Mississauga Muslim Community Centre Raises $100,000 for Syrian Children

At a time when so much negativity exists surrounding internal–and domestic–politics, it’s refreshing to read a good news story about a positive initiative.

Recently, an event intended to celebrate the opening of the Minhaj Welfare Foundation Canada (MWF) in Mississauga saw over 200 people raise $100,000 to support orphaned Syrian children who have been displaced abroad.

The event, which took place in Toronto on April 2, was organized in conjunction with the Mississauga Muslim Community Centre–an organization that operates youth groups and a food bank for community members in need.

The funds raised will help build an orphan care home in the Syria/Turkey border region. According to MWF, there are more than 2 million Syrian people living in makeshift homes and IDP camps in Turkey.

“It’s brilliant to see the people of Canada come together for an amazing cause and it’s thanks to their incredible generosity that we are able to help people in the world’s poorest communities,” Ahmed Malik, MWF Canada Chief coordinator, said in a statement.

The MWF has been involved in projects in Pakistan, Kenya and Syria since 1989. It has a number of initiatives it’s supporting right now, including relief for the ongoing East African famine and the aforementioned Syria Orphan Care Home Project. The project goals include building and running a home for orphaned Syrian children and providing them with educational facilities, livelihood support and healthcare.

According to MWF, the organization was recently awarded a charity status in Canada. Now, the charity can raise donations to support international projects, mainly in the third world.  The Canadian organization is part of Minhaj Welfare Foundation International, which is headquartered in the U.K.

The $100,000 should go a long way, considering an MWF presentation said that it expects building the facility to cost $250,000. Other expenses associated with the project include furniture and household appliances ($25,000) and child sponsorships ($1,440 per year).

You can see a rendering of the building, courtesy of MWF, below.

To learn more about MWF, click here.