The project began life as a vision in the year 2000 – a vision that the problems of the world could not be solved by money, but through unity. A vision that stated that we were stronger together rather than apart. A vision that our situation would not change unless we change ourselves. After years of preparation, the first trial run took place using a shoebox and a handwritten poster in St George’s Medical School, South London.
The next year, many London universities were on board. A few years later, the project had spread across the UK. After a few failed experiments, Charity Week was finally taken across the Atlantic to Canada in 2013. The year after that Qatar joined the project. The year after that, both Germany and USA made it a family of 5. In 2018, South Africa joined the party, followed by Ireland in 2020, Malaysia in 2021, and Pakistan in 2023!
The real story, however, is not about the money or the countries but the unity that is created at all levels – whether our volunteers are young or old, organising or volunteering, donating or collecting, Muslim or non-Muslim. It is this unity that we hope will provide a lasting solution to the suffering of the children of the world. It is this unity that we pray will provide the spark for further like-minded campaigns. It is this unity that we dream of being our legacy for generations to come.