Overview
Bayt Al-Zakat Australia is an Australian charitable organisation. Our philosophy is simple, our intentions are obvious, and our actions are forthcoming. We focus all our efforts, time and resources on a unified cause and targeted geographical locations. Our charitable projects and initiatives are both efficient and effective in meeting the support needs of the aged, poor or otherwise needy people of Lebanon.
Bayt Al-Zakat Australia also engages in local activities and events that encourage young muslims and their families in Australia to strive to better themselves and to make a positive contribution to the communities in which they live. In particular, we regularly promote education and showcase examples of educational success in order to encourage students to pursue academic pathways of learning that will enrich their lives mentally, spiritually and/or financially.
History
The journey of Bayt Al-Zakat Australia started in 1989 with the launch of the “Orphan Sponsorship” program. The Orphan sponsorship program was developed to cater for the basic food and shelter needs of vulnerable orphans in Northern Lebanon. The program allowed Australians the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children who had lost their parents and were left to fend for themselves.
The charitable initiatives and projects at Bayt Al-Zakat Australia continued to evolve, supporting those people less fortunate than others and catering for the needs of the interconnected communities in Australia and Lebanon.
For overseas recipients, the charitable initiatives, projects and events, were capped to include Qurban-Adahi (sacrificial animals), Food Parcels, Zakat Al-Fitr, Zakat Ul-Maal, Sadaqah/general donations and Ramadan based assistance. Locally, Bayt Al-Zakat was the first to initiate and honour ‘Muslim High Achievers’ for their success in sitting and excelling in the NSW Higher School Certificate.
Why focus on Lebanon?
In an ideal world, with unlimited resources available to support charitable causes, Bayt Al-Zakat would assist the poor or disadvantaged, regardless of background, country, race or religion. However, given the personal ties to the region by Bayt Al-Zakat founders, the proximity and demographics of Lakemba where Bayt Al-Zakat is based, and the ongoing struggle or turmoil affecting the Lebanese people – Lebanon has always been our natural focus.
This turbulent history has resulted in many injuries and casualties, contributed to orphaned children, widowed women, and extended the list of people that can be classified as homeless, unemployed, sick, disabled, disadvantaged or otherwise vulnerable and impoverished.
With the above in mind, Bayt Al-Zakat’s efforts in Lebanon aim to help as many people as possible to meet their basic daily needs and to help people break their cycle of poverty, regain some dignity, receive some respect and reassurance.
