By Community Correspondent: Robert Turner-Kerr Calling all Muslims interested in caring for children: A new type of Al-Zakat!

Charity is not just about giving money, remember the phrase: Al-Zakat begins at home?

If you have never heard of fostering before, here is a brief guide from St Christopher’s about what fostering is: Fostering means looking after children in your own home, who for a variety of reasons cannot live with their own birth parents. It means you take them to school in the morning, you cook dinner for them at night, and you take them to the park at the weekends. Muhammad (PBUH)was himself looked after by his uncle, and later looked after a slave boy whom he fostered.

It takes time, energy and long term commitment, but this kind of charity means giving of yourself, to help others.

As a foster carer with St Christopher’s this means bringing a vulnerable child into your family and caring for them as you would your own child.

St Christopher’s welcomes you to come forward: At this time we are experiencing a high demand for Moslem carers to care for children mainly from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Iraq.

Many of our carers do not work, so St Christopher’s offers excellent allowances, training and support from the very beginning. See www.stchris.org.uk/fostering Call Free on 0800 234 6282 Help our vulnerable children.