Humanity First – A Unique Organisation
Humanity First is a charity established to promote and safeguard human life and dignity. It is a non-political, non-religious, non-sectarian international relief and development agency that works with the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Humanity First has registered operations in more than 50 countries and projects in many more. Most of our aid workers and the management of Humanity first are unpaid volunteers and our administrative expenses are negligible. We are able to deliver significantly more aid value in the field form the funds we raise through volunteers, collaboration and global sourcing.
Our Duty for the Good of Humanity
Humanity First first took shape in 1994, and was officially founded in 1995, under the guidance of His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (ra), the fourth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (ra) envisioned an organization where volunteers and donors from all religions, races and creeds could serve those in need — not out of personal interest, but out of duty to put the good of humanity ahead of personal interests and desires
In 1995, the community made that vision a reality, incorporating Humanity First as a non-profit the UK. In the first 5 years, Humanity First served primarily disaster relief, from helping the victims of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, to aiding the community of Izmit, Turkey after a devastating earthquake in 1999.
Disaster relief has remained a major focus of Humanity First. However, by the end of the 1990s we saw that it wasn’t enough. In 2001, we established our first vocational training schools in Burkina Faso and Gambia, while continuing to address disasters such as the Liberian civil war and open new chapters around the world.
Humanity First Switzerland
Humanity First Switzerland was established in 2014 in the same spirit of selfless service, supporting African countries facing different types of humanitarian disasters. However, even in the midst of those crises, we were working with the global Humanity First community to grow beyond disaster relief and help under-served communities with the tools for sustainable self-sufficiency. With our partners, Humanity First Switzerland began by supporting the poorer population of Zimbabwe during times of disaster, as well as fixing water pumps and providing other desperately needed infrastructure upgrades. Thanks to the dedication of our members, those projects have continued to grow and flourish.