Humanity First is a charitable trust established to promote and safeguard human life and dignity. Since its foundation in the UK in 1995 by Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh, it has assisted more than 16.7 million people and operates in 67 countries, with projects in many more. Humanity First’s programmes include Disaster Relief, Community Care, Orphan Care, Food Security, Knowledge for Life, Water for Life, Global Health, Gift of Sight, and much more.
30 years of Humanity First: In numbers
In the past 30 years, Humanity First has responded to over 284 disaster events in 111 countries across six continents, and assisted over 2.9 million victims of earthquakes, floods, droughts, conflict and other types of disaster events. It assisted over a million people during the Covid-19 pandemic across 78 countries.
When it comes to “Community Care”, Humanity First operates an elder home in Sao Tome, a clothes bank in Nigeria, and operates in 57 cities, supporting homeless people and refugees. Overall, this project has seen over 197,000 beneficiaries.
It has also established three orphanages in Benin, Uganda and Indonesia and assisted over 13,000 orphans with shelter, healthcare, education, clothing and food.
Many people around the world lack food security; Humanity First aims to make a difference. As such, it operates 11 food banks and meal points in Canada, Georgia, Greece, South Africa, Sweden, Mexico, the UK and the USA. It has over 50 crop processing machines deployed to process cassava, maize, rice, cous and palm oil, and distributes meat from Muslim animal sacrifices in 67 countries. In total, 6.3 million people have been helped under this programme.
With its “Knowledge for Life” programme, Humanity First has built or runs 100 schools across the world, and has 56 training centre projects covering IT, tailoring, languages, construction trades, hair dressing, and livestock management. The aim is to get people to work for themselves, and thus, Humanity First has helped over 289,000 students, and over 72,000 people have graduated from its training centres.
The “Water for Life” programme has done over 6,100 water installation projects, including wells, hand pumps, and solar boreholes, serving over 5.9 million people. The programme offers a range of clean water solutions for villages and small towns in low-income countries, as well as proper sanitation facilities.
Humanity First also runs 11 hospitals and clinics in Bangladesh, Benin, Cambodia, Congo Republic, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, with 2 more hospitals under construction in Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania. It has held medical outreach clinics in 27 countries and treated over 880,000 patients. Its “Gift of Sight” programme operates in 25 countries, where over 65,000 patients have been treated. It also operates two mobile surgical units in Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo.
The conference
This year’s conference celebrated 30 years of service to humanity, and was held on 28-30 November 2025 at the Baitul Futuh mosque in Morden. Approximately 45 delegates from over 50 countries were in attendance. The theme for this year’s conference was “Peace, Compassion & Humanity.”
After Jumuah prayers at Masjid Mubarak in Islamabad, the first day of the conference officially began after the Maghrib & Isha prayers on Friday, 28 November 2025. In the first session, Ahmad Yahya Sayed Sahib, Chairman of Humanity First International, reflected on the past 30 years and spoke about the strategy for the next five years. During the session, the chairmen of various countries spoke about some of Humanity First’s projects around the world, including the Gaza Relief Mission in Palestine. There was a panel discussion, after which awards were distributed.
The second day of the conference featured many speeches and presentations of interest, including several panel discussions for men and women. Speakers included Atif Mian, Professor of Economics at Princeton University, USA, Dr Gabriela Mota, Medical Director at the Nasir Hospital in Guatemala, and Dr Charles Bouchard, MD, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Loyola University in Chicago, USA. In the evening, another session took place, as well as a meeting of all the chairmen and several breakout sessions.
After the morning session took place on day 3 of the conference, the delegates prepared to transfer to Islamabad for the final session.
Final session
On Sunday, 30 November 2025, the concluding session of Humanity First International’s 2025 Conference was presided over by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa at Islamabad, UK. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa arrived in the Masroor Hall in Islamabad at 17:22 GMT, and the concluding session commenced.
Huzooraa invited Dr Shabir Bhatti Sahib to recite a portion of the Holy Quran. He recited a verse from Surah al-Baqarah (Ch.2: V.178), after which Dr Habib Yaqeen presented its English translation. Ahmad Yahya Sayed Sahib was then invited to present a report of the conference.
He thanked Huzooraa for gracing the event with his attendance at the Humanity First International Conference 2025, which celebrates 30 years of service to humanity. He mentioned that this year, approximately 500 delegates from over 50 countries had participated, and members from over 20 countries had joined virtually.
After this report, a video summarising the 30 years of Humanity First was shown. The video presentation detailed highlights from the charity organisation’s journey and what it has achieved so far, starting from helping those in need in Bosnia in the late ’90s, all the way to the current crisis in Gaza.
Following the video presentation, Hon Stephen Lecce, member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario, Canada, took to the podium to thank Humanity First for all their work as a long-standing volunteer of the organisation. Afterwards, a video message from Sir Ed Davis was also played, who highlighted the important work that the organisation was doing all over the world. After this, many of those who volunteer for the organisation were recognised and given awards and certificates by Huzooraa.
Huzooraa then took to the podium to deliver the concluding address. After reciting tashahhud and ta’awwuz, Huzooraa said that the attendees had gathered not just to celebrate 30 years of service, but to express their deep gratitude to Allah the Almighty.
Huzooraa said that the members should never lose sight of the noble objective with which the organisation was established.
Service to humanity was a core objective of the advent of the Promised Messiahas. He repeatedly emphasised helping those in need, and stated that kindness and compassion must be shown to everyone without discrimination, as this is the teaching of the Holy Quran. Huzooraa quoted the Holy Quran:
“And they feed, for love of Him, the poor, the orphan, and the prisoner.” (Surah ad-Dahr, Ch.76: V.9)
Elaborating on this verse, the Promised Messiahas explained that a true believer does not only help his own, but rather serves all those in need to the highest possible degree, noting that this was an unparalleled extent of Islam’s compassion for all people. (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 7, pp. 94-95)
Huzooraa affirmed that the perfect moral teaching has been granted to only Islam. Huzooraa presented the example of the Holy Prophetsa, who was always ready to help those in need, regardless of which faith they followed. In this era, the Promised Messiahas was sent to revive and uphold this example, and it was to further this objective that Humanity First was established. Huzooraa said that every Ahmadi must consider it his sacred duty to personify these benevolent teachings and tirelessly strive to alleviate human suffering.
Huzooraa stated:
“Do not consider Humanity First to be just another charity or aid agency. Rather, directly underpinning its mission are the commands of Allah, the blessed practice of the Holy Prophetsa and the teachings of the Promised Messiahas. Unlike worldly organisations, Humanity First does not serve humanity to garner fame or recognition. Rather, its every act of service rises purely from a devotion to Allah the Almighty and is inspired by His command to tend to the wounds of His creation.”
Huzoorsa reminded that unless Humanity First remained firmly attached to the Jamaat, nothing would distinguish it from other aid agencies. Instead, Huzooraa said:
“The reality is, and always shall be, that Humanity First’s direct association with the Jamaat is a source of divine blessings and a means of pride and honour for it. Accordingly, never discard or sever your link with the Jamaat of the Promised Messiahas, as our objective is one and the same: to serve humanity without distinction of caste, creed or colour.”
Huzooraa said that, “Be in no doubt that as long as you maintain this link and prize your association with the Jamaat, and continue to seek the guidance and instruction of Khilafat, your work and efforts will continue to be blessed, insha-Allah.”
Huzooraa said that Humanity First had progressed by leaps and bounds from its humble beginnings, recalling that its initial projects were greatly limited in scope. Whereas its budget was a few thousand pounds at its inception, today, the annual budget of the branches of Humanity First in some countries alone is now in the millions. Huzooraa emphasised that this was purely due to the grace and mercy of Allah.
The achievements of Humanity First are also due to the fact that it is the sole objective of those who serve in this organisation is to gain the nearness and rewards of Allah, and to be the inheritors of the prayers of the Holy Prophetsa. Far bigger charities and organisations approach Humanity First and wonder how they achieve their objectives or gain access to places where they could not go. Huzooraa reminded them that their every success flows directly from the boundless grace of Allah the Almighty, and because they are supported by the prayers of the Khalifa of the time and Ahmadis worldwide. As long as the organisation remains attached to the guidance of Khilafat and continues to work with an earnest desire to serve others for the sake of Allah, it will keep progressing.
Huzooraa noted the organisation’s many programmes and projects worldwide to help others, and noted that the UK, Germany, Canada and the United States have made particularly significant contributions over the years.
Noting the hospitals that Humanity First has built, Huzooraa said, “Far more importantly than the bricks and steel are the compassionate hearts that serve within them – the doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers.”
Huzooraa emphasised that the doctors and staff must not just be professionally competent but must also hold a heartfelt commitment to serving humanity and easing human suffering. Huzooraa said that Humanity First does not have the resources to build large state-of-the-art hospitals everywhere, and advised that Humanity First should focus on maximising impact by building smaller hospitals or clinics to minimise costs. This strategy would ensure a broader reach into local communities, where they could access primary care and be referred to larger facilities if needed.
Over the past two years, Humanity First UK has provided excellent care in those areas which are most affected by the war in Gaza. Huzooraa recognised that the local team on the ground in Gaza were most deserving of our gratitude and prayers, since they had set aside their own comfort for those in need with remarkable dignity and courage, driven by a profound desire to demonstrate the mercy and compassion at the heart of Islamic teachings.
Huzooraa remarked that he had witnessed those on the ground physically weaken over the course of the disaster in Gaza for the sake of others. Huzooraa affirmed that, “Every penny spent by Humanity First in Gaza has reached the people on the ground, bringing them desperately needed comfort and relief.” Thus, other well-known aid agencies and organisations have commended Humanity First’s efforts in this regard.
Huzooraa also recognised the work done by the women serving in Humanity First UK, and prayed that Allah should enable them to increase their services in the future.
Huzooraa said: “Irrespective of finances, it is essential that all members of Humanity First always manifest an unwavering passion and commitment for serving others. Serving humanity is not a fleeting objective that comes and goes like the wind. Rather, it is a lifelong challenge, one that requires consistency and unshakeable steadfastness.”
Huzooraa emphasised that all their work must be conducted with humility and prayers. Instead of worldly praise, the only motivation should be gaining the nearness of Allah and His pleasure, and fulfilling the commands of the Holy Prophetsa and the Promised Messiahas.
Huzooraa urged that their humanitarian services should increase exponentially in the years ahead. Addressing them, he stated, “Now is the time to plan for the next three decades. Now is the time to develop a clear vision for the future and to set ambitious goals. Now is the time to take Humanity First to the next level.”
Towards the end, Huzooraa mentioned that as conflicts are erupting all around the world, a world war could be nigh, and resources will be scarce. Money and valuables will be of little value. Thus, Humanity First should prepare accordingly and make a comprehensive plan for how it will function and provide aid for those in war zones and affected areas, as the fallout from the war would be unprecedented. The priority should remain saving lives and alleviating suffering.
Thereafter, Huzooraa led everyone in du‘a (silent prayer), and the conference formally came to a close.
(Report prepared by Al Hakam)
