Before founding the Maldives-based International Aid Campaign (IAC) to help families in need, Ahmed Iqbal experienced poverty firsthand.
Ahmed Iqbal's mother, a native of Haa Alifu atoll, Muraidhoo, took sole responsibility for her three children after their father passed away. He saw firsthand his mother’s struggle with providing for him and his siblings.
When he was facing poverty, he didn't understand it. As a child, it was masked by childhood innocence. Years later, when he became an adult, he took time to reflect back on his childhood and that of his siblings.
The most priceless experience he had was when he realised the sacrifices his mother made to support them. His desire to actively assist those in need was inspired by his personal life experiences and his innate capacity to empathise with those who are less fortunate.
In 2012, he founded the "Ehee" association with the support of two of his friends to help people across the world source funds to assist with their basic necessities. It was one of the first initiatives of its kind in the Maldives. Before the inception of the International Aid Campaign, Ehee materialised hope for many families who did not even have a home to live in. Iqbal joined Ehee in 2013, and he is the President of the association, which has instigated various projects nationally and internationally.
Iqbal and his colleagues on a humanitarian mission
To help the less fortunate families, the IAC was established in 2016 with the cooperation of associations from islands across the country. The first operation from IAC was challenging since it took six months to deliver relief supplies to Syrian refugees through Turkey. That did not prevent IAC from pursuing more ventures and expanding beyond what the NGO is at present.
IAC had assisted in getting supplies from the Maldives to families dealing with the repercussions of civil conflict and turmoil in African countries, Gaza in Palestine, and the Rohingya communities.
In parts of Bangladesh where clean water is not available, IAC built more than 100 wells to provide clean water. Dr. Mohamed Ali, an internal medicine specialist, consulted at an IAC-sponsored medical camp in Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees, which was also a project steered by IAC.
Knowing how to arrive at the camps with a smile is a necessary part of doing humanitarian work because witnessing the challenges of displaced and suffering families may make even the strongest person break down. The inaccessibility of proper healthcare in countries like Niger, and how locals suffer from maladies without being able to consult a doctor, is something that no human should go through. Iqbal believes that being able to assist such needy people is a blessing and that this opportunity should not be taken for granted.
The persistence of local councils and individuals who have made it their vocation to be involved in humanitarian assistance is what makes IAC's work possible across the nation and in other countries.
Iqbal praised the work of the women's wing, "Hevatha," which seeks out Maldivian families in need and determines what may be done to assist them. From social media awareness to ground work, each member of the IAC contributes significantly to strengthening the NGO through years of trial and error while never losing faith in its ability to help the less fortunate.