Grant and Funding Programs Offered by The Zahra(s) Trust Canada

The Zahra(s) Trust Canada is a faith-inspired humanitarian non-profit that mobilises Islamic charitable giving — including Zakat, Sadaqah, Khums and other donations — and directs these funds to vulnerable individuals and communities around the world. Rather than operating as a grant-writing intermediary, the organisation designs and finances its own aid programmes and targeted initiatives, providing both direct financial assistance and in-kind support such as food, water infrastructure, housing and education. Its work spans emergency relief and long-term development, with a particular focus on orphans, widows and vulnerable families.

Through its Sustainable Projects, the Trust invests donated funds in initiatives that create lasting improvements in livelihoods. Examples include solar-panelled water wells that provide clean, renewable water; food gardens that build household food security and income; olive tree replanting in southern Lebanon to restore livelihoods after conflict; and housing construction for displaced and vulnerable families. These projects convert donations into tangible assets and infrastructure that benefit communities for years to come.

The Microfinance portfolio includes economic development schemes for widows and vulnerable women, such as supporting a salon and cosmetics business in Diwaniyah, as well as a structured rickshaw project. In that programme, rickshaws are purchased and distributed to beneficiaries, who repay the cost over 15 months before becoming full owners. Repaid funds are reinvested to reach additional families, particularly orphan-led households. The Trust also runs a higher education scholarship initiative, offering financial support so that students from low-income backgrounds can pursue their studies.

Under its Orphans, Widows & Vulnerable Children programme, the organisation integrates several sectors: zero hunger (hot meals and food packs), clean water and sanitation (including electric and solar water wells, handpumps, toilets and ultrafiltration stations in places such as Iraq, Yemen and Pakistan), and essential support to cover critical care, basic living and maintenance expenses. These interventions help families cover costs they could not otherwise meet, reducing the need for children to drop out of school for low-paid work.

A distinctive feature of The Zahra(s) Trust Canada is its role in managing Khums funds. The organisation holds ijaza (permissions) from several leading Shia Maraja, including Grand Ayatullah Sayed Ali al-Sistani and others, authorising it to collect Khums and allocate both Sehme Imam and Sehme Sadaat portions. Sehme Imam is directed to approved welfare projects such as Water Aid, country appeals (for example in Afghanistan and Yemen) and programmes for orphans and widows, while Sehme Sadaat is distributed to Sadaat orphans, widows and vulnerable children in need. This creates a structured, accountable pathway for religious tax funds to reach eligible beneficiaries.

The Trust serves a broad range of at-risk groups, including orphaned children, widows, vulnerable families, displaced people and communities affected by disaster, drought or conflict. Its education and skills training work supports both children and adults, from school rehabilitation and learning materials to school meals that link nutrition with educational success. Across all programmes, the goal is to move people from short-term crisis response to long-term resilience by combining direct relief with microfinance, livelihood support and community infrastructure.

Through this portfolio of projects, The Zahra(s) Trust Canada functions as a key funding channel within the Islamic charitable ecosystem, transforming individual donations and religious obligations into coordinated humanitarian and development interventions across multiple countries.