charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* 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 sharing
* Ch ...
that works to sustain the environment and the natural heritage of peoples living in the
nomadic
A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...
regions of the world. The organisation gained charitable status in 2003 (registered no. 100377).
Aims
The word ‘makhad’ in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
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
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...
living and protect their traditional cultures.
Work
Sinai
The Makhad Trust operates primarily in south
Sinai
Sinai commonly refers to:
* Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
* Mount Sinai, a mountain in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
* Biblical Mount Sinai, the site in the Bible where Moses received the Law of God
Sinai may also refer to:
* Sinai, South Dakota, a place ...
, in the region of
Saint Catherine's Monastery
Saint Catherine's Monastery ( ar, دير القدّيسة كاترين; grc-gre, Μονὴ τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης), officially the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Katherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, ...
, but also in
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
and the
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
. The work of the Trust includes the restoration of the ancient gardens of the
Bedouin
The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...
tribes in the mountains of South Sinai, and the building of small dams which collect the water for these gardens. It assists in the building and restoration of drinking wells in the Sinai
desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...
, 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 Biblical
Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* Ex ...
.
Tibet
In Tibet projects include the restoration of Buddhist prayer walls in the Terton Chogar Gompa and the restoration of
murals
A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' is a Spanish ...
in the
Lukhang
Lukhang (Tib. klu khang, residence of Nagas), formally Zongdag Lukhang (Tib. rdzong bdag klu khang /nowiki>, residence of Nagas, lords of the castle and administered territory /nowiki>) is the name of a secret temple of Lozang Gyatso, 5th Dala ...
Temple near Llasa.
Funding
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 ( kw, Edenva) is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England, UK. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, located from the town of St Blazey and from the larger town of St Austell.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS E ...
, Jebeliya NGO (Egypt), the Centre for Himalayan Studies, The Buddhist Association, Lhasa (Tibet), the Waldorf College Project, Ruskin Mill Education Trust,
SEKEM
The organization SEKEM (Ancient Egyptian: 'vitality from the sun') was founded in 1977 by the Egyptian pharmacologist and social entrepreneur Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish in order to bring about cultural renewal in Egypt on a sustainable basis.Official website