Rewritten Title: Government and Charitable Foundations Boost Support for Low-Income Families and Job Creation
Article:
In a series of coordinated initiatives, government-affiliated welfare organizations and charitable foundations are significantly expanding their support for low-income families across Iran, focusing on both immediate aid and sustainable economic empowerment.
Essential Household Aid Distributed
In Naqadeh county, the Welfare Organization has provided six complete household appliance sets to families under its care. Fatemeh Moradi, the head of the local Welfare office, announced that each set, valued at approximately 28 million tomans, includes five essential items: a refrigerator, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, gas cooker, and carpet. This aid was delivered as part of an agreement with the Shahid Mottaqi Institute.
The support extended beyond household goods. During the same ceremony, six wheelchairs, each valued at around 70 million tomans, were granted to individuals in need, adding to two others provided earlier this year. Furthermore, with the start of the new academic year, over 150 educational packages containing school bags and stationery were distributed to supported students, alongside more than 300 livelihood packages.
A Dual Focus: Employment and Self-Sufficiency
Parallel to direct aid, the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation is executing a robust strategy focused on job creation and moving families toward financial independence. In Hamedan province alone, 572 sustainable job opportunities were created for beneficiaries in the first six months of the current year.
Seyed Hassan Nemati, the Managing Director of the Relief Foundation in Hamedan, emphasized that employment and self-sufficiency are top priorities for the organization. “In the first half of this year, 4,673 billion Rials in Qard-al-Hassanah (interest-free) employment loans were disbursed through agent banks,” Nemati stated. These loans support ventures in agriculture, animal husbandry, garment production, handicrafts, home-based businesses, transportation, and carpet weaving.
He noted that 60% of the generated employment is in rural areas, with the remaining 40% in cities. A key to this initiative is the emphasis on sustainable and lasting employment, ensuring that beneficiaries can utilize the loans for long-term economic gain. To safeguard these projects, over 15,500 monitoring sessions were conducted in the first half of the year to provide timely guidance and prevent deviations from the business plans.
Empowering Female-Headed Households
A particular priority is given to female-headed households. Nemati clarified that these women receive special consideration and face no restrictions regarding loan guarantees, enabling them to launch businesses and achieve financial autonomy.
This comprehensive support system in Hamedan currently provides consistent services to 60,000 needy families, comprising 112,000 individuals.
Educational Support and National Solidarity
The spirit of support extends to the educational sector through nationwide public campaigns. In North Khorasan province, the “Shoor-e Aatefeh” (Wave of Affection) campaign has gathered 120 billion Rials from benefactors to supply the educational needs of underprivileged students.
Majid Elahirad, the Managing Director of the Relief Foundation in the province, reported that 15,500 stationery packages have been prepared and distributed so far, benefiting not only those directly under the Foundation’s care but also other students from low-income deciles. “Any action taken to implement educational justice is, in fact, for preserving the dignity of students and paving the way for their talents to flourish,” Elahirad stated.
Currently, in North Khorasan, the Relief Foundation provides educational, cultural, and advisory services to 14,614 school students, 511 university students, and 290 elite scholars.