ENABLING LONG-TERM CHANGE
“Before, I made just enough to feed my children. Now, I take orders every week and people wait for my cheese.” – Aisha (mother of five), Jordan
Emergency aid saves lives, but most people want to live without relying on it. That’s why we’ve established our sustainability programmes. Things like training courses, sewing machines, and small business grants empower people to make an income and escape poverty.
Each project is carefully tailored for the local community. In agricultural parts of Bangladesh, we provide livestock including goats. In Palestine, we gift profitable olive trees to small-scale farmers. In Jordan, we’re providing cheese-making and sewing courses for widowed mothers, helping people turn their ambitions into lasting security.
Our aims
People have the right to security – your donations are helping to provide that. We aim to:
- Train and equip people — especially women — to earn an income
- Support agriculture by supplying livestock, trees, tools, and technical training
- Reduce hunger by supporting food production businesses
- Develop vocational skills so people have independence and dignity
THE GLOBAL NEED
- Global unemployment: 5.1% in 2023 (160M+ affected) – ILO, 2024
- In Bangladesh, only 37.7% of women are employed vs. 80.6% of men – World Bank, 2022
- In lower-middle-income countries, 68% of employed women and 60.2% of employed men are in vulnerable employment – UN Women, 2023
- 28% of households worldwide are headed by women – UN Women, 2022
Previous work
Your donations have provided valuable assets with the power to lift people out of poverty. In the last 3 years, they’ve included:
- More than 2,000 olive trees (plus cultivation training) in Palestine
- Beekeeping courses and beehives for 50+ families in Pakistan & Uganda
- Over 100 goats for families in Bangladesh
- 20 electric TukTuks for unemployed people in Bangladesh, Pakistan & Lebanon
- More than 90 sewing and tailoring courses for women in Bangladesh
CASE STUDY: TukTuk for hire!
Electric TukTuks are low-emission vehicles which can be used for deliveries or transport. Each one is a valuable source of income. Our TukTuk project has successfully launched more than 20 independent businesses!
- Includes: Business training and one TukTuk on our 18-month, low-cost, lease-to-own scheme.
- Cost to deliver: Starts at £1,500
- Running in: Lebanon, Bangladesh, Pakistan
Want to sponsor a TukTuk and launch a livelihood? Email: info@salamcharity.org.uk
CASE STUDY: Supporting small businesses
We help refugees and other vulnerable people to launch or improve their own businesses. It’s ranged from a banana pancake cart in Uganda to mobile phone repair businesses in Bangladesh!
- Tailoring
- Food stalls & cafés
- Grocery carts & kiosks
- Phone repair services
Your donations fund training and mentoring as well as materials and equipment (like sewing machines, fridges, and roof repairs!). These grants range from £1,000 to £4,000, but their value is far higher because each one is an investment in real independence and ongoing income.
Jordan – Business opportunities for refugee women
In informal settlements and camps, Salam Charity has helped women-led households to start and grow their own businesses, giving them independence and dignity.
- Cheese production – providing livestock and equipment to boost income
- Catering – refitting a kitchen for a team of six women who now cater for events
- Sewing centre – offering training and equipment so women can make and sell their goods
Lebanon – Mobility and micro-enterprises
We support displaced people with vehicles and equipment so they can earn a daily income and provide for their families.
- TukTuks – small vehicles used for deliveries and transport
- Fruit & veg carts – mobile shops that reach under-served areas
- Portable cafés – coffee and tea carts that go where the customers are
- Car washes – modern equipment to launch new small businesses
“I now work six days a week and I’m saving to send my daughter to school.” – Khaled, Bekaa
Uganda – Small business support scheme
We deliver rural and urban income support in Uganda, making grants on a case by case basis. Some of these have included:
- Fishing boats – helping families feed themselves and sell the surplus
- Pop-up shops – stocked micro-shops for displaced and widowed families
- Catering carts and stalls – such as a bakery and a pancake cart to generate income
“The fishing boat is our lifeline. I sell half, keep half for my children, and no longer depend on food handouts.” – Musa, father of four
