Building for the Future

Islamic Relief and the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals (CAMP) have teamed up to host "Building the Future" gala dinner, featuring world renowned Pakistan cricket star Shahid Afridi. A formal dinner is scheduled for February 17, 2008 at Ashyana Banquets located in Downers Grove, IL.

The focus of the evening is to raise awareness about Islamic Relief’s development projects in Pakistan and to gain support for survivors of the June 2007 floods that affected over 2 million people in the province of Baluchistan.

In July of 2007, Islamic Relief sponsored Afridi to visit some of the worst-affected areas of Kharan, a district of Baluchistan, where entire homes, schools and infrastructures were simply washed away by the flood waters.

“We were moved by the touching scenes that we witnessed out there,” said Afridi on his return. “I believe it is our responsibility to come to the rescue of those people who have lost their dear ones, their homes and their livelihoods.”

During Afridi’s stay in Baluchistan, he assisted relief workers in distributing over $100,000 worth of tents, blankets, food parcels and kitchen sets to displaced families. Locals welcomed Afridi’s efforts and were grateful for his presence and willingness to help them.

“Although a few months have passed since the floods hit, those affected are still in need of our help. Many lost their livelihoods and infrastructure and are in dire need of food, shelter and clean water,” said Anwar Khan, development director of Islamic Relief USA.

“Some froze when they saw Afridi, a famous cricket player, handing them supplies,” said Khan. “Most people had never dreamed of meeting him under normal circumstances and felt that the world was ignoring their plight but his trip showed that the world had not forgotten those affected by the floods during their time of need.”

Since the flooding, Islamic Relief has implemented a variety of projects in some of the worst-affected areas of Baluchistan. These projects include water and sanitation projects, emergency aid distributions, and constructing restroom facilities.

Islamic Relief also operates many long-term development projects throughout the districts of Baluchistan, Sindh, Punjab, NWFP and Pakistan-Administered Kashmir. Projects range from income generation and construction of schools to disaster preparedness and health clinics to orphan sponsorships and food distributions.

The majority of Islamic Relief’s projects are community-based, ensuring that they are relevant to the communities’ needs and sustainable for the generations to come. Nearly 2 million people in Pakistan have benefitted from Islamic Relief’s development projects thus far.

“We're working with Islamic Relief to alleviate the suffering and to provide a brighter future for the children still affected by this devastating tragedy” said Shamsa Chaudhry, President of CAMP Chicago.

Islamic Relief is providing clean water to children living in rural areas, lessening the number of children that die from waterborne diseases. By constructing water pumps and reducing the time it takes to fetch water, increases the time a child can spend in school. And by reconstructing irrigation schemes, helps make the desert green.

Islamic Relief will begin their Pakistan fundraising tour with Afridi in mid-February of this year, starting in Dallas, TX on February 15; and then traveling to Meadowlands, NJ on February 16; Chicago, IL on February 17; San Diego, CA on February 22; San Jose, CA on February 23; and Orange County, CA on February 24.

Islamic Relief is recognized as a 4-star charity, ranking it among the top 4 percent of charities within the United States.

For more information about Islamic Relief’s Pakistan fundraising dinners, you can visit www.irw.org/pakistan.

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 5640
Buena Park, CA 90622

Toll Free: 1 (888) 479-4968
Tel: 1 (714) 676-1300
Fax: 1 (714) 676-1301
E-mail: info@irw.org

Website: http://www.irw.org

Islamic Relief USA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization, incorporated in the state of California in 1993. We are a member of the Islamic Relief Worldwide family, which is an international relief and development organization, striving to alleviate the poverty and suffering of the world’s poorest people. Islamic Relief Worldwide was established in 1984 in response to the widespread famine in Africa. Since its establishment, Islamic Relief Worldwide has expanded greatly, with permanent locations in 37 countries worldwide.

The Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals (CAMP) is a not-for-profit organization comprised of Muslim professionals from various backgrounds. CAMP was founded in 1994 and has a membership base of over 22,000 professionals across North America. Currently, there are 19 chapters in the United States and Canada. CAMP’s core activities include professional development, networking, and community service. Our members are composed of successful, educated, and broad-minded Muslim professionals willing to network, share, and extend their professional talent and knowledge to their countries and communities.

This release was published on openPR.