Muslim Hands, a British charity established in 1993 in response to the humanitarian crisis in Bosnia, has recently begun operations in Gansu Province, making it the second UK-based Islamic NGO to open a programme in China's north-west. Islamic Relief has supported work in Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang since 2002.

Muslim Hands works across Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Its China projects, which began in 2004, include provision of scholarships for children from poor families, corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates, and distribution of food aid in Gansu's Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture.

Although activities are currently modest in scale, a spokesperson for Muslim Hands said in a telephone interview that they hope to also venture into areas such as water security and vocational education, provided there is sufficient interest from donors. The China programme is funded exclusively by private individuals, organisations and businesses from Muslim communities.

Report by Matt Perrement, April 25 2005