Pic: Dr. Abdullah Sumait, Director General of Direct Aid, Kuwait with IOU Founder-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bilal Philips, IOU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Cherno Omar Barry,  Br. Cleon Cathcart, IOU donations officer.

Direct Aid Association (formerly African Muslims Agency) was started in 1981 by Dr. Abdul Rahman Hamoud Al Sumait (may Allah have mercy on him) as a voluntary non-governmental organization developing the most needy places in Africa. Direct Aid facilitates all forms of education as an essential means to change, raising the slogan of "education is a legitimate right for every child in Africa".