About 25,000+ Muslim Refugee Youth AT Risk Just In Columbus, OH. 

The Muslim American community can no longer afford to remain unaware about the existence of minor Muslim sex-slaves in America. For so long, we have been living a fantasy that our children are not at risk, whereas our children might be the softest targets for pimps, drug dealers, gangs and other criminals out there. 

For example, Columbus has been a home for about 70,000 refugees. It has the second largest Somali refugee population in the US for two decades. It has also been a home for refugees from Iraq and other countries. Majority of them are Muslims. Their stories are similar to our Syrian brothers and sisters that are escaping the civil war in their country. These brothers and sisters have been living under severe poverty situations for so long that their children have now become an easy prey for pimps, drug dealers, gangs and other criminals in the inner city. Similar is the situation of majority Muslim refugee and low-income populations across America.

MY Project USA has learned about minor Muslim sex trafficking survivors (children forced to serve as prostitutes) in different states that could use the help of Muslim community in rebuilding their shattered lives. We have taken lead in addressing this very issue through a holistic approach. We are working on both prevention and intervention sides. We are working closely with the Domestic violence & anti-human trafficking organizations, city officials, police, Homeland Security Department and many other agencies to save our children. We are also investing into thrift store and other businesses to secure financial stability. While we apply for several grants, we need your financial support. This year, we need at least $150,000 to sustain what we have achieved so far and to start a shelter and other urgently needed programs to protect and empower Muslim American youth. 

Your donation and  zakat can help us save hundreds of families and youth this year. Please donate generously. Every Dollar Counts.  

Save Muslim Youth From Pimps, Drugs, Gangs & Family Violence 

"Imagine 13-year old Fatima being sold over and over for sex all day long in [today's] America. Imagine a bar-code being tattooed over her neck or hips or thighs. Imagine the name of her pimp (master) being tattooed on her wrist. Imagine any other branding mark on her body as if she is an animal or a slave.

As a matter of fact, minor Muslim girls like Fatima exist and serve as sex-slaves every day and night in today’s America. Due to many different factors, their number is only increasing." (Read More)

As our heart bleeds for our brothers and sisters from Syria, Palestine, Burma, Somalia, Kashmir  and other Muslims around the world and we do whatever we could to alleviate their pain. It is also incumbent upon us to take care of these refugees, homeless and needy people at home. We are responsible to save our daughters from being sold as sex slaves and our boys from being  doped and incarcerated for the things that happen due to the negligence and the ignorance of the community. 

ISSUE: Pimps and Drug Dealers are preying upon children mostly in Refugee and low-income neighborhoods across America. Girls are being sold for 15-minutes sex several times a day and boys have been pushed into crimes.  We need your help in protecting our children.

ROOT CAUSES:  Poverty | Hunger |  Homelessness | Family Violence | Gangs| Lack of Parenting Resources for Refugee Parents & More

OUR SOLUTION: 

Muslims Against Human Trafficking is an initiative of MY Project USA. In our pilot program on west-side of Columbus, OH, we have been organizing Muslim youth in the affected neighborhood to address the above issues through following programs: 

1. HUMAN TRAFFICKING & DRUGS

     A. Preventive Programs

• Tutoring Center
  
• Boys & Girls Clubs
  
• Sports Teams
  
• Parents Education & Support Groups
  
• Social Media Campaigns & webinars
  
• Foster Parenting Initiatives
  

     B. Programs to Support Victims & Survivors

• MY Sisters Shelter
• Help Hotline & Counseling Services
• Volunteer Trainings - Support Group
  

2. POVERTY, HUNGER, & HOMELESSNESS

• MY Soup Kitchen
  
• Food Pantry
  
• Clothes & Basics Drives
  
• MY Deah's Store Support
  
• Job Training & Employment Support
  
• Community-based Housing Support Initiative
  

2015 Highlights: What We Did In Our First Year 

• Launched 10 Community Service Projects
• Empowered 150 plus Muslim Youth Leaders
• Recruited  950 plus Volunteers & Youth Activists 
• Distributed 3500 plus Toys, Gifts, Clothes, Dental Supplies, etc.
• Served 4508 Hot and Canned Meals in low-income neighborhoods
• Contributed 13030 Community Service Hours  
• Started MY Help Hotline & MY Helpers Network
• Created Job Opportunities for Muslim Youth & Adults 
• Launched Muslims Against Human Trafficking initiative 
• Opened MY Deah's store in low-income neighborhood
• Partnered with the University of Michigan for Research
• Reached out to thousands of community members

What You will Support This Year (2016-17):

• Shelters for Sex-Trafficking Survivors, Abused & At-Risk Muslim Sisters
  
• Youth & Family Counseling 
• MY Soup Kitchen
• Girls & Boys Clubs
• Tutoring Center 
• Parenting/ESL Classes
• Research & Database Collection
• Youth Empowerment & Development Programs
• Youth Employment & Job Training Programs

Your Impact:

Since March 2015, we have demonstrated our commitment, quality of work and output in front of the community. So far, we have not received much financial support from the community.  This fundraiser is a testament for you, the community, to decide how many children you want us to protect and empower this year. We need at least $150,000 to sustain our existing programs, to launch the much needed initiatives that are in pipeline and to open a shelter for trafficking survivors, this year. Hence the scope of this year's project would be decided as follows:

Less than $50 K = It would be very hard for us to continue the project for more than few months.

$50K = We will be able to continue serving the community in slow pace while waiting for grants. 

$100K or Less =  We will sustain what we have achieved so far and we will immediately launch a couple of initiatives that are in the pipeline. We will invest some amount in MY Deah's thrift store to secure financial stability in the fure.  able to hire a grant writer and would apply for grants for shelter and other operations.

$150 - 200K  =  Will enable us to hire a full-time mental health professional, to open our first shelter within 2 months and all of the above. With the right investment in MY Deah's business, we would hope to be self-sufficient within two years, inshaAllah. 

Earn Jannah Perks!

You can earn Jannah Perks by investing in a project that is not only addressing modern day slavery, human trafficking,  but it is also raising strong Muslim youth leaders that would become the torch bearers of Islam as community leaders and decision makers in coming days in America. 

We are Zakat Eligible and Tax Exempted. Please donate generously. 

Here is how we would measure/categorize your help and will list it on our website. 

PIONEERS - $10,000 - Could give the much needed boost to the organization by covering the admin cost of several programs and past bills and loans.

INVESTOR - $5,000 - Could help hire a grant writer to apply for one major grant.

FINANCIER - $ 2,000 - Could help pay one month rent & utilities of MY Deah's Store. This store serves as our office & Youth Center

SAVIOR - $1,000 - Could help train a youth/mentor to help at-risk youth. We would list on our website.

SPONSOR - $500 - Could help sponsor one preventive program/workshop for youth or families

SUSTAINER: $100 - Could help taking care of some of many small but much needed needs of our organization.

3 THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW: 

Please remember that in this fight against pimps and drug dealers everybody and each dollar counts. 

1. Please donate generously. 

2. Keep us in your prayers.

3. Help us spread the words. Please use LaunchGood Tools on the top of this message to spread the word via social media. 

MY Project USA's Zakat Eligibility