Feed the Children of Jamia Abul Ghaus in India

Friends, 

I am reaching out to you all to kindly ask for your support with a cause that is very near and dear to me.  In 2005, my family built and has since supported a boarding school/orphanage and charitable foundation for needy and orphaned children, in the remote village of Ghazipur, in Uttar Pradesh, India.  Over the years the school has grown and serves over 300 boys and girls, roughly half of which live on the campus.  The children are provided with both religious and secular education, as well as regular meals and clothing.  The school serves children from primary school age through to the end of high school, and helps the graduates pursue higher education after graduation.  Since its founding, we have seen a steady stream of graduates.  

The ask:  To provide lunch and dinner to the children for a full year we need to fund a budget of $16,000.  With the emergence of COVID-19, our usual fundraising sources are now inaccessible (mosques, community events, etc.).  If we are able to commit to bulk purchases from suppliers, we can secure our food supplies at this discounted price.  Given the seasonality of crops and supplier inventory levels, our costs could potentially double.   To put this amount in perspective, this works out to approximately $53.33 to feed a child lunch and dinner for a year.   If we are able to surpass our fundraising goal, excess funds will be allocated to the rest of the school's operating budget, which totals approximately $90,000.



Normally, I would not widely appeal to everyone for support with this endeavor, but the growth of the school along with the challenges COVID-19 has presented for our normal sources of fundraising has created significant challenges.  I would sincerely appreciate your support.  I can personally attest to the efficient and honest use of the funds, and have personally visited the school and its students.  I can confirm that absolutely no funds are ever used for administrative overhead costs (apart from gofundme processing fees or funding salaries beyond the modest income of the school teachers.

The annual budget for the school's operations is approximately $90,000 per year, of which my family and I still significantly support.  This includes everything from teachers, utilities, food, clothing, beds and supplies. 


Some of you may be wondering why breakfast was omitted from above appeal - I can confirm that the funds for breakfast have been secured for the year.  

Some of you may also be wondering if your support is eligible for a tax-receipt.  While the school is a registered charitable organization in India, we are still in the process of setting up tax status in Canada and the U.S.  This is roughly 6 to 12 months away from completion and will hopefully be something we can offer donors in the future.  We can issue Indian tax receipts today, and I can make receipts available upon request. 

Below are additional details about the school, its mission and its charitable projects.  I sincerely hope you may be willing and able to help this year.  

Our Mission

Jamia Abul Ghaus was established to fulfill  three objectives:

1. To provide underprivileged/orphaned children and youth with a balanced education of both Islamic and secular studies, and enable them to pursue successful careers and bright futures;

2. Develop impactful global citizens; and

3. Address various social illnesses and needs in a constructive and forward-thinking manner with a view toward long-term positive impact rather than short-term patchwork remedies.