Light up a Mosque: Strengthening sanctuaries in refugee communities

In the heart of Lebanon’s refugee camps, mosques do far more than host prayer – they serve as vital hubs for worship, education, and community life. Yet many of these sacred spaces face years of wear, limited resources, and basic infrastructural challenges.

Through our Light Up a Mosque programme, UK Care for Children (UKC4C) is working to restore dignity and functionality to these mosques, helping them better serve displaced families across the country.

Restoring sanctuaries with care

Our initiative currently supports 26 mosques across five major regions with high refugee populations: Beirut, Beqaa, Saida, Tyre, and the North. Each mosque is assessed individually through site visits to determine its most urgent needs. This ensures that support is not only thoughtful but effective.

So far, the project has delivered wide-ranging improvements, including:

• Fuel for power generation, ensuring consistent lighting and energy
• Public address systems, enabling clear prayer calls and announcements
• Security cameras, to safeguard these community spaces
• Clean carpets, providing worshippers with a hygienic and comfortable place to pray
• Fans, batteries, and microphones to improve the overall experience for attendees
• Display screens and maintenance equipment to support ongoing educational and religious activities

These contributions create safe, welcoming environments that allow mosques to flourish again as centres of community life.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.” 

– Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

This hadith underscores the immense reward in supporting the upkeep and development of mosques. Donations to mosques are a form of sadaqah jariyah – a continuous charity that benefits you in this life and the next. Every time someone prays, learns, or finds solace in a mosque you helped maintain, the reward continues.

The Light Up a Mosque programme is a way to protect and uplift the spiritual heart of refugee communities. By supporting this initiative, you can help to preserve a space that brings people together, strengthens faith, and offers a sense of normalcy amid hardship.

To support this project or learn more, visit the Light Up a Mosque programme.