Only a reminder of the unfortunate sheds light on how fortunate we truly are. And certain periods, like the season of Lent and Ramadan, remind us of the sacrifices that have been made for us in the past and the sacrifices that we can make in our own little way, today.
It’s true, happiness comes in different forms, and making someone smile is one of them – especially if life hasn’t always been kind to them.
Riya Sayed from Navelim had a thought this Ramadan. She picked up her phone and made a call to her friend, Aftab. “I want to do something good this Ramadan, and feed the poor and needy,” she told Aftab. And the encouraging voice on the other end of line responded, “Let’s do it!”
“I then made the flier and posted it on my social media account. I was delighted to see so many people support the initiative,” smiles 21-year-old Riya.
The flier reads, “Catch the blessing in the month of mercy and forgiveness and increase your Hasanat and share the Arj. In order to allow everyone to observe a good Ramadan, we are organising an Iftar that will help us feed the needy and most vulnerable."
She explains, “This is the first time I’m doing something like this, we are not any organisation as such."
What started off with just two people, has today transitioned into a group of around 20 people who have got together to do good, without the expectation of anything in return other than the satisfaction of helping the unfortunate.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this without the help of all the angels in disguise,” she says and insists that their names be mentioned - Aftab, Burhan, Sufyaan, Ajaaz, Naaz, Rashid, Shaan, Sihana, Umniya, Saleem, Muskan, Farhad, Thanfir, Feroz, Shazeab, Jolvin, Sanket and Sabreen.
The initial plan was to feed 100 families during this season of Ramadan by accepting donations of edible items such as fruits, vegetables, rice, water bottles, chicken, juices, etc.
But seeing the great response from people all over, Riya has now collected a good amount of funds and has decided to feed 200 children during Iftar in addition to giving 100 families ration.
“We may even end up feeding more than a 100 families if the donations continue to pour in,” she says.
The Iftar for the children will be offered on March 24, 2024 at the Madrasa in Vasco, which will be followed by the packaging of the ration on March 25 and the distribution on March 26, 2024.
Religion is one aspect, but at the end of the day, humanity is what matters the most and that’s what Riya saw in this initiative.
“It is so gratifying to see that even people from other religions have donated and joined in to support this initiative,” concludes Riya who along with her friends, has surely earned brownie points and blessings from the people they are helping and in the eyes of the Almighty.
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