education is established alongside food as a crucial investment in the future of these children. Education is seen as a vital part of seeking knowledge and wisdom within Islam. The attainment of knowledge is encouraged alongside the encouragement to ask questions and develop a curious nature about the world.

The famous 19th-century poet William B Yeats once said: “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Nelson Mandela agreed – “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Too many children in the poorer nations in this world do not have access to education. Often, they live in remote rural communities that are at the mercy of the elements. Adverse weather, lack of investment in community infrastructures, poor healthcare – even where there are schools, they are often the first institutions to stop operating in the event of external threats and events.

Feeding the Mind, Nurturing the child

Providing urgent food and nutrition is vital if you want to help orphans now. Helping children to have a good, nutritious diet is essential to the development of their cognitive functioning; if you cast your mind back to your own school days when you would sit in a classroom for that long period of time between breakfast and lunch, the growling of your belly would distract you from your lessons.

Imagine the distraction of those children who suffer from malnutrition. In the developed world, hunger has been proven to cost hours of precious learning time each and every day. In developing countries where food is scarce, that loss is magnified several times.

Donate online – a monthly donation will help orphans have regular access to healthy, nutritious meals.

Help Orphans Overcome the Barriers to Providing an Education

Running a school with no consistency in the supply of money can lead to a lot of complications.

Buildings – Having access to a space dedicated to educating children does not have to mean spending millions on construction. A simple, dedicated space with access to toilet facilities is all that is needed to get a local school going. Beyond that, it is the teachers and the children who will turn it into a school. Providing education for vulnerable children is a key element of helping an orphan in Islam, and populating the school then becomes a community effort.

Teachers – Finding good teachers, particularly if the community is located in a remote area that is often cut off from established transport links, is a significant obstruction to maintaining a consistent delivery of education. Many communities will partner with Islamic charities that employ volunteer teachers dedicated to helping improve the lives of these orphans.

Equipment – Pens, papers, books, internet access, tablets, laptops, and PCs. Then you have desks, chairs, a whiteboard for the teacher, and uniforms for the children.

Every item of equipment helps to lift a community and its orphans out of the negative cycle perpetuated by poverty, replacing it instead with dignity and self-respect. Education represents hope for the future, where the next generation learns about what opportunities exist and how to apply them to their current situation for the benefit of the community as a whole.

How Can You Help Orphans?

Orphans in Need is dedicated to creating established communities in which orphans can learn and flourish and be encouraged to meet their full potential. Through our website, you can make online charity donations that will help support both educational and food projects in communities throughout the developing world.

Donate online now and give an orphan the opportunity to thrive for the good of the community as a whole.