PennyAppeal News

Almost a million Rohingya refugees have fled persecution and danger in Myanmar, only to arrive at a refugee camp which is sprawling and unforgiving; Cox’s Bazar. This is the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world, and Bangladesh just does not have the capacity to help so many people. The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.3 million Rohingya people are in need of health services, many of whom live in Cox’s Bazar.

Roshni is a 19-year-old, soon-to-be mother of three, and there is absolutely nothing she wouldn’t do for her little ones. The love she has for them is unconditional and ever growing… but Roshni is afraid. Afraid for the future, afraid for her children and afraid of the uncertainty that poverty brings her family. She fears what will happen to herself and her children, especially the one growing inside her, if they go without food much longer.

One of the greatest things about fasting during Ramadan is that Muslims, as a community, fast together. You’re fasting, your friends are fasting and your neighbours are fasting as well; the beauty of this communal act is that everyone is coming together in solidarity to celebrate their devotion to Allah (swt). Fasting enables us to reflect on our faith and put a spotlight on devotion and charitable giving. During the holy month of Ramadan, the strength in each of us provides strength for the community.  If we’re fasting as a community, then what better way is there to break that fast than with your community? 

Ramadan is one of the best times of the year to raise funds for charity, because it’s the time of year when we reflect most on the struggles of the less fortunate. This reflection leads to action, as Muslims all over the globe pay their Zakat and make donations to charitable causes. Allah (swt) rewards you for each donation you make and many donors are blessed with Sadaqah Jariyah, for the continuous help they provide to communities all over the world. Donating money isn’t the only way to receive rewards though! You can earn blessings and rewards by fundraising or donating your time and effort to a cause close to your heart.

It sounds absurd that not every child gets the chance to be a child, but the homeless youth in Pakistan, Lebanon, Bangladesh and Senegal are forced to grow up well before their time. They’ve been forgotten by society, left to their own devices to survive by going out and begging for food or money, squatting anywhere they can for shelter, and going without education or healthcare. These children have to grow up in dismal conditions, fighting for their lives on a daily basis and not only from the harshness of their environment, but from the people that would use their hopeless situation to exploit them. Children do not deserve to be hardened by the world at such a young age, they deserve better and we can give them better.

The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life are extremely fragile. Their ability to grow, learn and flourish are directly linked to these initial days, with good healthcare and nutrition laying the building blocks for development and strength. Donate before June 9th to our Fragile Lives Appeal and the UK Government will DOUBLE your donation to save lives in Kenya and Pakistan, helping to make double the difference for the mothers and babies that desperately need your help!

Make the best of this Ramadan Ramadan is quickly approaching, and Muslims around the world will be greeting this holy month with fasting and prayer on May 6th and 7th.

Building a better future for Nepal’s Muslim minorities with the help of former Prime Minister, Samim Miya Ansari.

Say Salaam to Penny the Prayer Bear – a cute, cuddly and totally ground-breaking teddy bear. 

Meet one of our celebrity London Marathon runners, Manal A. Rostom, the inspirational lady who will be running to raise money for Penny Appeal in the London Marathon 2019 on Sunday 28th April 2019.

We are extraordinarily fortunate to have free health services accessible to us in all of these instances. It’s something we often take for granted, but healthcare is a basic human right which sadly isn’t available to everyone around the world. One of those places is war-torn Syria.

This Mother’s Day, we are sharing stories from some of the mothers we met in Pakistan and Kenya through our Fragile Lives appeal. This is the story of what happens when a child loses their mother, and a husband loses his wife and the mother of their children. Abdi, aged 49, had been married to his wife, Yasmine, for 20 years, when she tragically died while giving birth to their tenth child, who also died during childbirth.