Charity sponsors over 225,000 orphans globally

Riyadh: The International Islamic Relief Organisation-Saudi Arabia (IIROSA) sponsors more than 133,000 orphans in Saudi Arabia and more than 92,000 others in countries around the world, and is redoubling its efforts, according to officials.

Secretary-General of the organisation Dr Adnan Khalil Basha, in an exclusive interview with Gulf News, said on Friday: "We're trying to raise this number to a quarter of a million."

He added that the charity has established homes for orphans — including 12 in Asia and 13 in Africa — that provide food, health care, education, entertainment and financial support.

"Teams from IIROSA have travelled to remote and unsafe areas to rescue orphans, many of whom are victims of civil war, racial and sectarian conflict and natural disasters, in order to provide them with all the services they require," said Basha, describing the achievements of the organisation as "spectacular".

"We've provided these orphans with schooling and university education. Some of them are extremely talented and have obtained master's degrees and PhDs," he said.

Basha added that the organisation encourages sound values. "We educate and prepare [the orphans] in every possible way to become good citizens. We provide them with health care and educational opportunities. We're doing our utmost to inculcate social takaful [Islamic insurance] and spread the spirit of cordiality and tolerance, which are basic pillars of Islam."

The IIROSA not only provides for homeless children, but gives financial support to orphans who have lost one parent, but are still living with the other.

The organisation is currently working with a number of licensed welfare groups in African and Asian contries. "We have initiated family programmes in order to provide families accommodating orphans with production skills," said Dr Basha.

He praised some of the very generous people assisting IIROSA and said one of them was sponsoring as many as 70 orphans alone.