“When a person dies, all their deeds end except three: a continuing charity, beneficial knowledge and a child who prays for them.” – Hadith

In Nigeria, Muslims who are defending Islam are routinely targeted violently and many are martyred. Their sacrifices drive families into desperate circumstances, especially where the main or sole breadwinner loses their life. At IHRC Trust, we have been supporting victims of state violence. We have been supporting children of those that have been martyred  with the gift of education. Without the financial means to continue their studies many children would be forced to abandon their studies and forced into work. Through our initiatives many students have continued their education and are now able to pursue their education up to university level. Many exceptional students are now being offered scholarships to study abroad, ranging from 50% to 100% reduction in fees.

The success of this particular group of students is a cause for celebration. Not only are these students faced with the challenge of the state discriminating against them, but also the lack of importance Nigeria gives to education. Education statistics in Nigeria are frightening: it has the world’s highest number of out-of-school children, with about 10.5 million children aged 5-14 years not attending school. Nigeria has a low literacy rate of 65.1% according to World Bank data with significant gender and regional disparities. Nigeria ranks 124th out of 137 countries in terms of quality of primary education according to the World Economic Forum. It has a low school completion rate of 63% for primary education, 44% for junior secondary education, and 17% for senior secondary education. 

Due to the lack funds our beneficiaries are often unable to attend university as they do not have the money to purchase a ticket, pay for a passport and initial costs of being a student in a foreign country. IHRC Trust is asking our supporters to assist in this Sadaqah Jariyah initiative to contribute towards this initial cost of helping a student study abroad. We know that once they graduate, these students will not only be in a position to support themselves and their families, but will become an asset of the Ummah in serving Islam.

Helping those who are less fortunate is a key tenet of our faith. We are encouraged to give Sadaqah Jariyah because for as long as the donation continues to benefit others, the donor will reap the rewards. This could last beyond the donor’s lifetime, and potentially even generations. Sadaqah Jariyah is what today’s international development sector calls ‘sustainable development’, which is something that was promoted by Islam over 1400 years ago. 

Your support will provide livelihoods for thousands of people and communities in Nigeria, lifting many people out of the cycle of poverty. 

Read about recent success stories here.