JEDDAH, 28 September 2007 — Rajaa is one of hundreds of orphans who used to get financial support from a do-gooder via a charity organization. However, after reaching the age of 18, the organization automatically transferred the money sent to her to another younger orphan, leaving her with just one option that of looking for a job, a difficult task for a person who has no degree.

Rajaa has two younger brothers and a mother. Her brothers were unlucky and could not secure a sponsor. The family, in fact, depended on the money Rajaa received in addition to what their mother got from working as a school janitor.

Rajaa had hopes and dreams to continue studying, but it was hard for her to pay for tuition fees. Although universities and colleges offer monthly grants, Rajaa — being unable to afford costs relating to transportation, books, clothes and other necessities — opted against pursuing higher education. Rajaa is now at home, praying and waiting for a husband or a job.

“She is not the only one. The sponsors would not know about them because there is only a few who really care to find out what happens to the orphans once they turn 18 and when the money is transferred to another younger orphan,” said Ahmad, an official from the charity organization where Rajaa was registered.

He explained that people tend to prefer sponsoring young orphans. The older ones are then neglected. “We have around 18,000 orphans and almost 12,000 sponsors, yet only two percent of sponsors spare a few moments to call and ask about what would happen to their orphans once they reached 18,” he said. He added that the majority “only calls to ensure their money has been received and that’s it.”

According to a different charity organization, 18 is the age when a male can get a job and become self-dependent, and when a female can get married to a man who would be able to support her. It is because of this that grants offered to orphans, such as Rajaa, are stopped. “This doesn’t mean they don’t need it as before,” Ahmad stressed.

Omar Abdulhadi, branch manager at the Jeddah branch of the International Islamic Relief Organization, said: “In order to help secure the future of these orphans we began offering a new feature two years ago to help them study at university or college. The scheme is called ‘Sponsor an Orphan Student’ and costs around SR2,400 per year.”

This, he explained, is to keep a fine relationship between both parties and because most orphans grow up without parents and guidance, and are therefore still in need of this when they turn 18. Getting money to complete their education, said Abdulhadi, would encourage them to have a bright future and become productive citizens.

He added that concern for orphans leads them to supervise their living conditions, provide them with consultation and help their mothers find employment.

The manager also said that in Jeddah alone the number of Saudi orphans from both sexes reached 2,000, not to mention orphans from abroad, who are registered in the same organization. He added that benefactors number around 1,000.

Charity organizations officials agree that the number of people willing to sponsor orphans, whether under the age of 18 or above and who want to continue their education, increases in Ramadan.

They added that in the holy month, Muslims are encouraged to be more patient, kind and generous and to carry out charity work, such as supporting orphans financially and becoming their benefactors. People of all ages have shown willingness to help bring a smile on their faces, Ahmad said, not to mention, visiting them and brining them gifts.

Meanwhile, sponsoring orphans can be done in annual cash payments. Benefactors wishing to meet their orphans and get to know them personally are able to do so only at the offices of charities.

Ahmad said visits are regulated because some of the orphans’ families tend to make it hard on benefactors and ask for additional help. He added that many of the orphans are girls and benefactors tend to be men. So in line with the Kingdom’s religious and cultural traditions visits are regulated to discourage any abuse of trust.

Helping orphans through charity organization is a useful way of helping the less well off, yet with no obligations from both sides, as it is different from adoption. To adopt a child is forbidden unless they keep their family name and grow up knowing who their father and mother were. Hence the majority of people prefer becoming benefactors.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be like this in Paradise.” He then gestured with his index and middle fingers.

“Ramadan is always a month of blessings, having people encouraged to sponsor an orphan or a student orphan is indeed a bless and we hope it lasts,” said Ahmad wishing more would sponsor these orphans who reached the age of 18 and still has a lot to go through in life until they could depend on themselves.