Zerwali, 65, (left) is head of a family of 26. He returned from Pakistan to Paktia, his place of origin, in July but had no home or source of income. He moved to Kabul with his family in August and is now living in the open in the Chahar Asyab neighbourhood. UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies are distributing aid to more than 1,000 Afghans displaced from around the country now living in Kabul. © UNHCR/Tony Aseh
Learn more about Acquaint Financial’s contribution to the Refugee Zakat Fund to help forcibly displaced people.
Mohammad Asaf Shad is the founder and president of Acquaint Financial, a firm providing employee financial wellness solutions to organizations across North America.
Thank you for your generous donation to help the UNHCR operation in Afghanistan. Can you tell us a bit about why Acquaint Financial chose UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, as an organization to support?
UNHCR has a proven track record that spans decades of providing assistance and relief to those that others may have forgotten. Quite simply, its reputation speaks for itself. Another feather in the cap so to speak for UNHCR is their affiliation with the Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA). The HMA has a reputation for only working with the most ethical and accountable organizations.
Acquaint Financial specializes in financial wellness solutions for employees across North America. Are these services something you’d like to provide to refugees who arrive in Canada, or are you planning to support refugees who resettle in Canada through your company in other ways?
Acquaint Financial is launching a free-of-charge digital service that would help people learn the basics of personal finance and preparing for a secure financial future. In addition to this, we regularly work with local charities by providing free financial planning services and financial contributions for those in need.
100% of Zakat funds go to eligible beneficiaries. Why did you choose to allocate funds towards the Refugee Zakat Fund?
Zakat funds are used to help those that are the most in need. Quite often, those that receive Zakat funds have no other source to provide the basic necessities of life like food, shelter and clothing. By supporting the Refugee Zakat Fund, we’re not only helping those in the most dire of circumstances but also those that have been displaced from their native homes. A better question may be “How can we ‘not’ support the Refugee Zakat Fund?”.
For more than 70 years, the UN Refugee Agency has been helping and supporting refugees and other displaced people. But in 2020, more than 82.5 million people remain displaced around the world. When you hear these statistics about the scale of the refugee emergency, how do you feel?
At times, it feels as though humanity has forgotten the duty to our brothers and sisters across the globe.
Regardless of gender, creed, colour or ethnicity, humanity has an obligation to ensure that everybody can live with dignity and enjoy a healthy and peaceful life.
Learn more about Acquaint Financial and their work on their website.
UNHCR is grateful to have the support of corporate partners to offer protection, food and other life-saving essentials to refugee and displaced families and communities. Learn more here.
