Every religion notably has philanthropic components to it which entrench acts of charity in its believers. One of the five pillars of Islam is alms-giving (Zakat) and involves giving from one’s possessions as a welfare contribution to the poor and deprived. It is also a principle that Zakat must be distributed fairly to those who need it.
This month, the APF is hosting a webinar to learn more about giving in Islam; to explore the strides made and on-going efforts to increase involvement and active participation of more Muslims in strategic philanthropy.
The event has an exciting line-up of seasoned professionals who will provide deep insights and engage us in a lively conversation on this topical issue.
Zahra Zakariya Abdulkareem (Moderator)
Founder & Chief Cultivator, The Umm Fariha Network
Zahra Zakariya Abdulkareem is a Business Strategist and Social Entrepreneur.
She is a visionary, community builder and connector on mission to serve, inspire and empower members of her community through her work as a Social Sector Strategist and the Founder & Chief Cultivator of The Umm Fariha Network.
Zahra sits on the Board of Advisors for Philanthropy Circuit, a leading non-profit organisation in Africa aimed at providing social sector support, tools and resources to drive and influence a new narrative and understanding of African homegrown giving and development.
She is also on the Executive Committee of the A&S Foundation (Abdul-Lateef & Sanni Foundation) who have been doing amazing work in the Nigerian Education space, supporting indigent students through school adoption schemes, scholarships and other innovative initiatives.
Khalfan Abdallah (Speaker)
Managing Partner, ABRAR Consult
Khalfan Abdallah is Managing Partner ABRAR Consult specializing in providing advisory services on financial inclusion through Islamic finance, Financial Education, Entrepreneurship and Leadership as well as strategies to alleviate poverty through Islamic social finance. He previously worked in Islamic financial services industry particularly in banks in both Kenya and Tanzania for over 10 years overseeing Shari’ah governance, Product development, Human and social development.
Besides, he was the first CEO of Gulf African Bank Foundation, a charity and CSR wing of Gulf African Bank focusing on provision of bursary support to needy and potential students, provide support to public health interventions and empower the unbankable and the poor through providing seed capital for micro- enterprises.
Dr Marwa El Daly (Speaker)
Founder and Chairperson of Waqfeyat al Maadi Community Foundation (WMCF)
Marwa El Daly is the Founder and Chairperson of Waqfeyat al Maadi Community Foundation (WMCF), which is the first Community Foundation in Egypt and a pioneer initiative for reviving and modernizing the Waqf / traditional endowment-model that used to be the backbone of civil society in Egypt and the Middle East for centuries. Marwa is also an Assistant Professor at the American University in Cairo (AUC) teaching courses related to management of NGOs, philanthropy and social entrepreneurship at the School of Global Administration and Public Policy (GAPP). Marwa El Daly is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Federation of NGOs in Egypt.
Marwa is the winner of the distinguished African Philanthropy Award in 2012 granted to her by the African Grant-makers Network in South Africa in appreciation for her work in strategizing philanthropy across Africa and internationally. She was recognized twice as a Social Entrepreneur / Innovator by Ashoka Arab World and by Synargos Institute (2006 & 2010) to become a permanent fellow for both international organizations. In addition, Marwa is the first recipient of the Rockefeller and ISTR’s (International Society for Third Sector) Award as best researcher in strategic philanthropy and the Civic Sector. This award was presented to her at the University of Barcelona in 2013. In 2014, she was recognized by the BBC 100 women to represent women of the Middle East and North Africa.
Marwa El Daly holds a PhD degree from the Economics and Business Administration Department at Humboldt University in Berlin, a Master of Arts (MA) in Development Studies and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science, both from the American University in Cairo (AUC). She is currently a permanent fellow to the Maecentata Institute for Third Sector Research in Berlin and an international permanent fellow to the Center for the Study of Philanthropy at the City University of New York (CUNY). Marwa El Daly received a number of distinguished international awards as a researcher and social entrepreneur and she is the author of a number of publications that are primary scientific references in the field of philanthropy, civil society and Corporate Social Responsibility