JEDDAH: As many residents struggle to get home in time for iftar during Ramadan, a group of young volunteers has stepped in, providing free meals to ensure that no one stays hungry when it is time to break the fast.
Volunteers aim to provide assistance to motorists, taxi drivers and service workers who may have difficulty reaching iftar locations on time.
In the hours before iftar, many people are seen on the streets of Jeddah, heading home after a long day.
As the sun begins to fade each day of Ramadan, more than 300 volunteers — students, employees and entrepreneurs — arrive at the various sites in Jeddah by the Asr afternoon prayer.
Firstly, they work together to pack boxes full of dates, and bottles of water and juice and later distribute meals by hand.
Al-Muthana Al-Dossary, the leader of the Hattan volunteer organization which has been carrying out various activities all year long, told Arab News that his team has been organizing the Ramadan iftar for the past 5 years.
“The response has been incredible. Locals from various parts of Jeddah are actively participating as volunteers,” he said.
Al-Dossary said that his team serves approximately 400 to 500 people daily. “Motorists, Laborers, bike riders, taxi drivers, building keepers and others rely on this initiative to break their fast,” he explained.
“The iftar initiative is directly supported by kind-hearted people who contribute not just to this effort, but to other charitable activities under our project.
“This campaign is truly wonderful, especially when you find yourself on the road and can’t reach home in time for iftar.
“This meal is not just to meet our nutritional needs, but it also reminds us of the essence of Ramadan and the spirit of giving,” he added.
For 17-year-old Lina Al-Mamari, distributing iftar meals to drivers and those who are in need at various spots in Jeddah is a great initiative which reflects the spirit of compassion during the blessed month of Ramadan.
She said: “I am very proud to be part of this campaign. It gives us the opportunity to offer a helping hand to those in need, and it strengthens social solidarity in our community.”
Yazen bin Essa, who also volunteers with Hattan, expressed his satisfaction and pride.
“When you help others especially in the holy month of Ramadan, that’s the acts of kindness.
“We want to ensure that as there is a call for breaking fast no one should go hungry during this sacred time. We want to provide a sense of comfort in iftar, the meal to break the fast after sunset,” he said.
Some 50 meters away, Namaa Charity and Al-Ittihad Club have jointly collaborated to distribute iftar meals and food provision kits to workers, individuals, and underprivileged families.
“The joint initiative called the ‘Fakkat Reeg’ (breaking fast) aims to distribute around 5,000 meals a day in different locations,” said Abdulrahman Alamri, the leader of the distributing team.
“This initiative is a key pillar of Al-Ittihad Club’s annual Ramadan program, in partnership with Namma Charity and it comes within the project of breaking the fast of a fasting person on the road.”
