Jeddah-based volunteer group, Young Initiative Group (YIG), hosted their annual Iftar Sayem for the fifth year in a row distributing food to more than 4,700 Muslims in Jeddah. The volunteers are working on a daily basis in ten Jeddah localities, namely, Karentina, Ghariyat, Balad, Ruwais, Rubat Baghlaf, Ghulail, Faisaliya, Aziziyah, Al-Sabeel and Jamaa District.

The group gathers volunteers, chooses the areas where the distribution is to take place and collects food donations from companies, restaurants, kitchens and factories in Jeddah.

Iftar Sayem 5 is a YIG project that is held and run by volunteers. The project is continuing due to its success in the past four years. This year the group is armed with double the number of volunteers and food supplies.

Also this year, the group comes with experience and a new plan, in addition to a young group of volunteers who are passionate about helping others. “This year, Iftar Sayem initiative is run by a new leadership team that has successfully managed to run smoothly and achieve the targets set for them,” said Muhammad Bakri, co-founder of YIG. “We truly believe that developing new leaders is the most effective approach to sustainability,” he added.

As YIG grows so does their responsibility in managing their operations, according to Bakri.

Over a 100 volunteers unite to pack and distribute more than 4,000 meals to poor areas. Volunteers vary from 14-year-old kids to older parents all working hand in hand for the common good.

Everyday at 4 p.m. sharp, the volunteer group meets in a huge parking lot where they start organizing themselves into ten groups dividing the meals. Each group is responsible for distributing its quota of meals in its assigned locations.

From a regular volunteer to a team leader and now project manager, Mohammad Aman climbed up the volunteer ladder in only five years. “I always make sure to participate in any volunteer work, to me it’s a life experience and it teaches me a lot. Even if I was busy with college, I always make time for those who need my help,” he said. “This year, the project was handled by last year’s team leaders who took up the challenge to execute it as smoothly as it was run in the previous years,” he added.

Being up to date and documenting every single detail about the volunteers, donations and meals is one of the most important aspects of the project, according to Abdulrahman Saimaldahar, project leader. “We have created a Google sheet where we can update and share all information day by day to help us come back to it anytime we need extra information about the whole project,” he said. “My role is to manage the finances of the Iftar Sayem 5 initiative as well as to divide the meals and volunteers to certain locations and make sure all meals are delivered in time and all volunteers are divided according to the location’s needs,” he added.

“At the beginning of the month we started distributing 4,200 meals a day and now we distribute 4,700 meals, thanks to the sponsorship we received from Mohammed Abbas Sharbatly charity organization,” said Saimaldahar.

Ahmed Hammad is another volunteer who is responsible for operations and delivering meals to the volunteer teams. “We start receiving the meals around 4 to 4:15 p.m. everyday in the same location, then we organize and check with the documents that show how many meals go to a certain group,” he said.

Giving back to the community is what drives volunteers to do more. “I would do anything to put a smile on the less fortunate people’s face anytime. It’s a life changing project that changes us as volunteers and the people we volunteer for, one meal at a time,” said Mohammed Kamel, YIG volunteer. “I look forward to Ramadan every year to volunteer with the group and connect with people who are not in our usual circle of friends. I am proud of our Saudi youth who are always looking for different ways to help others,” he added.

Another volunteer Abdulrahman Shata said: “From the first day of Ramadan, we all know what we have to do every minute. We all unite for one cause and work hard to execute the plan accordingly,” he said. “As soon as we meet in the neighborhood where we volunteer we find people standing in straight lines waiting for their Iftar meals. You find them calling their neighbors and friends to come and receive their meals,” he added.

“Last year was my first time and by now I have made friends with a number of people in the neighborhood and they have invited us to iftar to meet their families and learn more about them,” said Shata. “I love how they have so little yet they are very generous,” he added.

Hala Marzouaa is responsible for the marketing of the Ramadan project as well as for managing female volunteers. “We always welcome new members who want to participate in our Iftar Sayem projects where we send them to go to different locations to help women and children,” she said.

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