Today, August 19, has been designated by the United Nations as World Humanitarian Day in celebration...

Today, August 19, has been designated by the United Nations as World Humanitarian Day in celebration of the spirit that inspires humanitarian work around the globe.

As well as recognising those helping people in need, the occasion also honours those who face danger and adversity in doing that work. The date was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.

The UN hopes the initiative will inspire young people to become “Messengers of Humanity” and involve themselves in humanitarian work.

World Humanitarian Day comes on the eve of Islamic Help’s “Messengers of Humanity” embarking on their own life-changing experience. The young volunteers are taking part in Mission Possible’s eighth deployment to Tanzania to deliver long term, sustainable projects to some of the world’s most deprived communities.

The participants have raised £5,000 each to take part in the 10-day deployment during which they will carry out a series of aid distributions.

As with previous Mission deployments (pictured), they will be distributing cows and goats, building local businesses for the poor and elderly, constructing rain water harvesting systems, renovating schools and planting trees.

They will also visit our showpiece Children’s Eco Village to build a small library inside each home and spend valuable time with the orphans.

The flagship Mission Possible programme gives volunteers the full spectrum of the humanitarian experience.

The participants not only have to fund-raise to take part and for the aid distribution but, crucially, they have to interview potential beneficiaries and select the aid recipients based on needs criteria.

Witnessing and experiencing the choices that charities like Islamic Help have to make on a daily basis and the effect these decisions have has left volunteers on previous Mission deployments in tears, with many describing how it had transformed their lives and given them a new perspective.

• You can keep up with the Mission Possible deployment by reading the volunteers’ blogs on our website. The application process for the 2016 deployments is now open. Details on how to apply can be found here.