charity
Charity may refer to:
Common meanings
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...
that works to sustain the environment and the natural heritage of peoples living in the
nomadic
Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...
regions of the world. The organisation gained charitable status in 2003 (registered no. 100377).
Aims
The word ‘makhad’ in
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
means ‘meeting place’. The aim of the Makhad Trust is to provide a meeting place in nomadic regions of the world and to assist nomadic peoples who wish to restore their ancient connection to the land. Working with local entrepreneurs the Makhad Trust helps these peoples in organising projects which promote
sustainable
Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
living and protect their traditional cultures.
Work
Sinai
The Makhad Trust operates primarily in the southern
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai ( ; ; ; ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a land bridge between Asia and Afri ...
in the region of
Saint Catherine's Monastery
Saint Catherine's Monastery ( , ), officially the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Catherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, is a Christian monastery located in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Located at the foot of Mount Sinai ...
, but also in
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
and the
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circl ...
. The work of the Trust includes the restoration of the ancient gardens of the
Bedouin
The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...
tribes in the mountains of
South Sinai Governorate
South Sinai ( ') is the least populated Subdivisions of Egypt, governorate of Egypt. It is located in the east of the country, encompassing the southern half of the Sinai Peninsula. Saint Catherine's Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox Church monaste ...
, as well as the building of small dams that collect water for these gardens. It assists in the construction and restoration of drinking wells in the desert, plus the building of community schools, a medicinal herb school, a craft centre, a computer centre and a Bedouin museum. One of the most important ongoing projects is the restoration of Ain Khudra "Green Spring", an ancient oasis and settlement dating back to before
the Exodus
The Exodus (Hebrew language, Hebrew: יציאת מצרים, ''Yəṣīʾat Mīṣrayīm'': ) is the Origin myth#Founding myth, founding myth of the Israelites whose narrative is spread over four of the five books of the Torah, Pentateuch (specif ...
This work is funded through charitable donations, through sponsorship of a specific project, by a series of working journeys in the Sinai mountains or retreat journeys in the Sinai desert, and by grants from charitable trusts.
Partners
The Makhad Trust works in partnership with the
Eden Project
The Eden Project () is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay clay pit, pit.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map 107 – Fowey, Looe & Lostwithiel''. .
The complex is dominated by two h ...
, Jebeliya NGO (Egypt), the Centre for Himalayan Studies, The Buddhist Association, Lhasa (Tibet), the Waldorf College Project, Ruskin Mill Education Trust, SEKEM (Egypt) and the Isbourne Foundation.