Midland International Aid Trust (MIAT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing aid and assistance to underprivileged communities around the world. The organization focuses on improving access to basic necessities such as food, water, and healthcare, as well as promoting education and economic development. Through partnerships with local organizations and communities, MIAT aims to empower individuals and families to improve their own lives and build sustainable, self-sufficient communities.
Chief executive and director of all operations
Professor Abdul Rashid Gatrad OBE
Founder and Chairman
Mr. Mohammed Aslam MBE
Professor A R Gatrad, OBE PhD DSc(Hon) FRCP FRCPH, is a Consultant Paediatrician at the Manor Hospital in Walsall UK, Associate professor at the University of Birmingham and also an Honorary Professor at the universities of Wolverhampton, Lahore and Kentucky USA. He has been a Clinical Director for Paediatric Services in Walsall and subsequently Post Graduate Tutor. He holds a National Award for Clinical Excellence. PhD gained him recognition as an international expert in trans-cultural medicine resulting in the co-authoring of two medical textbooks both of which were launched to great acclaim in the House of Lords, with support from HRH Prince of Wales, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Sir Liam Donaldson, the then Chief Medical Officer. Professor Gatrad has over 80 peer reviewed publications with past editorship of various journals. For the College of Paediatrics, he has been a postgraduate examiner. In 1990 he was recognised by ‘Rotary International’ with the Paul Harris Fellowship. In 2002 he was awarded an OBE. In 2005 he was made CEO of MIAT and has travelled to various countries delivering aid and setting up medical projects. In 2014 he was given Freedom of the Borough of Walsall and made Deputy Lieutenant to Her Majesty the Queen, for West Midlands. For his global humanitarian work he has been awarded a Doctor of Science from the University of Wolverhampton. He built a hospital named after his mother Jubaida. www.professorgatrad.com. He founded WASUP- World Against Single Use Plastic which is now global in over 50 countries. www.wasupme.com
Mr Mohammed Aslam MBE was born near Dadyal, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan). He has been a factory worker (10 years), a bus driver (17 years) and an owner of a grocery business (Khawaja Superstore) in Walsall for 27 years. He finally retired in 2000, at the age 60, to concentrate on a personal challenge of helping the unfortunate, both here in England and abroad. At the age of 83 yrs he still has the same. enthusiasm and Passion. Mr Aslam is a natural leader with a flair for working with the community, a person never too busy to assist. In 2010, in addition to the ongoing global humanitarian efforts, Mr Aslam helped the Trust set up and open the “Midland School” in an area devastated by the floods in Pakistan. To ensure that there are no overheads, he has already undertaken 67 trips to various countries to distribute money/aid that was entrusted to him (3 visits to Nepal earthquakes in 2015). He regularly travels to iversee the medical projects. A truly remarkable man, who for his altruistic work has received many local, national and international awards. In 2007 he received the MBE.
Latest news about MIAT
The story of MIAT as told by Big Midland TV
Midland International Aid Trust (MIAT) was formed in 2003 and registered in 2005. It was founded by Mr. Mohammed Aslam MBE who invited Professor Abdul Rashid Gatrad OBE to become its Patron and then Chief Executive and director of all operations. Mr. Aslam, who was once a bus driver and later a businessman and Professor Gatrad, who is a nationally and internationally known paediatrician, met up in 1992 when they first helped the plight of people in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Their work is local, national and international. MIAT has set up many medical projects – particularly in Gujarat and has carried out humanitarian work in over 20 countries.
Midland International Aid Trust aims to provide relief to those who are in financial need or who are suffering as a result of local, national or international disaster, or by reason of their social and economic circumstances by providing food, goods, clothing and equipment.
Local Support
Locally MIAT supports and work with the Oak tree Trust (with whom they, for example, are involved very closely with the homeless and have a project in Niger, Zimbabwe and Nepal and Pakistan). Dr Ian Robertson of Oak Tree Trust works very closely with MIAT. Locally MIAT also supports the local Rotary Club and hospices; nationally, various other charities such as Leukaemia Trust, McMillan Nurses and Cancer Research also benefit.
Humanitarian Efforts
Its function is fund raising and to provide humanitarian aid and medical aid to people around the globe. Help and support is provided to people of all cultures race and religion as evidenced by work during the Tsunami, working with the UN in Haiti, floods in Bihar (India), providing life changing operations such as cleft lip/palate in Pakistan, heart operations (‘Have a Heart’) in South Africa and 3 visits to Nepal after the devastating earthquake in 2015. Here MIAT provided food, water and medicines initially and then built 1000 huts for the homeless. In 2016, with the help of Radio XL and the Nepalese Medical Association UK, a school will be completed near Kathmandu.
Open Care
The charity flies out appropriate medical personnel, such as a heart specialist/plastic surgeons to areas of need. Health Professionals e.g. the plastic surgeons such as Nick Hart, Dr M Riaz, Dr Z Rafik (Anaeasthetist) and Dr de Giovanni (Heart specialist), do not charge for their services. Over the years over 100 man-visits have been made to Gujarat to operate, train and teach. Where there is an infrastructure, local eye surgeons are recruited to operate free of charge, as has happened in for example South Africa ‘Let me See’ cataract projects, and India. The Trust pays for consumables, travel and accommodation.
Affiliations
- Al Medina education
- Trust Leicester
- Oak tree Trust Walsall
- Islamic Medical association of S Africa
- Pakistan Cleft Lip and Palate Association
- Decent Welfare Society
- Vision International
- All India Milli Foundation
- Tanzeem-e-Asatiza, Pakistan
- Caravan of Mercy
- Dedza Welfare Trust
- International Hospital relief
- University of Wolverhampton
- Manor Hospital, Walsall
- Children of Adam
The Trust Supports
- Rotary Club of Walsall
- Children with Cancer
- McMillan Cancer Support
- Cancer Research UK
- Walsall Hospice
Trust Board
| PATRON CHAIRMAN AND TRUSTEE: PROFESSOR A R GATRAD OBE | FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND TRUSTEE: MR MOHAMMED ASLAM MBE |
|---|---|
| OTHER TRUSTEES | |
| Mrs Famida Begum | |
| ADVISORY BOARD | |
| Mr Imran M. Sacha BSc – IT Director/Consultant | |
| Mr Sijjad Hussain BSc, MSc, FCCA | |
| Mr Mahmood Sacha (Assistant Project Co-ordinator) | |
| Mr Mahmood Ravat BSc | |
| Adnan Rafiq (Legal advisor and member) | |
| Yunus Bhatti (Auditor) | |
| Shazad Butt (Legal Advisor and member) | |
| M. Javed Iqbal | |
