Remembering the tsunami: Marlina on working for Islamic Relief

Days before the 2004 tsunami struck, Marlina was sent a plane ticket from her sister Tharsiah to visit her and their parents in their hometown, Banda Aceh. Her plane was due to leave Jakarta on December 30. Four days before the plane came, the tsunami hit. Banda Aceh was the second worst affected area after Aceh Barat.

Desperate for news of her family, Marlina decided to take the plane and visit Banda Aceh as planned. With the huge number of aid agencies trying to reach Aceh, Marlina’s plane was delayed by nine hours. She arrived in the early hours of the morning to total devastation.

“I arrived on December 31, 2004, and wanted to try and find a taxi to take me into town,” she said.

“I went outside, and saw many dead bodies around the airport.”

Marlina managed to find a motorcycle taxi to take her into town, and, after an hour of looking, she traced some of her family, who were staying with relatives eight kilometres away in the highlands, where the tsunami had not reached.

“My parents’ house was severely damaged by the tsunami and the worst was there was no way to get to my sister Tharsiah’s house in the coastal area. We later found out their house had been swept away, along with Tharsiah and her family.”

Reunited

Earthquake shocks were still ongoing, so Marlina stayed only one night in Aceh before she took her family further south to Medan. They stayed there for two months, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Three days into their stay, they got a phone call to say one of Tharsiah’s daughters, Ullaya, had been found.

Ullaya in 2014, aged 19.

She was only nine at the time but was very bright and articulate, so had been interviewed by the local newspaper and photographed.

Local people had recognised her and contacted Marlina’s mother with the news so they could be reunited.

Ullaya had been caught up in the torrent of water but had managed to survive by clinging to a piece of wood floating in the tsunami wash.

Marlina decided she needed to do something to help.

She applied for a job at Islamic Relief and started her administrative role that February, quickly moving to the orphaned children programme where she was tasked with identifying and supporting Acehnese children.

Helping orphans

She said: “I joined Islamic Relief at the end of February 2005 and arrived in Aceh on March 1. Things were already getting better, there were no more dead bodies around. People were living in tents and makeshift shelters, and food and water were being handed out by Islamic Relief and some other aid agencies.

“It was very hard. The orphans were scattered in many places. They’d lost everything. I saw so many children who were homeless and had no families. It was 10 years ago, but remembering it all brings back how difficult it was.”

Temporary boarding houses had been hurriedly set up to take in orphans and those who had lost their homes and family, and Marlina visited them to do the assessment. It was overwhelming to see how so many needed help.

“They could sleep and eat there, but there was no schooling at that time,” she said.

Marlina

“One room, designed for eight to 10 orphans, would be occupied by between 30 and 45 children with very limited bedding.”

She worked with children orphaned by either the tsunami or the conflict that had lasted 30 years. In a month, she assessed 300 children, later placing them with extended family, and funding their basic needs and education through Islamic Relief’s One-to-One Orphan Sponsorship programme.

She said: “We also arranged picnics and summer camps. They were psychosocial interventions. I learned so much about psychosocial work and children at that time. You could see that the conflict orphans were different to the tsunami orphans. Conflict orphans had often seen their parents being killed. Tsunami children were faster to heal even though conditions were hard.”

Marlina, helped by an Islamic Relief volunteer, went from shelter to shelter looking for orphans and finding them somewhere better to live. For the first year, the team would deliver money for food and education door to door. Then in around 2006, the banks began to operate and money could be distributed more easily.

“They were so thankful for the help Islamic Relief could give,” said Marlina.

“In 2005 and 2006, Islamic Relief was very successful to be able to distribute the donations to so many beneficiaries. In 2007, infrastructure started improving and coordination between organisations started getting better, then the focus shifted from the emergency phase to the development phase, building schools and hospitals and planning for the future.”

Her niece Ullaya, who was supported by Islamic Relief’s One-to-One Sponsorship scheme , is now 19 and has become a cheerful teen who makes friends easily and is no longer traumatised. She is supported by her grandmother, Marlina and the rest of their family.

Ullaya with her grandparents and cousins
Ullaya with her grandparents and cousins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

new director

Director of Network and Resource Development

Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.

Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.

Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.

Nadeem Azhar

General Counsel

Nadeem joined Islamic Relief Worldwide in September 2022. He has worked in the charitable sector for over a decade.

He studied Modern History and Politics at Manchester University, and at the University of Law in London before qualifying as a solicitor in 2011.

Nadeem is an experienced corporate, commercial and governance lawyer, having worked with various faith-based and grant making charities as well those in health and education settings. He was a partner at a law firm in London before moving in-house where he focused on setting up and restructuring charities and social enterprises.

Most recently, Nadeem was Lead Counsel at Mind, a leading mental health charity, where he co-authored a new federation agreement, revamped legal processes, and played a major role in developing its strategic and fundraising partnerships.

Nadeem has been a charity trustee for the Seafarers Charity, as well as many grant-making bodies and theatre companies.

Adnan Hafiz

Director of Network and Resource Development

Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.

Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.

Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.

Board of Directors
Javed Akhtar

Director of Finance

Javed Akhtar has more than a decade of experience at Islamic Relief, having worked in a similar role between 2003-2014. In that role he strove to implement wide-ranging financial and accounting processes which aided in the transparent nature in which Islamic Relief now operates.

Javed also has diverse experience across the private sector, having worked at American chemicals and pharmaceutical giant DuPont, shipping firm FedEX and technology consultancy company Accenture. In all his roles, he prioritises using the latest technologies to improve monitoring and reporting at every level. Javed’s commitment to embracing digital end-to-end technology, enhancing accountability to our stakeholders and promoting financial transparency is ensuring that we remain at the forefront of financial developments in the sector.

By training, Javed is a chartered accountant with a Master’s degree in NGO Management with Charity Accounting and Financial Management from Cass Business School.
Board of Directors
Affan Cheema  

Director of International Programmes

Affan Cheema is an experienced leader who has spent 25 years working in the international aid sector on poverty eradication in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He has worked in fast onset emergencies, protracted crisis and development environments whilst working for Islamic Relief Worldwide and Care International. He is also a trustee of South West International Development Network (SWIDN).

Through his career Affan has held numerous roles including institutional fundraising, programme and grant management, and programme quality assurance.  Affan’s leadership has helped Islamic Relief Worldwide secure the highly coveted Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), seen as the sector’s premier benchmark for operational excellence.

Affan completed his BA in Economics and Geography from University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) and his MSc in Development Administration and Planning from the University of Bristol. He is PRINCE2 qualified, is a keen sportsman and recently co-edited a book entitled -Islam and International Development: Insights for working with Muslim Communities-.
Board of Directors
Dr Hossam Said

Managing Director, Humanitarian Academy for Development (HAD)

For nearly three decades Dr Hossam has provided the strategic vision to manage, lead and develop a range of international humanitarian interventions around the world.

At the start of his career, Dr Hossam served on the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, before moving to Islamic Relief Worldwide to manage the core global business activities as International Programmes Director.

During this time the organisation increased its global reach, gaining both domestic and international repute and credibility. Dr Hossam has also served on the Islamic Relief Worldwide Board of Management and Executive Committee for the past 15 years; sharing responsibility for strategic organisational development and the change management process, whilst forging strong relationships with many other charities.

Dr Hossam gained an MBA from Aston Business School in 2004 and graduated as a Medical Doctor from Cairo University in 1981.
Board of Directors
Martin Cottingham  

Director of External Relations and Advocacy

Martin Cottingham joined Islamic Relief in 2012 as IRUK Media Relations Manager, and was appointed Head of Communications in 2015 before taking up his current position as Director of External Relations and Advocacy for Islamic Relief Worldwide.

Martin has helped Islamic Relief to increase its mainstream media profile and expand its campaigning work, producing hard-hitting advocacy reports on floods in Pakistan (2011) famine in Somalia (2012) disaster risk reduction (2013) and aid to Afghanistan (2014). He has over 20 years’ experience working in media, communications and marketing roles for international development and environmental charities.

Martin graduated from the University of London with a degree in English and Drama (1982-85) then trained as a journalist with a postgraduate diploma at City University (1986-87). He has previously worked for Christian Aid as Editor of Christian Aid News and Media Relations Manager (1988-97) for Oxfam as Regional Campaigns Manager (1997-2000) and at the Soil Association as Marketing Director (2001-2006), as well as working for a wide range of organisations as a freelance writer, researcher and communications consultant.

Tufail Hussain

Director of Islamic Relief UK

Tufail Hussain has 17 years’ experience in the humanitarian and development sector, leading on marketing and fundraising campaigns for several organisations before joining Islamic Relief UK in 2016 as Deputy Director. Tufail was appointed Director of Islamic Relief UK in 2019 and in 2021 provided valuable leadership as interim CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide.

Tufail is driven by a passion for empowering disadvantaged youth and mentors a number of young people. He also works to strengthen engagement between British Muslims and wider society. Under his leadership, Islamic Relief UK has significantly increased its income and developed successful partnerships with communities across the country. He has travelled around the world to raise awareness of major emergencies such as the Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan crises and the floods in Pakistan and Sudan.

A father to 5 daughters and a son, Tufail is also a sports enthusiast and passionate Liverpool FC supporter. Tufail has run the London Marathon twice, raising over £35,000 for humanitarian causes.

Before joining Islamic Relief he was CEO of Orphans in Need, where he oversaw a new strategy that increased income from £2 million to £9 million in 3 years and opened up new UK and international offices. Tufail is also a trustee of the Muslim Charities Forum and a Director of TIC International (Islamic Relief Worldwide’s clothes recycling and trading arm).
Waseem Ahmad

Chief Executive Officer

Waseem Ahmad joined the Islamic Relief family over 24 years ago, serving as Programme Officer in the Balochistan province of south-western Pakistan before becoming Head of Programmes in Pakistan. Waseem then moved to Oxfam and Tearfund before returning to Islamic Relief to establish our mission in Malawi. Later serving as Head of Programme Funding and Partnerships, Waseem led the response to major crises across the globe, including the East Africa drought, Pakistan earthquake and the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Waseem then served for nearly 6 years as our Director of International Programmes, during which time the charity secured and retained the coveted Core Humanitarian Standard certification in recognition of the quality of our programming. He was appointed CEO of Islamic Relief in May 2021.

With a special interest in community mobilisation and infrastructure, Waseem received an MSc in Project Planning and Management from the University of Bradford, as well as an MSc in Economics from Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Waseem has also worked for Lepra Health in Action and is a member of the International Civil Society Centre’s Board of Trustees. The father-of-3 enjoys walking and playing football, and is a keen birdwatcher.