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Restoring Vision in Sikasso: Embrace Relief’s Life-Changing Cataract Surgery Program

Posted on | by Ali

In Sikasso, a region in southern Mali, hundreds of people are living in darkness not because of nightfall, but because of cataracts, a preventable and treatable eye condition. Cataracts gradually cloud the lens of the eye, leading to blurry vision, blindness, and ultimately, the loss of independence. While cataracts are commonly associated with aging, in underserved areas like Sikasso, they become far more than a medical issue; they become a barrier to life itself.

The impact of untreated cataracts ripples through entire communities. Parents lose the ability to care for their children. Farmers can no longer tend their fields. Elders are left isolated in their homes, unable to navigate safely or contribute to daily life. In a region where access to specialized healthcare is extremely limited and the cost of surgery is out of reach for most families, a condition that could be easily resolved becomes a life altering disability.

A recent health awareness campaign in Sikasso revealed just how serious the situation is. More than 200 people in the region are living in total or near total blindness due to untreated cataracts. These individuals are teachers, mothers, grandparents, workers, people with responsibilities, dreams and communities who rely on them. Their lives are on hold simply because they cannot afford the care they need.

To address this urgent health crisis, Embrace Relief is launching a campaign to restore vision and rebuild lives in Sikasso. Through our Cataract Surgery Program that provides them with the life changing care they deserve. Our goal is to raise $13,200 to be able to fully fund 110 cataract surgeries at just $120 per patient, each surgery is a small investment that delivers a profound transformation.

Each cataract surgery includes comprehensive pre and post operative care and offers patients the ability to see clearly, regain independence, and reconnect with their loved ones. These surgeries not only restore vision but also restore dignity and opportunity enabling individuals to go back to work, support their families, and live normal healthy lives once again.

Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, Embrace Relief has helped deliver critical medical care around the world. Now, we are expanding that mission to Sikasso, bringing the gift of sight to those who have been living without it for far too long.

Blindness caused by cataracts should never be permanent, not when the solution is so within reach. With your help, we can ensure that no one in Sikasso is left in the dark.

One surgery. One act of compassion. A lifetime of vision.

Join us in restoring sight and changing lives.

How You Can Help: The Gift of Sight

A simple cataract surgery, which costs only $100, can transform a life. With your support, our Embrace Relief’s health clinics can provide these surgeries to those in need, giving them the gift of sight and the opportunity for a better future. Here’s how your donation can make a difference:

  • $120 Donation: Funds one complete cataract surgery, restoring sight to an individual in need.
  • $240 Donation: Supports two surgeries, doubling the impact.
  • $600 Donation: Helps five people regain their vision, enhancing their quality of life and ability to contribute to their communities.

Your donation can make a significant difference in the lives of those suffering from cataracts in Mali and Burkina Faso. For just $120, you can fund a cataract surgery and give someone the precious gift of sight.

Help us light up lives and drive away the darkness caused by cataracts. Donate now and be a part of this life-changing mission.

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Clean Water for the Children of Benin: Embrace Relief’s Newest Clean Water Initiative

Posted on | by Ali

In Benin, a West African country of over 13 million people, access to clean, safe drinking water remains a critical challenge. While the nation has made progress in education and healthcare, nearly 40% of people living in rural areas still lack access to basic drinking water services. For children, this crisis is particularly severe. In many communities, students walk long distances, sometimes several kilometers, to collect water from contaminated sources such as ponds or rivers. These unsafe water sources are often shared with livestock and lack any kind of filtration, exposing children to life-threatening diseases like cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid. The health risks are serious, but they also have a ripple effect. Without clean water at school, children, especially girls, miss class to fetch water or recover from illness. Over time, this disruption can lead to school dropouts and reinforce the cycle of poverty.

To address this urgent need, Embrace Relief is bringing clean water directly to the source of children’s futures: their schools. Through our Clean Water Initiative, we are building deep-water wells next to schools in underserved regions of Benin, ensuring students have immediate and daily access to safe, drinkable water. Each well taps into underground aquifers to provide clean, naturally filtered water to more than 1,000 people, including students, teachers, and nearby residents. These wells are not only strategically placed but also built to last. Each well costs $3,500 to construct and includes a five-year maintenance warranty, ensuring that the community has continued support and access for years to come. By eliminating the need for long and dangerous walks to fetch water, these wells keep children in the classroom, improve public health, and support broader development within the community.

Thanks to our generous supporters, Embrace Relief has already brought clean water to hundreds of communities across Africa and South Asia. Now, in Benin, we’re continuing that mission, one well at a time. Clean water isn’t just about hydration; it’s about dignity, safety, and the right to a future. With your help, we can ensure that every child in Benin can learn, grow, and thrive with clean water by their side.

Donate For Clean Water

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Is Toilet Water Clean?

Posted on | by Ali

Summary

  • Explore whether toilet water is clean and how modern plumbing affects water quality.
  • Understand the global disparity in access to clean drinking water and sanitation.
  • Support Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Initiative, bringing safe water to vulnerable communities.

It’s a question most of us have never thought to ask: Is toilet water clean? Instinctively, most people would respond with a quick and emphatic “no,” but the answer is a little more complicated.

In much of the developed world, the water that fills your toilet tank is actually the same water that comes out of your kitchen faucet; clean, treated, and potable. That’s right: toilet water is technically clean, at least before it touches the bowl. The water is piped directly from municipal water systems, treated to meet rigorous safety standards, and only becomes “dirty” once the toilet is used. In fact, under the Clean Water Act (CWA), water utilities are required to remove pollutants and pathogens from water supplies before they’re distributed to homes, ensuring a safe, consistent supply for drinking, bathing, cooking, and yes, even flushing.

But this raises a more unsettling reality: while we flush clean water every day without a second thought, over 2 billion people around the world still lack access to clean drinking water. They live without basic sanitation systems, relying on contaminated sources such as rivers, ponds, or hand-dug wells; water that carries life-threatening diseases. When clean water is this precious, every drop matters. In developing countries, the answer to “Is toilet water clean?” isn’t just “no”; it’s often “there is no toilet at all.”

This inequality stems from multiple factors: limited infrastructure, environmental degradation, poverty, and climate change. And while clean water services are taken for granted in much of the world, for billions of people, accessing potable water requires long walks, high costs, or dangerous compromises.

Sustainable Clean Water Solutions

Bringing Clean Water Where It’s Needed Most

At Embrace Relief, we believe that access to clean water is a human right, not a luxury. That’s why our Clean Water Initiative is focused on bringing safe, sustainable water sources to communities that need them most.

In regions across Africa and South Asia, we’re building and maintaining deep-water wells that provide life-saving clean water to over 1,000 people per well. These aren’t just short-term solutions. Our wells are designed to last, with each one backed by a five-year guarantee to ensure consistent maintenance and reliable access. And when existing wells that are often the only source of clean drinking water for miles break down, we step in to repair them through our Fountains of Hope Initiative.

Clean water transforms everything. It means fewer waterborne illnesses. It means girls can attend school instead of walking hours each day for water. It means families can grow crops, stay clean, and live with dignity.

A monthly donation of just $22 supports the construction and maintenance of these wells, ensuring clean drinking water for 1,000 people each month. It’s a small gift with an enormous impact. When you donate to our Clean Water Initiative, you’re not just giving water. You’re giving time, health, education, and opportunity.

Join us in creating a world where no one has to wonder if their next glass of water, or even their toilet, is clean.

For more information on Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Initiative, click here!

How Climate Change is Threatening Our Clean Water Supply

Posted on | by Ali

Summary

  • Learn how climate change is disrupting global access to clean drinking water.
  • Understand the link between extreme weather, water scarcity, and public health.
  • Support Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Initiative that brings sustainable, life-saving water to communities worldwide.

As the climate crisis accelerates, one of its most devastating (and often overlooked) consequences is its impact on the global clean water supply. From rising sea levels to prolonged droughts, climate change is disrupting the natural water cycle in ways that make access to clean drinking water harder for millions of people around the world. And with global temperatures continuing to rise, the issue is only becoming more urgent.

In fact, the United Nations has stated that achieving its 6th Sustainable Development Goal (clean water and sanitation for all) is now significantly more difficult due to climate-driven shifts in rainfall, snowmelt, and river flow. So what exactly is happening to the water?

Across the globe, freshwater sources are drying up. In regions like sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, unpredictable rainfall and extended dry seasons have left communities unable to rely on traditional water supplies. Increases in the world’s population will require an increase in sustainable practices, but climate change is putting even existing systems under extreme pressure.

At the same time, rising sea levels are pushing saltwater into freshwater aquifers, contaminating drinking water in coastal regions. Melting glaciers, which millions rely on for clean water, are shrinking at alarming rates. Meanwhile, intense storms and flooding are overwhelming outdated water infrastructure, contaminating supplies with sewage and industrial waste.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 2 billion people currently lack access to safely managed drinking water services. In many communities, the most significant restriction on access to potable water is no longer just poverty or infrastructure, but the changing climate.

Contaminated water leads to cholera, diarrhea, and other deadly diseases. And when children are constantly sick, families are trapped in a cycle of poverty. The work of organizations like Water for People, Clean Water Action, and The Water Project has shown that safe water doesn’t just support health; it fuels education, gender equality, and long-term development.

Sustainable Clean Water Solutions

Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Initiative: Fighting for Water Security in a Warming World

While global climate policies develop, nonprofits like Embrace Relief have stepped into to provide water access to those in need. Through our Clean Water Initiative, we are building sustainable water wells in climate-vulnerable regions across Africa and South Asia, delivering safe, clean water to thousands of people every day.

Unlike temporary aid, our approach is built on water sustainability. Each well provides clean drinking water to over 1,000 people and includes a five-year guarantee for maintenance and repairs. And for villages affected by climate-related droughts, floods, and infrastructure collapse, these wells represent more than hydration; they represent hope, resilience, and survival.

With the support of monthly donors, Embrace Relief is able to respond quickly to urgent water needs while building long-term, climate-resilient infrastructure. Just $22 a month brings life-saving water to 1,000 people, every single month.

Whether you’re passionate about water law, a supporter of charity: water, or someone searching for charity water careers, one thing is clear: we all have a role to play in protecting peoples’ water and securing a better future.

For more information on Embrace Relief’s Clean Water Initiative, click here!

Eid al-Adha 2025: When does Qurbani season begin?

Posted on | by Ali

Eid al-Adha, known as the “Festival of Sacrifice,” is one of the most significant Islamic holidays, commemorating the profound act of devotion demonstrated by the Prophet Ibrahim. In 2025, Eid al-Adha is anticipated to begin after sundown on Friday, June 6, though the exact date may vary based on lunar observations.

Why does the date of Eid al-Adha change annually?

The Islamic calendar is lunar-based, consisting of 12 months totaling approximately 354 days, which is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian solar calendar in use in the United States and elsewhere around the world. As a result, Islamic events, including Eid al-Adha, shift earlier each year when referenced against the Gregorian calendar.

Eid al-Adha commences on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic year, aligning with the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage. The precise date is determined by the sighting of the new moon, leading to slight variations depending on regional lunar observations, and it will move “backwards” on the Gregorian calendar by approximately 10 to 12 days each year. In 2024, for example, the date of Eid al-Adha was June 16th; a year prior, in 2023, it was June 27th.

The Connection Between Eid al-Adha and Qurbani

At the heart of Eid al-Adha lies the practice of Qurbani, or ritual sacrifice. This tradition honors the Quranic narrative of Prophet Ibrahim’s unwavering obedience to Allah, demonstrated by his willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail. In recognition of Ibrahim’s devotion, Allah provided a ram to be sacrificed in place of Ismail.

To commemorate this act, Muslims who are financially able perform Qurbani by sacrificing livestock such as sheep, goats, cows, or camels during Eid al-Adha. The meat from these sacrifices is then distributed among family, friends, and those in need, embodying the values of charity and community.

The Significance of Qurbani

Qurbani serves multiple spiritual and social purposes within the Muslim community. It is a demonstration of obedience to Allah, reflecting the submission exhibited by Prophet Ibrahim.

The act also fosters a sense of unity and equality, as the meat is shared with the less fortunate, ensuring that all members of the community can partake in the festive celebrations. This practice underscores the principles of compassion, generosity, and social responsibility that are central to Islamic teachings.

Share your blessings with Embrace Relief this Qurbani!

As Eid al-Adha approaches, it presents an opportunity to extend the spirit of Qurbani beyond our immediate circles and reach those facing food insecurity worldwide. Our International Hunger Relief: Qurbani 2025 campaign is dedicated to distributing meat packages to underserved communities, ensuring that the blessings of this sacred festival are shared globally. By participating in this initiative, you can help provide nutritious meals to families in need, embodying the true essence of Eid al-Adha. Join us in making a meaningful impact this festive season.

How Your Qurbani 2025 Donation Will Feed Families in Need with Embrace Relief

Posted on | by Ali

At Embrace Relief, we are committed to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable families around the world, particularly those struggling with hunger. This is true year-round, but it is also especially true during the annual time of Qurbani (Udhiyah).

Each year, Embrace Relief’s International Hunger Relief: Qurbani campaign celebrates the spirit of this holy time through the distribution of fresh, nutritious meat to thousands of families around the world.

In 2024, this campaign reached 165,000 people in 21 countries thanks to the generosity of individual donors, providing an invaluable source of protein and sustenance for families who may not have access to fresh meat all year long.

With Qurbani 2025 set to begin on the evening of June 6, we would like to detail exactly what happens when you make a donation to Embrace Relief’s International Hunger Relief campaign, and how you can fulfill your Qurbani obligation in a meaningful, impactful way. With your help, we aim to exceed our impact from 2024 and make a powerful difference in the fight against global hunger.

The Step-by-Step Process of Qurbani with Embrace Relief

1. Fulfilling your Qurbani obligation

With Embrace Relief, you can give your Qurbani donation by visiting our website and selecting the region where you would like your meat packages to be distributed. Embrace Relief accepts Qurbani donations year-round, but Options include:

  • Africa/Asia Region 1 — $120 per Qurbani share
  • Africa/Asia Region 2 — $150 per Qurbani share
  • United States — $150 per Qurbani share

As you donate, you will also be asked to provide the name(s) of the person(s) for whom the animal will be sacrificed.

2. Arranging the sacrifice

Once you have made your donation, Embrace Relief will coordinate with our global network of partner organizations across 20+ countries. They will carefully select a sacrificial animal that meets the Islamic guidelines for Qurbani — being of good health and of the proper age, most notably — and take care to ensure that the sacrifice is carried out in the proper name(s).

3. Ethical and Humane Sacrifice

Within three days of your donation, Embrace Relief’s partners will carry out the Qurbani sacrifice with the utmost care, and in full compliance with Islamic teachings.

The fresh meat will be immediately packaged and transported to distribution sites. Local partners and community leaders will work with us to identify families or communities most in need, ensuring that your donation will reach those who need it most.

4. Providing Essential Nutrition

Embrace Relief ensures that its Qurbani animals will provide a minimum of 280 pounds of edible meat, which will be divided into 6 or 7 Qurbani shares. Each share you donate, in turn, will provide a food package to 6 or 7 families, ensuring that as many people as possible will benefit from your generosity. Each food package distribution will provide a critical source of high-quality protein that can be preserved for up to a full year. But it will also do more than that — it will give struggling families around the world the feeling that they are supported by a global community!

Make a Difference Today

But it all starts with you. Families around the world are waiting and hoping for the generosity of individuals like you to help them combat food insecurity and live a more dignified life. As we approach Eid al-Adha and the Qurbani season, we ask for your support of our International Hunger Relief: Qurbani 2025 campaign!

Make a world of difference by sharing your blessings today! Donate using the red button below and help Embrace Relief bring nourishment and relief to vulnerable communities worldwide — one meal at a time.

Embrace Relief celebrates 8,000 pounds of food distributed in the U.S. during Ramadan

Posted on | by Ali

The nonprofit’s annual Ramadan Hunger Relief campaign fed 2,260 people across six states in 2025

FAIRFIELD, N.J. – Embrace Relief, a New Jersey-based international nonprofit humanitarian aid organization, is thrilled to announce the distribution of more than 8,000 pounds of food to 2,260 Americans across six states throughout the month of Ramadan.

Embrace Relief rejoices in serving its country, community, and neighbors of all faiths. Every year, the organization marks the month of Ramadan with a global hunger relief campaign, combating immediate food insecurity by distributing food packages. Over 1 billion Muslims worldwide celebrate Ramadan annually – a month dedicated to fasting, spiritual development, communal gathering, and service.

As part of this annual campaign, Embrace Relief’s domestic aid arm, Embrace USA, provided material support to thousands of Americans during the month, regardless of ethnicity, class, national origin, religion, gender, or political opinion. The most significant activity was the distribution of food packages in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia, and Georgia. Each food pack contained pasta, green beans, corn, chickpeas, kidney beans, tuna fish, cookies, hazelnut spread, honey, ketchup, vegetable oil, hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, toilet paper, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.

This campaign includes the distribution of fresh produce to New Jersey residents in Clifton, where Embrace Relief collaborates with the Clifton school system and public health department to host a monthly Mobile Farmers Market. Through this initiative, underresourced residents receive free fruits and vegetables, along with valuable nutrition education, helping to alleviate the financial strain of accessing healthy food while promoting healthier lifestyles.

The U.S.-based food distribution played an essential role in Embrace Relief’s International Hunger Relief: Ramadan 2025 campaign, which distributed more than 30,000 food packages to 176,000 people across 22 countries.

Additionally, Embrace USA and Uplift Academy organized a shopping trip to Walmart for 62 disadvantaged children between the ages of 7 and 12. Each child, accompanied by a mentor, was bussed to the local Walmart and was given a $75 gift card to spend on what their hearts desired — including food, toys, and even home items for their parents.

Embrace Relief Gallery
Embrace Relief Gallery
Embrace Relief Gallery

Finally, in Manhattan, Embrace Relief partnered with Brooklyn Amity School and Youth Island N.Y., to serve more than 150 homeless adults with hot meals, hats, clothing, and non-perishable food items.

It takes a village to create such a resounding success. Other essential partners of this program include the Center for New Americans in Paterson, N.J.; Turkish Cultural Center of New Jersey in Wayne, N.J.; Turkish Cultural Center in Rochester, N.Y.; Wellspring Community Center in Milford, C.T.; Turkish Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, P.A.; and dozens of volunteers in cities across Virginia and Georgia.

Embrace Relief’s national hunger relief program highlights the critical need for access to nutritious food and essential cooking supplies. In New Jersey alone, more than 50 food deserts span all 21 counties, affecting 1.5 million residents. Across the U.S., a staggering 47 million Americans live in food-insecure households. Now more than ever, addressing food and nutrition insecurity is imperative.

For more information on Embrace USA and Embrace Relief’s domestic aid programs, or to support these efforts through a financial contribution or in-kind donation, visit https://www.embracerelief.org/embrace-usa/.

Embrace Relief announces ‘Embrace USA’ program to address domestic relief projects

Posted on | by Ali

Embrace Relief, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to delivering humanitarian aid worldwide for more than 16 years, is proud to announce the formation of its new domestic initiative, Embrace USA. This program consolidates and enhances Embrace Relief’s ongoing efforts within the United States, focusing on three primary areas: hunger relief, disaster relief, and support for vulnerable families.

Though Embrace Relief’s primary focus since its founding in 2008 has been to provide international aid in more than 50 countries — a focus that will continue as strong as ever — the organization has a long, active history of impactful domestic projects. By uniting these efforts under the Embrace USA umbrella, Embrace Relief aims to provide more focused and strategic planning to assist communities across the nation.

To this end, our Embrace USA team has been building partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community leaders. This is part of a long-term initiative that will enable Embrace Relief and our partners to provide critical and sustainable support — both material and financial — to our neighbors in need.

Embrace Relief Gallery
Embrace Relief Gallery
Embrace Relief Gallery
Embrace Relief Gallery

Key Focus Areas of Embrace USA:

  • Hunger Relief: Nearly 1 million New Jersey residents – and 44 million Americans – are food insecure. Embrace USA aims to address this problem through periodic food distributions to underprivileged families during various times of the year. The centerpiece of our Hunger Relief program is our Mobile Farmers’ Market, which since 2023 has distributed more than 20,000 pounds of healthy, fresh produce to underprivileged families in Clifton, NJ. The expansion of the Mobile Farmers’ Market to additional North Jersey communities is a key goal of Embrace USA’s first year.
  • Disaster Relief: When natural disasters strike, a rapid response is critical for affected communities. Embrace USA stands ready to provide essential aid, including food, water, clothing, blankets, first aid, and more, to the victims of disasters such as floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes.
  • Support for Vulnerable Families: Supporting marginalized communities is foundational to Embrace USA’s mission. We aim to provide meaningful contributions to partner organizations aiding families and children living in poverty, survivors of domestic violence, military veterans, unhoused families, and individuals with disabilities.

Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, the Embrace USA team will concentrate much of its efforts in the New Jersey/New York area. Additional programs will be hosted by Embrace Relief’s network of local chapters in Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, and California, extending our impact to vulnerable populations in those states.

“Embrace USA represents a natural progression of our commitment to humanitarian aid,” said Celil Yaka, Embrace Relief CEO. “It represents a real opportunity for Embrace Relief to have deeper involvement with making our surrounding communities healthier, safer, and happier places to live. We want to be a resource for all our neighbors, whether they be a fellow nonprofit organization, a neighborhood displaced by fire or flood, or a family struggling to put food on their table.”

Embrace Relief remains steadfast in its mission to alleviate suffering and promote human development globally. The launch of Embrace USA underscores the organization’s dedication to addressing critical challenges both internationally and at home.

Three Ways To Get Involved

For those who wish to support Embrace USA’s mission of local development and critical aid, there are three ways to get involved:

Donate: Generous donors like you can help us expand our impact and reach more of our neighbors in need.

DONATE NOW

Volunteer: Embrace USA will rely on dedicated volunteers who are willing to give their time and talent to support these critical causes.

Volunteer Now

Partner: If your organization wishes to partner with Embrace Relief on any of the initiatives listed above, reach out today!

For more information, please visit our website at www.embracerelief.org/embrace-usa.