February 21, 2025
Distinguished speakers, influential scholar and Somalia's Deputy Ambassador welcome establishment of Zamzam UK
Senior figures from humanitarian organisations joined with the leading British-Somali Islamic scholar and Somalia’s Deputy Ambassador in the UK in warmly welcoming the establishment of Zamzam Foundation UK at our community launch at East London Mosque on 13 February, 2025.
The core of the launch event was a series of speeches followed by a panel discussion on the topic of ‘Building Resilience For All Somalis’ – a critical discussion when the resilience of communities has been undermined by climate change and conflict.
The evening also included a Qur’an recitation by Sheikh Abdinasir Said, imam of Edmonton Islamic Centre, and an Islamic reminder from Sheikh Othman Usuuli of Masjid At-Taqwa in Barking – the UK’s leading British-Somali Islamic scholar.
Sheikh Usuuli’s reminder focused on the importance of zakat as a pillar of Islam, and he is keen to see Somalis in the UK supporting Zamzam UK with sadaqah and zakat donations. “If you have a heart for the Somali people, please give generously to Zamzam Foundation UK,” he says. “It’s a charity you can really trust to empower Somalis to find their own solutions to the challenges they face, and to lift families out of poverty.”
The Deputy Ambassador for the Federal Republic of Somalia in the UK, Dayib Sheikh Ahmed, said he was “delighted” to work with Zamzam UK and was “so happy and really humbled” to be attending the launch. He recalled that a delegation from Zamzam UK had been the first charity organisation to visit the London embassy when it reopened after more than 32 years, and he had listened with interest about the organisation’s work.
The event had four main speakers:
- Dr Hany El Banna OBE, founder of Islamic Relief and Chair of the World Humanitarian Action Forum, spoke about the importance of conflict resolution and community peacebuilding in the light of his extensive experience in Bosnia in particular. He commended Zamzam Foundation as a positive example both of community peacebuilding and of localisation in action.
- Abdurahman Sharif, the British-Somali Senior Humanitarian Director of Save the Children International, spoke about the importance of investing in education to build a more resilient future in a country where 70 per cent of the population are under 30. Education is one of the key planks of Zamzam Foundation’s work, and the organisation has built more than 150 schools in its 33-year history.
- Elisa Pozzi, Deputy Director of the Economic Recovery and Development Technical Unit at the International Rescue Committee – a partner of Zamzam Foundation in Somalia – emphasised the importance of building resilient livelihoods, particularly in agriculture, to enable marginalised communities to survive economically in the face of climate change.
- Omar Jama, Executive Director of Zamzam Foundation, stressed the importance of partnership working and the coherent integration of wide-ranging aid programmes to help strengthen community resilience.
The speakers were then joined for a panel debate by Nimo Hassan MBE, Executive Director of the Somali NGO Forum and Chair of the International Council of Voluntary Organisations, who expressed excitement that Zamzam Foundation was looking to establish itself in Europe to highlight humanitarian needs and generate more funds.
The panel debate was chaired by Layla Mahmood, a British-Somali journalist and producer who is a regular contributor to the Guardian newspaper and BBC broadcast current affairs programmes. She was enthused by the event and the launch of Zamzam UK.
“I think that Somalis are beautiful and full of knowledge and talent, and they are extremely resilient despite all the problems they face,” she told us at the event. “I want to be part of the positive change that Zamzam embody. They seem very transparent and authentic in their approach, and they really care about long-term development for Somalis. I also like that they are founded and run by Somalis for Somalis.”
Overall our launch event, attended by around 70 people, was a powerful reminder of the ways in which British Muslims and the UK Somali diaspora can come together to build a brighter future for all Somalis.
“There was a good turnout and a sense of genuine goodwill towards our work and our UK ambitions,” says Martin Cottingham, Zamzam UK’s Head of Communications. “This event has given us a real boost as we work to establish ourselves and generate interest and income in the UK.”
