About Us

# We build the system
that builds the community.

Taawunu is a social impact studio — not a charity, not an NGO, not a tech startup. We exist in the space between them, connecting funders, charity partners, and communities to create permanent infrastructure.

What We Are

## A social impact studio.

Taawunu (تَعَاوُنُوا) comes from the Quranic verse: "And cooperate in righteousness and piety" (Al-Ma'idah 5:2). The word is a plural imperative — it's not one person saving the world. It's a command to work together.

We are a small, focused team that designs, manages, and verifies community development projects for marginalized populations. We partner with registered charities (who handle donations and provide tax receipts) and local implementation organisations (who coordinate ground-level work).

What we bring:

- Project design — the 4-pillar sequential model
- Budget management — every pound tracked and reported
- Monitoring & evaluation — field visits, honest reports
- Technology — dashboards, data systems, digital infrastructure
- Fundraising strategy — campaign design for charity partners

What we don't do: We don't collect donations directly. We don't issue tax receipts. We don't operate as a registered charity. This is intentional — it keeps us focused on design, management, and accountability rather than fundraising compliance.

### From the ground up.

The name is a command — not one person saving the world, but a community cooperating. Every project starts with the earth under our feet: the red laterite soil of Cameroon, the water beneath it, the fish that grow in it, the children who learn from it.

We don't parachute in solutions. We design systems that communities own, operate, and sustain — long after we've gone home.

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ
"And cooperate in righteousness and piety."
Al-Ma'idah 5:2
The Team

## Small team. Real work.

We're a lean team — intentionally. Overhead stays low, accountability stays high. Everyone is hands-on.

OS
Omair Saleh
Co-Founder & Technical Lead

Builds the technology that powers the projects — dashboards, financial tracking, communication systems. Also leads project design and stakeholder coordination. Background in software engineering and charity technology (QuikCue, CharityRight).

SH
Sheikh Hamid
Ground Implementation Lead

Leads UDES UK, our ground implementation partner. Coordinates with the Lolo community, manages local labour, oversees construction and infrastructure work. Has deep relationships with community leaders and local authorities.

SA
Saiqa Ahmed
Fundraising Partner (SWAN London)

Leads SWAN London, our primary UK fundraising partner. Provides the registered charity infrastructure for UK tax-efficient donations. Manages Stripe checkout, donor communications, and gift aid claims.

### Design systems, not dependency.

10 ponds. 35,000 fish capacity. Community owned and operated.

Structure

## How money flows — transparently.

Understanding how money moves through our ecosystem is critical to trust. Here's how it works:

1. Donors give to charity partners — SWAN London (UK), HFA (Australia). These are registered charities with full regulatory compliance. They issue tax receipts.

2. Charity partners fund projects — Funds are disbursed to project budgets based on agreed milestones. Every disbursement requires documentation.

3. Taawunu manages the projects — We design the intervention, manage the budget, coordinate implementation, and provide monitoring. Our professional service fees are openly listed in every budget.

4. Local partners implement on the ground — UDES coordinates community labour, manages materials, and oversees construction.

5. Taawunu verifies and reports — Independent M&E visits. Published reports with photos, financials, and honest assessments of what worked and what didn't.

Taawunu's management fees are always disclosed. In the Lolo project, they total £2,606 (6% of the total £43K budget) — covering project design, coordination, reporting, and two on-site M&E visits.

Get In Touch

## Let's build something together.

Whether you're a donor, a charity partner, a foundation, or just someone who cares — we'd like to hear from you.

Your Name
Email
I'm interested in...
Message

### Direct Contact

Email:
hello@taawunu.org

For partnerships & institutional enquiries:
omair@taawunu.org

Social Media:
LinkedIn · Instagram

For technical services (dashboards, data systems, charity technology), visit our professional services arm: Haqiqah Consulting