Br. Irfan Khurshid Visits the Horn of Africa

Pakistan Floods 2011

Somalia Drought: In Pictures

In Depth: Water for Life Project

In Review: The Thorncliffe Food Bank

In this Issue...

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other NGOs and community leaders within Somalia; and was interviewed on national Somalian TV.

While in Somalia, brother Irfan also visited the Al Ameen and Benadir Camps, and spoke to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) there, and distributed some money in local Shilling currency to the drought victims. He also visited the Dawood Medical Foundation where he examined all the sections of the hospital, including the out-patient department, doctor examination room, �nance o�ce, medical store and in-patient ward.

Brother Irfan Khurshid also visited Tanzania with similar objectives of meeting local NGOs and community leaders to inform them of ICNA Relief`s current activities in the country, and future ambitions. ICNA Relief hopes to setup and expand its relief e�orts in Tanzania, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda in the near future. We request your continued prayers and �nancial support as we endeavour into Africa!

Relief E�orts in the Horn of AfricaThe Drought/Famine in the Horn of Africa, a region including Somalia, Kenya and Ethopia, has become well

known to most of us by now. Initial �gures at the start of the crisis suggested more than ten million people could have faced starvation due to the worsening drought, and UN had upgraded the status of region’s drought to the category of a Famine to emphasize the dire need for international support. As months went by, and the generous contributions from people around the world poured in, and by the Grace of Allah, the United Nations recently downgraded the disaster state from ‘famine’ to ‘emergency

zones’ in some sectors of East Africa. However, the situation in East Africa has not settled yet. According to a news report by AlJazeera many aid groups working in the region suggest four million people still need help.

The drought is not over. Thousands of children, women and men have died from starvation, and millions more are at risk of su�ering a similar fate if we do not play our part. As Azmat Akbar – the African Coordinator for Helping Hand for Relief & Development (HHRD) – stated in an interview, there have been no rains for eight seasons in the region; and it is not uncommon to �nd dead livestock lying on the barren land, due to the lack of water for the animals. Drinking water is practically una�ordable for the poor Somali families. It is estimated that there are more than one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Somalia alone.

ICNA Relief Canada had stepped into the region very early on by providing emergency food packages initially to the refugees staying at the Dadaab Refugee camp and then slowly expanding to numerous other locations across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia to reach more victims. ICNA Relief’s aid e�orts in the region can be divided into three categories: (i) providing emergency response to the starving populace; (ii) providing clean drinking water resources for the drought victims; and (iii) setting up and supporting medical clinics in the region.

Emergency ResponseEvery day, approximately four hundred families were provided food packages containing rice, salt, cooking oil, �our, maize meal, milk powder, biscuits, baby foods, etc. ICNA Relief also provided water, tents and medical aid to those who required such help in the early days. The aim of the emergency response is to create an environment where people are saved from immediate starvation. Water pumps, water tanks, and bore holes were also quickly setup in several locations to quench the immediate thirst of the refugees.

Clean Water for Drought A�ected VillagesICNA Relief`s team in East Africa has initiated the Water for Life program in District Garissa (North Eastern Kenya) for drought a�ected communities. The project is setup to supply clean drinking water to four drought a�ected villages (Sadahln, Disio, Hodomo 1 and Hodomo 2).

Medical Facilities in Dadajabula Refugees face restricted access to health care. There is fear of outbreaks of measles, cholera, visceral leishmaniasis and dengue fever. For this reason the Health Center in Dadajabula, in Northeastern Province of Kenya provides regular medical services to the residents of the region. The facility hosts quali�ed doctors and medical sta� to o�er health checkups and treat common diseases.

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Br. Irfan Khurshid Visits the Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa has been devastated by the drought that has exponentially intensi�ed during this year. Seeing the critical need for immediate emergency aid, and long-term development projects in the region of East Africa, ICNA Relief decided to open permanent o�ces in Kenya and Somalia.

To oversee the setup of the new facilities, and to create the appropriate rapport in the region, Brother Irfan Khurshid, ICNA Relief Canada’s Executive Director, made a two week trip to the region, visiting Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. While in Kenya, Brother Irfan met with representatives of the Young Muslims Association of Kenya and Islamic Foundation two of

the NGOs that we have been working with, for the various relief projects in Kenya. Brother Irfan also visited the

orphanages ICNA Relief is supporting in Isiolo, Garbatullah and Nyeri, and was invited to a function where he met with Kenyan Government dignitaries and o�cials.

ICNA Relief Canada registered itself as a Non-Governmental-Organization (NGO) in Kenya under the name of Helping Hand for Relief & Development (HHRD) Kenya. The formal o�ce has been set up in Nairobi, in the South C area. The o�ce currently has a six person team looking after our growing projects in the country. Our Regional Director for Africa who will be the lead person for all relief programs in Africa, will now be based in the Nairobi, Kenya o�ce.

In addition to our o�ce in Kenya, a satellite o�ce has also been setup in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu. The Somalian team is also registering the NGO under the name of Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) Somalia. During his visit to Somalia, brother Irfan met with several Parliamentarians from the Somalian government whom he briefed on ICNA Relief/HHRD’s current work and future ambitions in the region. Brother Irfan also met with

continued on pg. 3...

ICNA Relief is proud to announce its �rst two permanent o�ces in Africa in Kenya and Somalia to initiate and maintain its long-term development projects in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

Br. Irfan meeting with Somalian dignitaries

other NGOs and community leaders within Somalia; and was interviewed on national Somalian TV.

While in Somalia, brother Irfan also visited the Al Ameen and Benadir Camps, and spoke to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) there, and distributed some money in local Shilling currency to the drought victims. He also visited the Dawood Medical Foundation where he examined all the sections of the hospital, including the out-patient department, doctor examination room, �nance o�ce, medical store and in-patient ward.

Brother Irfan Khurshid also visited Tanzania with similar objectives of meeting local NGOs and community leaders to inform them of ICNA Relief`s current activities in the country, and future ambitions. ICNA Relief hopes to setup and expand its relief e�orts in Tanzania, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda in the near future. We request your continued prayers and �nancial support as we endeavour into Africa!

Relief E�orts in the Horn of AfricaThe Drought/Famine in the Horn of Africa, a region including Somalia, Kenya and Ethopia, has become well

known to most of us by now. Initial �gures at the start of the crisis suggested more than ten million people could have faced starvation due to the worsening drought, and UN had upgraded the status of region’s drought to the category of a Famine to emphasize the dire need for international support. As months went by, and the generous contributions from people around the world poured in, and by the Grace of Allah, the United Nations recently downgraded the disaster state from ‘famine’ to ‘emergency

zones’ in some sectors of East Africa. However, the situation in East Africa has not settled yet. According to a news report by AlJazeera many aid groups working in the region suggest four million people still need help.

The drought is not over. Thousands of children, women and men have died from starvation, and millions more are at risk of su�ering a similar fate if we do not play our part. As Azmat Akbar – the African Coordinator for Helping Hand for Relief & Development (HHRD) – stated in an interview, there have been no rains for eight seasons in the region; and it is not uncommon to �nd dead livestock lying on the barren land, due to the lack of water for the animals. Drinking water is practically una�ordable for the poor Somali families. It is estimated that there are more than one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Somalia alone.

ICNA Relief Canada had stepped into the region very early on by providing emergency food packages initially to the refugees staying at the Dadaab Refugee camp and then slowly expanding to numerous other locations across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia to reach more victims. ICNA Relief’s aid e�orts in the region can be divided into three categories: (i) providing emergency response to the starving populace; (ii) providing clean drinking water resources for the drought victims; and (iii) setting up and supporting medical clinics in the region.

Emergency ResponseEvery day, approximately four hundred families were provided food packages containing rice, salt, cooking oil, �our, maize meal, milk powder, biscuits, baby foods, etc. ICNA Relief also provided water, tents and medical aid to those who required such help in the early days. The aim of the emergency response is to create an environment where people are saved from immediate starvation. Water pumps, water tanks, and bore holes were also quickly setup in several locations to quench the immediate thirst of the refugees.

Clean Water for Drought A�ected VillagesICNA Relief`s team in East Africa has initiated the Water for Life program in District Garissa (North Eastern Kenya) for drought a�ected communities. The project is setup to supply clean drinking water to four drought a�ected villages (Sadahln, Disio, Hodomo 1 and Hodomo 2).

Medical Facilities in Dadajabula Refugees face restricted access to health care. There is fear of outbreaks of measles, cholera, visceral leishmaniasis and dengue fever. For this reason the Health Center in Dadajabula, in Northeastern Province of Kenya provides regular medical services to the residents of the region. The facility hosts quali�ed doctors and medical sta� to o�er health checkups and treat common diseases.

3

ICNA Relief`s Achievements in East Africa - Food distributed for more than 300,000 people- Qurbani/Zabiha meat distributed to more than 70,000 people (more than 10,000 Qurbani's)- Drinking Water provided to more than 30,000 people- Medical help provided to more than 15,000 people- 450 orphans sponsored

The Horn of Africa has been devastated by the drought that has exponentially intensi�ed during this year. Seeing the critical need for immediate emergency aid, and long-term development projects in the region of East Africa, ICNA Relief decided to open permanent o�ces in Kenya and Somalia.

To oversee the setup of the new facilities, and to create the appropriate rapport in the region, Brother Irfan Khurshid, ICNA Relief Canada’s Executive Director, made a two week trip to the region, visiting Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. While in Kenya, Brother Irfan met with representatives of the Young Muslims Association of Kenya and Islamic Foundation two of

the NGOs that we have been working with, for the various relief projects in Kenya. Brother Irfan also visited the

orphanages ICNA Relief is supporting in Isiolo, Garbatullah and Nyeri, and was invited to a function where he met with Kenyan Government dignitaries and o�cials.

ICNA Relief Canada registered itself as a Non-Governmental-Organization (NGO) in Kenya under the name of Helping Hand for Relief & Development (HHRD) Kenya. The formal o�ce has been set up in Nairobi, in the South C area. The o�ce currently has a six person team looking after our growing projects in the country. Our Regional Director for Africa who will be the lead person for all relief programs in Africa, will now be based in the Nairobi, Kenya o�ce.

In addition to our o�ce in Kenya, a satellite o�ce has also been setup in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu. The Somalian team is also registering the NGO under the name of Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) Somalia. During his visit to Somalia, brother Irfan met with several Parliamentarians from the Somalian government whom he briefed on ICNA Relief/HHRD’s current work and future ambitions in the region. Brother Irfan also met with

Two girls at a refugee camp

camps/day). In these camps, more than 11,000 �ood a�ectees received free consultation and medications.

Mother & Child Health Centers (MCHCs): From Sept. 1st to Oct. 13th, 10,400 patients were treated and four safe deliveries were carried out. MCHCs provide a range of health s e r v i c e s including free c o n s u l t a t i o n , m e d i c a t i o n ,

antenatal/postnatal care, neonatal care, safe deliveries, growth monitoring, vaccination, hygiene awareness and referral services.

All in all, our Mobile medical camps and MCHCs provided health assistance to more than 21,000 �ood victims in Sindh and Balochistan between August 19th and October 20th, 2011.

Food ReliefIn the �rst two months our team had distributed more

than 1,100 food packages bene�ting more than 17,000 people. Each food package of 40.5 kilograms contained wheat �our, rice, cooking oil, sugar, tea, biscuits, etc. We also distributed 47,500 cooked meals to the �ood victims.

Water for Life ProjectsWithin the �rst eight days ICNA Relief`s team had setup 48 water tanks (150-200 gallons each, �lled three times a day) to provide drinking water. As of October 2011, we had setup 225 water tanks at di�erent locations of Benazirabad and Badin districts. The Water for Life project is aggressively working in the entire region and we hope to continue supplying clean water to prevent diseases. More than 104,300 people have been provided clean drinking water through this program.

As of October 2011, 190,000 people had been helped through our medical, food and water relief e�orts in the region.

Pakistan Floods 2011

The 2011 �oods that devastated large parts of the southern province of Pakistan, Sindh, have greatly been overshadowed by other crisis that occurred during the same time. Not well known, Pakistan su�ered through another large scale surge of �oods in 2011, similar to 2010, impacting a great part of Sindh. Estimates suggest more than �ve million people were impacted by the crisis, with over 900,000 homes being damaged and more than 300,000 people becoming internally displaced as a result.

Alhamdulillah, ICNA Relief’s Emergency Response Team was one of the �rst to arrive at the crisis locations and start

relief e�orts in the �ood a�ected region.

Health Care ReliefIn the early days particularly, ambulances were dispatched to remote areas in Sindh, where limited medical help was available. Medical Clinics and Mobile health clinics were setup to allow �ood victims to get treatment for malaria, scabies and other serious infections caused by unsanitary water. ICNA Relief’s teams in Sindh also organized 119 one-day free medical camps in four districts: Badin, Benazirabad, Mirpur Khas and Tando Allahyar (4

4

continued on pg. 5...

camps/day). In these camps, more than 11,000 �ood a�ectees received free consultation and medications.

Mother & Child Health Centers (MCHCs): From Sept. 1st to Oct. 13th, 10,400 patients were treated and four safe deliveries were carried out. MCHCs provide a range of health s e r v i c e s including free c o n s u l t a t i o n , m e d i c a t i o n ,

antenatal/postnatal care, neonatal care, safe deliveries, growth monitoring, vaccination, hygiene awareness and referral services.

All in all, our Mobile medical camps and MCHCs provided health assistance to more than 21,000 �ood victims in Sindh and Balochistan between August 19th and October 20th, 2011.

Food ReliefIn the �rst two months our team had distributed more

than 1,100 food packages bene�ting more than 17,000 people. Each food package of 40.5 kilograms contained wheat �our, rice, cooking oil, sugar, tea, biscuits, etc. We also distributed 47,500 cooked meals to the �ood victims.

Water for Life ProjectsWithin the �rst eight days ICNA Relief`s team had setup 48 water tanks (150-200 gallons each, �lled three times a day) to provide drinking water. As of October 2011, we had setup 225 water tanks at di�erent locations of Benazirabad and Badin districts. The Water for Life project is aggressively working in the entire region and we hope to continue supplying clean water to prevent diseases. More than 104,300 people have been provided clean drinking water through this program.

As of October 2011, 190,000 people had been helped through our medical, food and water relief e�orts in the region.

The 2011 �oods that devastated large parts of the southern province of Pakistan, Sindh, have greatly been overshadowed by other crisis that occurred during the same time. Not well known, Pakistan su�ered through another large scale surge of �oods in 2011, similar to 2010, impacting a great part of Sindh. Estimates suggest more than �ve million people were impacted by the crisis, with over 900,000 homes being damaged and more than 300,000 people becoming internally displaced as a result.

Alhamdulillah, ICNA Relief’s Emergency Response Team was one of the �rst to arrive at the crisis locations and start

relief e�orts in the �ood a�ected region.

Health Care ReliefIn the early days particularly, ambulances were dispatched to remote areas in Sindh, where limited medical help was available. Medical Clinics and Mobile health clinics were setup to allow �ood victims to get treatment for malaria, scabies and other serious infections caused by unsanitary water. ICNA Relief’s teams in Sindh also organized 119 one-day free medical camps in four districts: Badin, Benazirabad, Mirpur Khas and Tando Allahyar (4

5

Children holding cooked food distributed by our team

Drinking water being distributed in Sindh

...continued from pg.4 Quick Facts about our relief work in Pakistan Floods 2011 - Provided health assistance to more than 21,400 �ood a�ectees- Food rations provided for 17,400- Cooked meals served to 47,500- Drinking water provided to 104,000 - Overall Relief Interventions helped over 197,000 �ood a�ectees

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Food package distribution.

HHRD sta� providing health care to a child. HORN OF AFRICADROUGHT 2011

Mother feeds her two boys with the little portions of food provided.Locals standing in line for relief aid.

Two girls and a boy standing behind their make-shift tent.

HHRD Team with local kids.

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Water hole dug at one of the camps/villages. Child being served food.

Food package distribution.

HHRD sta� conversing with locals.

Two girls and a boy standing behind their make-shift tent.

HHRD Team with local kids.

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government agencies like Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR).” In some mountainous regions, gravity �ow can be used to supply clean water to the nearby villages.

“In other regions, for example, the landscape is such that elevated tanks need to be built, with electrical motors pumping out the water from underground. The most cost-e�ective and e�ective option always is to build hand pumps that bring water to communities from the underground water; however, this option is only possible if the landscape and other factors allow.”

In some cases, pipes are built to take water directly to each individual house. In most cases however, communal taps are built to serve every four to �ve houses.

In general, the Water for Life program operates either in emergency situations, where bare-minimum levels of clean water are needed for survivability; or under the ‘Adopt a Village’ umbrella program of ICNA Relief/Helping Hand to look after l o n g - t e r m development of an e n t i r e village/community.

In the long-term rehabilitation of Pakistan �ood victims, for example, ICNA Relief Canada, along with its sister organizations in the United States and Pakistan, adopted eleven villages and built in each four to sixteen hand pumps, and worked on rebuilding/repairing another sixty to seventy pumps. In long term development projects, we have more options in how to facilitate clean water for the community.

During emergency relief scenarios however, the focus is on providing immediate relief to the a�ected population. Where a single hand pump would normally be built for every ten to �fteen persons, in a crisis situation, we would setup one hand pump for every one hundred persons. Sometimes, a water pump cannot be setup in a disaster area due to the lack of underground water; such cases require the use of specialized trucks that can transport large amounts of water; however this solution is temporary and aimed at quenching the immediate needs of a disaster stricken locality. Furthermore, in some

disaster situations, like the Pakistan Floods of 2010 and 2011, there is no shortage of water, but the water is polluted; in such situations our team hands out ‘aqua tablets’ that purify the existing dirty water for drinking use.

Sanitation ServicesAside from delivering clean water sources, our Water for Life program partakes in related initiatives that help in maintaining water sanitation to control the spread of disease. Sanitation includes the construction and repair of drainage lines and systems, as well as building proper latrines (i.e. toilets), and setting up proper garbage disposal facilities (where possible).

Brother Imran Khan from Pakistan explained to us the various types of latrines that may be built in a local village; a temporary communal latrine can be used by up to twenty-two persons, and can last for three months; if the community cannot develop its own s a n i t a t i o n processes in that time frame, a more long lasting ‘ p o u r - � u s h ventilated latrine’ would be built for four to �ve houses to use for another six to seven

months; and in some cases, where needed, a semi-permanent latrine can be built for each home individually that would be longer lasting.

In addition, ICNA Relief also participates in the United Nations’ Water And Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) program. Under the WASH program, we conduct various educational/informative seminars in remote villages and disaster stricken communities to educate the people on proper hygiene practices that prevent disease and promote good health.

In Depth:

Water for Life ProjectICNA Relief’s Water for Life program has brought clean water & sanitation resources to thousands of people across Pakistan, India, Haiti, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. This program hopes to enhance long-term development of communities by making drinkable water more accessible.

The objectives of the Water for Life program can be divided into two: (i) to provide clean drinking water to communities; and to (ii) develop proper sanitation services for those communities.

Clean Water ResourcesICNA Relief’s Water for Life program tries to set up water hand pumps, water wells, tube wells and water tanks in remote villages where government agencies or other NGOs have not yet reached. In many remote villages of Pakistan and India, communities are made to drink from polluted water due to the lack of resources. In such situations, ICNA Relief endeavors to setup appropriate clean water solutions by examining the geography and landscape of the village – using research and studies from reputable institutions and government organizations – and implementing feasible clean water projects.

Speaking to us from Pakistan, brother Imran Khan, head of our

Water for Life program, described in great detail how the HHRD team (our Pakistan sister organization) decides on which villages to target with the Water for Life program and what factors go into deciding the most cost-e�ective method of providing clean water to the community.

Brother Imran Khan explained, “The Water for Life team has developed geographical pro�les of each key area in Pakistan that aid in deciding what type of water supply would be most suitable in that region.” He added, “we use our own research and experience, as well as the research and study done by

Women carrying water from a water well built by ICNA Relief`s team

continued on pg. 9...

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...continued from pg. 8 government agencies like Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR).” In some mountainous regions, gravity �ow can be used to supply clean water to the nearby villages.

“In other regions, for example, the landscape is such that elevated tanks need to be built, with electrical motors pumping out the water from underground. The most cost-e�ective and e�ective option always is to build hand pumps that bring water to communities from the underground water; however, this option is only possible if the landscape and other factors allow.”

In some cases, pipes are built to take water directly to each individual house. In most cases however, communal taps are built to serve every four to �ve houses.

In general, the Water for Life program operates either in emergency situations, where bare-minimum levels of clean water are needed for survivability; or under the ‘Adopt a Village’ umbrella program of ICNA Relief/Helping Hand to look after l o n g - t e r m development of an e n t i r e village/community.

In the long-term rehabilitation of Pakistan �ood victims, for example, ICNA Relief Canada, along with its sister organizations in the United States and Pakistan, adopted eleven villages and built in each four to sixteen hand pumps, and worked on rebuilding/repairing another sixty to seventy pumps. In long term development projects, we have more options in how to facilitate clean water for the community.

During emergency relief scenarios however, the focus is on providing immediate relief to the a�ected population. Where a single hand pump would normally be built for every ten to �fteen persons, in a crisis situation, we would setup one hand pump for every one hundred persons. Sometimes, a water pump cannot be setup in a disaster area due to the lack of underground water; such cases require the use of specialized trucks that can transport large amounts of water; however this solution is temporary and aimed at quenching the immediate needs of a disaster stricken locality. Furthermore, in some

disaster situations, like the Pakistan Floods of 2010 and 2011, there is no shortage of water, but the water is polluted; in such situations our team hands out ‘aqua tablets’ that purify the existing dirty water for drinking use.

Sanitation ServicesAside from delivering clean water sources, our Water for Life program partakes in related initiatives that help in maintaining water sanitation to control the spread of disease. Sanitation includes the construction and repair of drainage lines and systems, as well as building proper latrines (i.e. toilets), and setting up proper garbage disposal facilities (where possible).

Brother Imran Khan from Pakistan explained to us the various types of latrines that may be built in a local village; a temporary communal latrine can be used by up to twenty-two persons, and can last for three months; if the community cannot develop its own s a n i t a t i o n processes in that time frame, a more long lasting ‘ p o u r - � u s h ventilated latrine’ would be built for four to �ve houses to use for another six to seven

months; and in some cases, where needed, a semi-permanent latrine can be built for each home individually that would be longer lasting.

In addition, ICNA Relief also participates in the United Nations’ Water And Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) program. Under the WASH program, we conduct various educational/informative seminars in remote villages and disaster stricken communities to educate the people on proper hygiene practices that prevent disease and promote good health.

ICNA Relief’s Water for Life program has brought clean water & sanitation resources to thousands of people across Pakistan, India, Haiti, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. This program hopes to enhance long-term development of communities by making drinkable water more accessible.

The objectives of the Water for Life program can be divided into two: (i) to provide clean drinking water to communities; and to (ii) develop proper sanitation services for those communities.

Clean Water ResourcesICNA Relief’s Water for Life program tries to set up water hand pumps, water wells, tube wells and water tanks in remote villages where government agencies or other NGOs have not yet reached. In many remote villages of Pakistan and India, communities are made to drink from polluted water due to the lack of resources. In such situations, ICNA Relief endeavors to setup appropriate clean water solutions by examining the geography and landscape of the village – using research and studies from reputable institutions and government organizations – and implementing feasible clean water projects.

Speaking to us from Pakistan, brother Imran Khan, head of our

Water for Life program, described in great detail how the HHRD team (our Pakistan sister organization) decides on which villages to target with the Water for Life program and what factors go into deciding the most cost-e�ective method of providing clean water to the community.

Brother Imran Khan explained, “The Water for Life team has developed geographical pro�les of each key area in Pakistan that aid in deciding what type of water supply would be most suitable in that region.” He added, “we use our own research and experience, as well as the research and study done by

Water tank being re�lled with water in the Horn of Africa, 2011

In Review:

The Thorncli�e Food Bank

I had the opportunity to visit the Thorncli�e Food Bank recently for a documentary shooting we had to do for ICNA Relief. This being my �rst visit, I was pleasantly surprised by the activity of the centre and the friendliness of the sta� and volunteers. The Thorncli�e Food Bank is open two days a week, and entertains clients from a vast variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds. Most of the clients that came during my visit at the location were of respectable backgrounds that had recently come to Canada and were going through the often tough process of settling down in a new country.

The Thorncli�e Food Bank is the second busiest chapter of ICNA Relief’s six food bank locations, Alhamdulillah. The food bank has nearly 350 families registered for monthly donation pickups, and serves an estimated 1,000 individuals within those families. The food bank relies primarily on rigorous and frequent food drives around the Throncli�e area to collect the food items needed by its clients. Recently, the food bank team held its �rst ever fundraising lunch to collect monetary donations.

Brother Khalid Baloch, the newly appointed manager of the food bank, has a motivated group of volunteers that

rotate shifts throughout the day. Each

client – the receiver of the food basket – is graciously seated at the centre, while their food package is prepared based on their membership status. All of the month’s food supplies allotted for the client are gathered from the shelves and placed in a measuring food basket. Once the correct amount is realized, the client is allowed to pack the items in appropriate carts/bags of their choice, to take home for the month.

In addition, the food bank location also serves as a valuable resource centre for the local ICNA chapter; with several study circles and small events being held by the ICNA brothers and sisters on a regular basis. The resource centre also hosts a small, convenient Islamic library, accessible to the local community, featuring a variety of books for both adults and kids.

In the morning, when I arrived at the location, two Iraqi sisters were on site to collect their monthly food baskets. The sisters had �ed from the violence of their home country, after initially escaping to Syria. Moments after they left, a group of three Hungarian families came together for the food bank services. One of the couples was an existing client, while the other two families came along as �rst time registrants. All throughout the day, I saw families and individuals from a mix of Afghani, Hungarian, Iraqi, Pakistani and other backgrounds entering and leaving the centre. A reminder about how the food bank truly was serving its local community, Alhamdulillah.

- written by brother Malaika GhayyurBr. Malaika Ghayyur is ICNA Relief’s Webmaster & Assistant Manager, Media & IT.

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The Thorn�i�e Food Bank Team

A Hungarian family using the Food Bank

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