The founder of the Orphan Charity Foundation surrounded by children in the foundation's care

About the Foundation

A non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian organisation providing purely humanitarian services to orphans, widows, people in need, disaster-affected people and displaced people. It was founded by the Grand Religious Authority Sayyed Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim (may his soul be sanctified) on 4 April 2007 in the Republic of Iraq, and it is registered with the Non-Governmental Organisations Directorate of the General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council of Ministers under number 73462. It was granted Special Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 2016, and public-benefit status by the General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council of Ministers in 2016. Its headquarters is in the city of Najaf, and it has 19 branches and offices in 14 Iraqi governorates.

Our Vision

To preserve the most fragile threads of the social fabric in order to build a prosperous and just Islamic society, in which every individual enjoys equal opportunities to live in dignity and well-being, by providing social, educational and medical support and assistance, and by supporting humanitarian and development projects for the vulnerable and needy groups in society — especially orphans, the destitute and disaster-affected people — in order to achieve a positive impact that supports sustainable development and strengthens the concept of social responsibility.

We believe in the power of cooperation and solidarity and in setting the highest standards in the services we provide, by working with transparency and sincerity and with a continuous commitment to Islamic law and professional ethics, to bring about positive change that benefits society as a whole.

Our Mission

To meet basic and developmental humanitarian needs — from providing the necessities of a decent life to educational, health and psychological care — for orphans in particular, and for widows, the destitute, disaster-affected people and displaced people in general, through innovative and effective projects and programmes, as well as drawing public attention to these groups through documentary, media and statistical programmes.

What they said about us

The Lord be with you, bless you, protect you and grant you His grace, “so that you may continue your wonderful humanitarian mission. You touch hearts and they become oases of hope; you enter lives and a prayer rises to the Creator, generous and loving; you reach out your hands and springs of generosity and giving flow.” May the Lord sustain and protect you.

Father Nadim Nassar, Director of the Awareness Foundation – London

I am delighted to see this level of organisation “in the work, and the precision with names and distribution”.

Dr. Bayan Al-Araji, Executive Director of Al-Ihsan Charitable Society – London

“This is wonderful work. May God be with you and with all who work in humanitarian service. I pray that God grants this foundation progress and success.”

Mr. Umar Shihab, head of the Ahlul Bayt Foundation in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta

It was our pleasure today to have the honour of visiting the Orphan Charity Foundation and meeting its staff. We wish you continued success in this important work, and success in your efforts to build a new and better society in Iraq.

Mr. Joost Hiltermann, Middle East and North Africa Programme Director, International Crisis Group – Belgium

“It is good to see such great care for this, the most vulnerable group in society – care that helps give them every opportunity to become active citizens in the future.”

British journalist Jack Watling, The Guardian

Number of widows: 40,345+
Number of orphans: 118,518+
Number of poor families: 2,463+

Our achievements

Sponsorship and Care for Eligible Beneficiaries

Since its founding, the Foundation has secured financial sponsorship for more than [125,000] orphans registered with it, in addition to providing thousands of stipends for the dignified families in need registered with it.

Economic and Social Empowerment

Improving the economic situation of orphans and widows and helping them move from receiving care to productive self-reliance through vocational and development programmes, as well as helping eligible young people to marry and build a good family.

Health Care

The Foundation has provided medical supplies and covered the costs of treatment and surgery for all cases of illness among the orphans registered with it and their families, as well as the dignified people in need registered with it.

Supporting High Achievers and Outstanding Students

The Foundation continues to support and care for high-achieving pupils and students by enrolling them in development courses and private schools, or by paying their university fees or securing free university places for them.

Relief and Emergency Response

The Foundation has provided substantial support and an immediate response to everyone forced from their homes, affected by disaster or displaced, from inside and outside Iraq, by distributing in-kind and financial aid and finding shelter for these families affected by terrorism and the crises of war.

Psychological Support and Recreational Activities

Organising recreational programmes, events and activities that help provide psychological support, as well as programmes of visits to places of worship, holy sites and the shrines of the Purified Imams.

Faith Awareness and Religious Upbringing

The Foundation sponsors ceremonies marking the age of religious obligation (taklif) for the orphan girls registered with it, and is committed to holding and attending religious gatherings on matters of faith on religious occasions and on the anniversaries of the births and deaths of the Imams (peace be upon them).

Providing and Rehabilitating Housing

One of the Orphan Charity Foundation’s most important priorities is securing housing for orphans and their families by building homes for them, registered in their names, as well as projects to rehabilitate the orphans’ damaged homes so that they have safe and socially decent housing.

Human Rights Portfolio

From the earliest days of its work, the Foundation has sought to document human rights cases and to monitor crimes committed against humanity, such as terrorist crimes and ethnic and sectarian conflicts, so that those harmed by these crimes can obtain their rights, as well as submitting this documentation to the international and national organisations concerned with this issue.

Food Projects

The Foundation distributes all kinds of fresh and dry food throughout the year, especially during the blessed month of Ramadan, to all the families of orphans and dignified people in need registered with it.

Clothing Projects

The Orphan Charity Foundation distributes clothing to the orphans registered with it on many occasions and in different seasons, such as summer and winter clothing, school clothing and Eid clothing.

Distributing Summer and Winter Appliances

The Foundation distributes all kinds of summer and winter appliances that an Iraqi family needs, according to the needs and requests of the registered orphans’ families, which are usually determined by assessment committees that look into the families’ circumstances and inspect the appliances that need to be supplied or replaced.