JOIN USThis Eid is bigger on charity
The month of fasting is coming to an end and Eid festivities have begun. But the celebrations are muted this year and the focus has turned towards charity. The community is skipping shopping and buying gifts, and helping the needy during these anxious times.
For Nabeel Ahmed Baig, counsellor and motivational speaker, Eid means spending time with extended family. He says, “I will miss that this time, but my family and I have always believed in helping others. New clothes and gifts are not a priority when many families are facing struggles.”
Soon after the lockdown started, Nabeel connected with a few NGOs and has been contributing towards purchasing bulk food supplies and packing portions of it for communities in need. He’s working closely with Rahmat Group, an NGO, which has helped around 13,000 families in 210 areas of urban Bengaluru and 35 villages in rural Bengaluru with food kits. “Being a motivational speaker helped me motivate many youngsters to do community service in this time of need,” he adds.
Sarah Ali Gafoor, a teacher and life coach, and resident of BTM Layout, says that the lockdown has helped her understand priorities of life.
“My house help had a tough time after the lockdown started and I knew she would be broke without work. I sent her two months salary in advance and some groceries, and will be sending her a
special food kit on the eve of Eid,” she says.
She has inspired some of her apartment folks to do the same for their own house maids. “After all, Eid is all about the community being happy together,” she adds.
Friends, groups join hands
Mohammed Faseehulla, a business developer, has worked on a larger scale for distributing food, for the first time.
He says, “We give alms during this period but I wanted to do something bigger as the lockdown demanded for more care and efforts. I started with my own funds and handed out 20 ration kits to some needy people. Later on, I got some friends together to collect more material and hand over more kits.”
Faseehulla and his friends have packed and distributed kits among many in Bommanahalli and the slum area in Tavarekere, which would help the recipients survive for a few days, including Eid day. “For Eid, I plan to distribute sweets among the needy to spread the festival cheer,” he adds.
Dr Syed Habeeb, founder of The United Foundation, says that the month of Ramzan has a message, ‘to understand the struggles that the poor go through’.
Syed’s young children Izhaan, Zayyan, Rayyan and Huda Fathima, have set aside their pocket money for the needy. “This time it was more distressful for the poor and even the lower middle class due to the Covid-19. Earlier NGOs across Bengaluru used to work and contribute with their own team and in their own respective areas, but this time everyone has networked in a larger way as ‘Mercy Mission’ (a coalition group of more than 20 NGOs). Most have given up Eid shopping and grand celebrations,” he says.
The Mercy Mission has distributed 60,000 ration kits and run around 31 kitchens during the last month and has distributed around 30,000 food packets every day.
He says, “The United Foundation will also be distributing around 1,500 of ration kits which will include dry fruits, vermicelli, sugar, khova, ghee, among other items on the eve before Eid. The kits will be distributed in DJ Halli, EWS Koramangala, Venkateshpuram, Mangammanapalya, Nagawara and KR Puram.”
He adds, “A few of the kits have been allocated for non-Muslim brethren as well to share the joy of Eid.”
Noor Mohammed Khalid, mentor with One Nation Trust, has always believed in charity and helping the less privileged.
Eid will be a low-key affair across the globe. “The community initiative is to not come out and to pray at home. The post-prayer aspect of meeting people and greeting them will be restricted to a limited circle. I am spending my Eid with my brother and family, while my wife and daughter are in Malaysia,” he says.
Most community members are consciously avoiding shopping due to social distancing and are using the money to help those in need.
The Trust will be distributing around 4,000 food packets on Eid day, through volunteers of different organisations, in Bengaluru East and North. “We have been distributing food through the lockdown period. Eid day packets will include biryani and a sweet,” he says.