Al-Qalam 
By Azra Hoosen
Over 250 000 poor people from across the country were fed during a mass Ashura feeding programme, thanks to collaboration of various charitable organisations that made the initiative possible – and the feeding continues until Sunday.
This year, the second mass Ashura feeding coincided with National Women’s day and the programme – coordinated by Muslims for Humanity (MFH) in collaboration with Caring Women’s Forum – sought to provide meals to various impoverished communities, homeless shelters, prisons, crèches, orphanages and Masjids.
The collaboration of numerous organisations under the umbrella of Muslims for Humanity (MFH) made it possible to pool resources to feed the most number of people without duplication. In terms of reaching the masses, joining forces also helped the donors and smaller organisations provide food to a larger number of vulnerable communities.
According to MFH spokesman, Yaseen Khan, the average pot of food costs R2 250 and each pot can feed about 120 people. KZN based organisation, the Caring Sisters Network (CSN) distributed 125 pots of food, cooked by Akram Bemath, that provided 16 000 meals to communities in Durban, Ladysmith and Cape Town.
CSN Chairperson, Yasiera Mahomed Suliman, said that their main feeding took place at two Madrassas in Malagazi earlier on in the week.
“The success level has been unbelievable with the Ashura feeding project and everything went so smoothly. The logistics involved is getting the food cooked, packaged and distributed, as well as transported to the feeding point and working together with other organisations makes this process easier and especially to help donors attain their aspirations of feeding the needy on a bigger scale”, said Suliman.
Head of the CaringWomen’s Forum in Pretoria, Nazma Tar, explained that their mission was to help the poor, irrespective of race, colour or religious beliefs.
Empowerment
The CWF focuses on empowering women in its community through numerous projects, in addition to their sustainability projects. “A man’s true wealth is the good he does in this world and on Women’s day and the day of Ashura, we met our target of providing over 10 000 meals all over Pretoria”, said Tar.
Founder and CEO of the Tiny Steps Care Team NPO, Naadia Sheik Hameed, was honoured to be participating in the mass Ashura feeding and expressed her sincere appreciation to all those involved in the feeding project, especially to all the donors, who made it possible for them “to provide much-needed relief on this day.”
“Going forward I hope more people in our community extend their hands. I hope we improve on our mistakes and get better. I also hope that over time this reaches, not only the Muslim community but the non-Muslims as well, who can see this as a form of dawah that the Muslim community is so generous, as we are always willing to feed and donate and most importantly I hope it is all accepted by the Almighty”, said Muslim’s for Humanity spokesperson, Naailah Moosa.
The dream for the Ashura feeding project is to reach a million people all over South Africa in the years to come, which can be achieved if more organisations get on board and work hard to fulfil their objectives to alleviate poverty and take care of the needy in our country for the pleasure of the Almighty.
