UK-based humanitarian charity, Muslim Aid, are launching a campaign this Ramadan to provide gifts for hundreds of sick children in UK hospitals. Working with London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Newcastle Hospital Charity, Muslim Aid will be providing Eid gifts to children from all backgrounds, on over 40 different wards, including burn centres, intensive care, neurosurgery, and more.
Muslim Aid will be providing crafts and activities for the children, which can be taken home. Mindful of the need for gifts that are suitable for children who are unwell, the charity will provide items such as chunky pens that are easy to grip, paper mâché kits, which are great for sensory play, and sock kits for children to create their own companions to keep at their bedside.
Spearheading the campaign is Muslim Aid volunteer and mum of three, Sultana, who has first-hand experience of long hospital stays with her son, Musa. Diagnosed with cancer when he was just 10 months old, Musa bravely faced five months of intensive chemotherapy, and later, a bone marrow transplant. Over the many years that Musa needed treatment, Sultana spent months in the hospital, where she experienced the many challenges that young patients and their families face when confined to the wards. In particular, Sultana noticed how the hospitals would be decorated for holidays such as Christmas and Halloween, with gifts being distributed by volunteers to mark these occasions. However, during Eid, there was nothing. For this reason, Sultana is now leading this campaign to ensure that Eid won’t be cancelled for the hundreds of children in hospital this year. Sultana will be an integral part of the project, delivering many of the gifts herself.
Sultana says: I am delighted to be working with Muslim Aid as their staff have shown real enthusiasm to support communities right here in the UK. Eid is a joyous occasion, which every child should be able to enjoy, so we are helping to bring some normality to their lives. With the pandemic and continued uncertainty, a small gift can bring a smile to the faces of these beautiful children.
Muslim Aid CEO Kashif Shabir says: Muslim Aid supports thousands of children across the globe through a range of initiatives, including child sponsorship, education, and protection projects. Our campaign to provide gifts to children in hospitals comes as part of our commitment to bring the support we offer to children abroad to young people living here in the UK. By enabling hundreds of children in UK hospitals to share in the celebration of Eid, while spreading joy to patients and families feeling isolated within hospitals, we will ensure that sick children across the UK are supported through the challenges they face.
Muslim Aid is an international humanitarian charity with relief and development programmes in countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is the second oldest Muslim charity in the UK and celebrated its 35th anniversary in November. The charity works to support and empower people suffering the effects of poverty, war, and natural disaster through both emergency relief and sustainable programmes designed to provide long-term support and create independent futures.
For more information, please visit https://www.muslimaid.org/children-in-hospital-eid-gifts/ A gift for a sick child costs £15, while supporters can donate up to £500 to provide gifts for an entire ward of approximately 35 children.
For further information, please call Pedro on 07831 556 951 or e mail fnik@btconnect.com
