Farida’s Story Is One of Many: Why Orphan Care Needs You Now

September 2, 2025

At just 8 years old, Farida, from Busia, Kenya, lost her father. Soon after, her mother disappeared without a trace, leaving Farida and her younger siblings to survive on their own. 

They wandered the dusty roads of their village for days, hungry, afraid, and invisible to the world around them, until they reached the modest home of an uncle who could barely feed his own family. There was no school. No safety. No future. 

Farida's story is not unique. We’ve set out to help children like Farida feel loved and heard. Your support can make this possible. Our goal is to have 10,000 orphaned and vulnerable children sponsored through our Orphan Care program by the end of 2025. 

Somewhere, a child cries, but no one hears. 
No mother to rush in. No father to wipe away the tears. The world moves on, but they wait, in silence, in hunger, in hope. These are the orphaned children of our world: unseen, unheard, but never unworthy. 

At Zakat Foundation of America, we believe that every vulnerable child deserves care, dignity, and the chance to dream again. 

Our flagship Orphan Care program goes beyond the traditional definition of an orphan. We support any child who has lost one or both parents or whose parents are missing, incapacitated, or unable to care for them because vulnerability is not limited by technical definitions. It’s a lived reality. 

In 2024, your support sponsored 5,285 children across 19 countries, impacting 26,425 lives, including the children and their guardians. Today, over 6,000 children are enrolled in our care, but our goal is greater. 

By the end of 2025, we aim to reach 10,000 children.  

Sponsorship is only one part of the impact. When you give to our General Orphan Fund, you help provide food, medical care, clothing, education, and safe shelter for children still waiting to be sponsored. 

Your generosity also uplifts entire families. Our Widow and Orphan Fund supports widows navigating loss and hardship, providing food, healthcare, school supplies, and vocational training to start their business and generate sustainable income to rebuild their lives and support their children with dignity. 

This holistic approach doesn't just help children survive; it helps them thrive. 

When Farida joined our program at age 9, her life began to change. She was enrolled in school, given clothes, books, and a monthly stipend. Slowly, she began to heal. 

Over the years, she used her stipend not just for essentials, but to plant seeds, literally. She started a small farm. First, a goat. Then another. Then a cow. She built a sustainable future with the tools you gave her. 

Now 17, Farida has completed secondary school. She dreams of becoming a leader in her community, a voice for children like herself who were once forgotten. 

Her story is just one. But every child like Farida is a reason to act. Farida found her path because someone like you said yes. Will you be the reason another child gets a chance to thrive?   

Because 10,000 reasons are waiting and one of them could be yours.