Qatar Charity has distinguished itself by integrating donation technologies and solutions in general and sponsorships in particular, through applications, websites and smart devices spread across Qatar, as well as providing all the information and details on Qatar Charity’s projects and the needs in charitable and humanitarian work around the world smoothly and transparently. This helps reduce costs, raise revenue and improve the efficiency of charitable work, and makes giving easier and strengthens communication between donors and beneficiaries, including the sponsorship of orphans.
Before choosing a method, you can find the rulings and religious conditions of sponsorship in the guide Orphan Sponsorship: Its Rulings and How to Begin Today.
It is now possible to sponsor an orphan as the donor wishes, within a few minutes, and then receive a periodic report on the sponsored child easily and conveniently.
Orphan sponsorship is carried out through varied digital services: the Qatar Charity website or its official app, the website and app of the Rafaqa initiative, the text message “SMS” service, the home collector service, or Qatar Charity’s self-service “kiosk” devices.
In addition there is the donor service center and bank deduction, or through Qatar Charity’s offices and collection points in shopping and service complexes inside Qatar.
The following tables show, in clear and simple steps, how to donate to sponsor orphans through each technical method, and through traditional methods as well:
1* The Qatar Charity website
The Qatar Charity website is its official digital front, with full information on its projects and contributions around the world. Among the services it offers is the ability to sponsor orphans in different regions of the world.
2* The Qatar Charity app
A few years after its launch, the Qatar Charity app became a pioneer of digital charitable work. It combined the features of mobile devices with charitable work, so that it became possible to donate and sponsor affected people from anywhere in the world, and even keep the donor constantly informed about their donations, sponsorships and charitable projects.
3* The Rafaqa initiative website
The “Rafaqa” project from Qatar Charity allows sponsoring orphans and carrying out projects for them through a simple and practical website that brings together the network, described as “the largest family in the world”.
4* The Rafaqa app
This is the app of the Rafaqa project. It specializes in sponsoring orphans, following their reports, and paying monthly installments easily. You will not need to log in each month to the website and app, or look for one of Qatar Charity’s offices and collectors to pay the orphan’s installment: once you donate with your credit card in the app, the following installments are paid automatically, to the highest and latest security standards, supported by the information security ISO certificate the charity obtained.
5* Qatar Charity self-service devices, “kiosk”
The Qatar Charity self-service device is the first of its kind in charitable work. It was developed by Qatar Charity’s own developers. It is available at about 36 locations in Qatar, and allows donating to most areas of charitable work and urgent campaigns, including paying the installments of sponsored children.
6* The text message “SMS” service
An innovative service for donating by text message, aiming to make donating take a few seconds and in complete privacy. A text message can be sent to donate for the sponsored orphan. After payment succeeds, the donation is automatically linked to the donor’s account based on the mobile number.
7* The donor service center
Pioneering services have been introduced to Qatar Charity’s contact and customer service center, through a new global system for automated response and professional management of donor relations in its Contact Center (IVR). This system gives customers and donors full ability to serve themselves directly with little intermediary, through the appropriate options to inquire about their donations (sponsorships or projects), complete donations and receive their reports automatically.
| The donor service center |
|---|
| 1. Call the hotline (phone / WhatsApp): 44290000 |
| 2. Contact the chat service on the Qatar Charity website and the official app. |
| 3. Request the sponsorship service through a donor service employee |
| 4. Confirm the sponsor’s details |
| 5. Open the donor’s account |
| 6. Set the monthly sponsorship amount |
| 7. Set the number of sponsored children |
| 8. Set the total amount to complete payment |
| 9. Give the credit card details to the donor service employee (confirming that all the information is completely correct) |
| 10. Receive an SMS on your mobile confirming that the donation was completed and the sponsorship amount |
| 11. Receive the sponsorship voucher and the sponsored child’s voucher through a link in an SMS and an email |
| 12. You receive an SMS with personal login details (username and password) for the Qatar Charity website and app |
8* Bank deduction
9* Qatar Charity offices and collection points
From the book “Rafaqa … the Largest Family in the World” – Ghiras series no. (11) – Qatar Charity (adapted).
Read also:
- The Orphan Sponsorship Guide: Its Rulings and Steps to Begin
- Six Practical Ways to Support Orphans
- The Rafaqa Initiative for Orphan Care
Frequently asked questions about sponsoring an orphan
How do I start sponsoring an orphan?
Choose the type of sponsorship and the country, then complete payment through the Qatar Charity website, its app or the Rafaqa platform. Sponsorship is annual and renewable, and you receive periodic reports on the sponsored child. Monthly bank deduction is the most suitable option for those who want continuity without follow-up.
Is zakat valid for sponsoring an orphan?
It is valid under two conditions together: that you intend zakat when you pay the amount, not after, and that the orphan is among those eligible for zakat, meaning they have no wealth and no provider obliged to support them. Orphanhood alone is not enough. Reference: Islamweb fatwa no. 107399.
Can I sponsor a specific orphan?
Yes, and you can also sponsor without specifying one, and both are valid in law. Sponsorship through an organization ensures the amount reaches the person who deserves it and that its effect is followed from year to year, which is hard for an individual to achieve alone across borders.
How long does orphan sponsorship last?
It has no fixed duration in law, and the longer it lasts the greater the sponsor’s reward. As for the state of orphanhood, it ends at puberty. In practice sponsorship is annual and renewable, and it can be stopped or moved to another sponsored child at any time.
