KU’s Islamic Society has raised thousands of pounds for diseased African children.
Laura Rietz
The Islamic Society has raised an astonishing £12,000 in a fundraising campaign to support free surgeries for children suffering from heart disease in Africa.
The Society’s committee collected donations throughout charity week via bakery sales, auctions and bucket collections on all five KU campuses as well as at Kingston rail station.
President of the Islamic Society, Ibrahim Gbede, said: “It was truly a surprise to hear we had raised so much over such a short period of time.”
The money raised helps to finance the Al Muntada Trust, which supports children suffering from congenital heart disease, a common birth defect, in Africa. Over the past four years, the trust has performed around 800 lifesaving operations.
ISOC’s latest project, Justice Week, started on March 4 and was set up to focus on anti-terror legislation and how that has affected Muslims living in the UK.
The Islamic Society are particularly interested in raising awareness about Shaker Aamer who is the last Briton to be held at Guantanamo Bay on suspicion of recruiting and financing al Qaeda.
ISOC’s main event for the week was “A Night for Shaker” dedicated to the Guantanamo inmate.