Category Archives: FREE : Food

Asif Ahmed’s food ATM in Kolkata is set for expansion

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Food, , , , , , , , , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Asif Ahmed and his group of Volunteers of the Kolkata We Care group

A 320-litre refrigerator laden with food – the leftovers from the restaurant and at homes of citizens – placed at a busy crossing of Kolkata is ensuring that the poor and needy do not go hungry in the City of Joy.

Thanks to the initiative launched by Asif Ahmed, co-owner of Sanjha Chulha restaurant, whose concern for food wastage and food insecurity many around him had led to his initiative on the first Food ATM of the city.

The initiative has recently expanded with more civil society groups including the Kolkata We Care group NGO led by Imran Zaki.

“It broke my heart to see good, edible food being discarded at the end of the day, knowing it could nourish someone in need. As a restaurateur, I was often faced with the dilemma of what to do with the surplus food. The idea of redistributing it to the hungry was not just a solution – it was a responsibility,” Asif Ahmed said.

Asif Ahmed’s idea emerged from his concern for thousands around him facing food insecurity. He placed a big refrigerator with a transparent door at the roadside with neatly packed food donated by those visiting the restaurant, the restaurant itself, and the citizens inside. People can pick up the food. The volunteers even distribute food by visiting various vulnerable communities in the city.

The feeding the needy programme has since been relaunched through collaboration among Asif Ahmed’s outlet, the Kolkata We Care group, the Rotary, Round Table, and JITO (The Jain International Trade Organisation).

The initiative feeds almost 50 people daily and Asif plans to involve the Kolkata Police in it.

“The initiative has since become a beacon of hope and plans are underway to involve Kolkata Police to further strengthen its reach and impact in the community,” he said.

 The Food ATM is crafted with care to meet safety standards while overcoming the logistical challenges of food distribution. Like cash in an ATM, food is now available to anyone who needs it, stored in a transparent refrigerator placed in a public space.

Asif Ahmed said, “We wanted to ensure that those who come to the Food ATM feel a sense of dignity. No one should feel ashamed for needing help; everyone deserves respect and compassion.”

The We Care group comprises people from various backgrounds who took charge and came together for the movement. Pilot projects also started in schools like Birla Bharti School in Taratala and BDM High School in Narendrapur which aims to raise awareness through students.

The movement has bloomed well in local organisations and volunteers joined hands in educating donors to inculcate a culture of giving. It has set up one Food ATM at the busy Park street and is planning more.

Sana Ahmed, who works in an NGO, said, “We teachers can instill the right values in children by making them more cautious of food, its usage and recycling. Students’ involvement will deeply impact their growth during formative years and raise a generation when they quickly absorb and value food and the act of giving.

Asif Ahmed says, “The system could be easily replicated and the viability and success inspired further expansion in multiple locations in Kolkata. Although it started at CIT Road but I felt its impact was restricted to that area only. It was later centralized and expanded to serve a broader range of people within a feasible 5 to 10 km radius. We have plans to come up with one in Park Street and the location of another is not decided yet.”

The first Food ATM operates during restaurant hours, from 12 noon till 11:30 PM, with volunteers distributing food in slum areas close by as it is easier to manage.

Asif Ahmed shared a touching story of a lowly paid security guard who struggled with a wage of Rs. 10000- 12,000. He would get his meal from the ATM and it helped him sustain his family and meet ends.

“The Food ATM was a crucial support for him and others like him, making it easier to access meals without compromising their self-respect”, added Ahmed.

Another goosebump scene that Asif remembers is that of a small girl, who approached the Food ATM apprehensively and picked up the food packet before vanishing in the thin air.

Imran Khan, a resident of Park Circus Area, said, “It was a poignant experience to see a child, hungry finding comfort in the food provided. The gratitude and relief in these moments highlight the significant impact of the initiative in bridging the gap for those in need.”

The initial investment includes purchasing freezer units, building secure structures, and installing security measures. The recurring costs involve electricity, regular maintenance, and staffing. Asif Ahmed says he is open to adopting new means and technologies for the initiative.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home>Story / by Hena Ahmed, Kolkata / August 13th, 2024

Team B-Human distributes fruits, essentials to patients at Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru

Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Food, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Mangaluru: 

To mark Kannada Rajyothsava, Team B-Human conducted a charitable distribution drive on Thursday at Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru, offering fruits and essential items to dialysis patients and children receiving treatment.

Dr. Shiva Prakash, District Medical Officer at Wenlock, inaugurated the event and praised Team B-Human’s efforts in raising awareness on health issues and supporting patients in need. “Wenlock Hospital has a well-equipped dialysis centre, and we provide a full range of treatment options in the children’s ward. Our mission is to offer free medical and surgical services to the underprivileged, both in urban and rural areas, along with specialized care,” he said.

Shareef Whitestone, a trustee of Team B-Human, highlighted the group’s commitment to community service, noting that they have sponsored free dialysis for many needy patients at Yenepoya and Kanachur hospitals over the past two years. “Our goal is to assist the economically disadvantaged across all communities. In the future, we also intend to offer financial aid to students from low-income families,” added Asif Deals, the founder of Team B-Human.

The distribution included lunch, blankets, and towels for adult patients, and special kits for young patients containing toys, fruits, biscuits, chocolates, diapers, slippers, and other essentials.

Several hospital staff and officials attended the event, including RMO Dr. Sudhakar T., physicians Dr. Sadananda Poojary and Dr. Abdul Basith, Nursing In-charge Sumanagala, Office Superintendent Tilak U., SDO Avil Clarence Raj, Health Committee Member Shashidhar K. Bajal, and ARS Member Prabhakar Amin.

Representing Team B-Human were members Imthiyaz Z. M., Abbas Uchil, Imran Hasan, Nazeer Ullal, Iqbal Bantwal, Ahnaf Deals, Basheer, Azeez, Faiz, and Health In-charge Haneef Thodar.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> India / by Vartha Bharati / November 07th, 2024

Kolkata Mosque serves humanity, offers free dinners to the hungry

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, FREE : Food, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Kobi Bagan Mosque with the support of Roti Bank has been offering free meals and ration kits to the poor for seven years in a row.

Volunteers of Roti Bank distribute dinners to the needy (file pictures) | Pictures: Arranged

Kolkata:

At a time when mosques across India are being targeted, a mosque in Central Kolkata has chosen to open its door to the hungry, irrespective of one’s faith. Like the langars of Gurudwaras, Kobi Bagan Masjid, Park Circus not has been providing free dinner to the poor but also ration kits for the last seven years.

What began as an experimental Roti Bank way back in 2016 went on to become a centre, which helps the poor and destitute in several ways. It also provided meals and rations during the pandemic and Amphan cyclone in West Bengal.

The initiative is the collaboration between Kobi Bagan Masjid and Living Humanity, a non-government organization (NGO). The mosque located near Aliah University, Beniapukur has offered Living Humanity its premise to provide dinner for the destitute. They now have more than fifty people including non-Muslims among regular beneficiaries.

The idea, a brain-child of Faiz Anwar, a Chartered Accountant and Rashid Jameel, a Software Engineer began running a roti bank, in the hope of ensuring that none in the area go to sleep with an empty stomach.

“Inspired by someone in Aurangabad running a roti bank, I along with a few like-minded friends thought of starting it in Kolkata, So, we began it outside my residence, after taking permission from the police,” Faiz Anwar of Living Humanity told eNewsroom,

However, this was just the beginning of something big. “As numbers grow, we need a bigger space. So we talked to the masjid management, who happily agreed. And, when we interacted with the beneficiaries, it made us realise that providing roti won’t solve the problem. So, we thought of providing free meals and then even went on to provide free rations. Just like, during Ramazan we provide ration kits. We also give monthly ration kits to those who have a family,” recounts Anwar, a chartered accountant by profession and a philanthropist by passion.

CA Faiz Anwar (blue t-shirt) with his team distribute clothes to the beneficiaries | Pictures: Facebook/Roti Bank

On being asked about the poster put up on the walls of Kobi Bagan Mosque that talks about free meals being provided from the premises of the mosque and how they got into a working collaboration with the mosque, he elaborated, “I believe that places like mosques need to be more socially active. It has a role to play in society. We, with this belief, approached the working committee of the mosque with a proposal of using a portion of the mosque premise to distribute meals and ration to those in need.”

Confirming the same was Shakir Ali, a member of the working committee of the mosque, “Yes, we are in an association with Living Humanity, provide the meal and ration which get distributed from our premises.”

However, during the pandemic, when we were confined to our homes, mosques were shut, and then Living Humanity reached out to the areas outside Kolkata that needed help during the lockdown. “Working in close association with Helping Hand we reached out to the pandemic as well as Amphan cyclone-affected people. We worked in Nandigram, Canning Ghutari and Mazdurpara during the pandemic, reaching out to around 5000 families during this time.”

Living Humanity and Helping Hand, founded by Miran Ahmed have done several projects jointly.

“A major work that we did during the pandemic was distribution of free oxygen cylinders. It still runs today from the premises of another mosque Tanti Bagh Ahle-Hadith masjid. There were at least 1000 patients who benefited from the cylinders we had distributed,” said the CA.

After the restrictions were over, they began functioning like earlier, from the Kobi Bagan Mosque.

To avail the free meal or ration, one need not be a Muslim by faith, the food or items are distributed to those in need irrespective of their religious beliefs.

“Some of our beneficiaries are non-Muslims. The idea is to help those in need,” said Anwar.

So, how does it work?

Can anyone take the benefit or do they have a roster?

“Initially, it was a first-come, first-serve policy that we followed. However, we began to notice that we were having follow-up visits by many. So, we began interacting with them and now we have a roster. We hand out coupons to regular visitors. The ration is provided to those, who have more than two family members queuing up for meals. Dinner is available for any single person coming to the mosque in search of food around 9 pm,” said Jameel, the co-founder of Living Humanity.

Talking about the future plans, Anwar added, “We plan to do a lot more social upliftment work through Kolkata Masajid Association. We will try to reach out to a larger section of the society, who are sleeping empty stomach.”

source: http://www.enewsroom.in / eNewsRoomIndia / Home> Bengal> Inclusive India / by Staff Reporter / April 16th, 2023

Hands of Hope: Serving Humanity

Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Food, Karnataka (under research project), , , , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

In the heart of Bengaluru, an organization known as ‘Serving Humanity’ is significantly impacting the lives of the less fortunate. Founded on September 15, 2023, this NGO has rapidly expanded its initiatives from distributing food packets to empowering and supporting families.

Speaking to Radiance News, Secretary Syed Ehsaan Karim said, “Inspired by a local NGO, Serving Humanity began with a simple yet powerful mission of distributing food every Friday to slum dwellers and other deserving individuals. In its inaugural week, the organization, with limited funds, managed to distribute about 30 food packets. Our motivation comes from the verse in the Holy Quran, ‘…and give food to the poor, the orphan, and the captive.”

He added, “We are an organization dedicated to feeding people, upholding the rights of individuals, and following the ‘Baitulmaal’ culture of Islam. We noticed many discrepancies at some places around us, as these concepts are often exploited in and around our city. Through Serving Humanity, we aim to extend help to the neediest people in and around Bengaluru.”

Every Friday, volunteers target different locations, ensuring that aid reaches a broad spectrum of individuals. This consistent effort has provided sustenance and built a sense of community and trust among recipients.

Soon the organization started assembling and distributing ration kits, which include essential food supplies designed to last a family for a month or more. These kits provide more than just temporary relief – they offer a lifeline to families striving to achieve stability.

The overarching goal is to uplift individuals and families, helping them move towards self-sufficiency and stability.

The latest and perhaps most transformative initiative of ‘Serving Humanity’ is small business empowerment. Grounded in the philosophy of “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” this program aims to provide long-term solutions to poverty.

Through this initiative, the NGO identifies deserving individuals and offers them both moral and financial support to start or expand their small businesses. This empowerment enables individuals to become economically independent, fostering sustainable development and long-term stability in their communities.

Vice President Khysar Jabeen said, “The thought of helping the less fortunate inspired me to join Serving Humanity. Each drive brings immense satisfaction, from tackling hunger and covering students’ fees to paying hospital bills, building homes for orphans, and setting up small businesses. With our dedicated team, we aim to achieve even more, In Sha Allah.”

The true impact of the NGO’s work is reflected in the smiles and gratitude of those they help. From the immediate relief provided by food packets to the enduring support offered through business empowerment, ‘Serving Humanity’ is creating meaningful change in the lives of many.

The team conducts ground surveys and background checks to ensure aid reaches the most deserving and needy individuals. Since its inception in 2023, the team has successfully served over 8,600 meal boxes, distributed more than 440 ration kits, provided financial aid for 15 empowerment cases, and covered 40 locations.

‘Serving Humanity’ stands as a testament to what can be achieved when compassion and action come together. The dream is to create a self-sustaining model where today’s beneficiaries become tomorrow’s benefactors, creating a ripple effect of positive change.

[The writer is Counselor-IPERC]

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Features> Focus> Social Service / by Sajida A Zubair / June 24th, 2024

Pune couple run Roti Bank and send children of poor to school

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Food, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pune Kondhwa, MAHARASHTRA :

Aliya and Nasir Shaikh serving food

Following the Islamic principle that ‘if your neighbors sleep hungry while you are there, then you are not a true Muslim,’ neighbours in Pune Kondhwa in Maharashtra have replicated the initiatives of “Roti Bank” (bread bank) across many Indian cities and soup kitchens run by religious organization in the West, to address the hunger in the IT hub.

“Ark Charitable Trust’ was launched in August 2019 when many people in the city had lost jobs or livelihoods due to the COVID and hunger was rampant.

The trust was set up by a Kondhwah couple Aliya Shaikh and Nasir Shaikh from their house. The trust has been running a “Roti Bank” to and feeding widows and destitute women who are forced to wander around in search of food of alms to buy it.

Gradually, the Shaikhs realized that feeding people was a temporary solution to the problem of poverty and they started focusing on its root – lack of education. The trust got involved in educating children wandering on streets picking trash and leftover food and enrolled them in various schools

The trust has also provided job works to many widows whom they came in contact with while distributing food.

The Trust distributes food among people of all castes and religions.

Aliya Shaikh says she completed her 12th from Abeda Inamdar College in Lashkar area of ​​Pune.

“I wanted to study, but I got married early, so I could not and then I realized what if I did not study? I can teach the girls living around me. My children today are doing well; studying in schools but what about those who do not have money? That is why I am trying to ensure that no one’s education stops due to financial constrains.”

Nasir also completed his schooling from Moledina High School in Lashkar area. Though he joined class eleventh he had to drop out due to financial problems at home. He started working as a commercial painter.

Nasir says, “Food satisfies the hunger of the stomach, while education satisfies the hunger of the mind. That is why both are considered basic needs.” 

After seeing the work of Nasir and Aliya, a neighbor Ayesha Shaikh also joined them.

Ayesha, 65 has retired from a good position in a multinational company. Aliya, 30, works as a beautician and Nasir, 40, is a building contractor. All three work for ‘Ark’ while handling their business and family responsibilities.

In many weddings a lot of food is left over. To ensure this food doesn’t end in trash bins of the city, the Trust has displayed boards in key points in the city with this statement printed on these: ‘If you have leftover food, contact us… We will deliver this food to the hungry stomachs.’

‘Ark’ also gets financial support from various people and institutions on their auspicious occasions.

The three started this work from their homes without any funds. For the first eight days, Aliya used to cook food while Nasir distributed it. For the next eight days, Nasir took to cooking and Aliya to distribution. They would alternate their responsibilities ensuring that no single person has to take workload.

Aliya says, “We kept reaching out to the needy. As the work progressed, other people came forward to help us. Some started helping us financially, other by donating rations like oil, grains, etc.”

Soon many others more people had joined Ark.

Nasir empathises more with poor and says they are very sensitive. Instead of doling out food, the trio started a ‘Roti Bank’ to give dignity to those needing food.

Nasir says, “The work of ‘Roti Bank’ is not a one-day job. We cannot do one program in one month and then do the next program the next month. It has to be continuous work.

“It’s a challenge to feed their children and send them to school. But it’s also satisfying to see that someone’s life is changing because of you.”

“We have seen people cooking using paper as the only fuel. We have seen them struggling to satisfy their hunger,” says Ayesha. Food is provided to 50 families every day through ‘Ark’. Children’s education fees are paid.”

Aliya, Ayesha and Nasir deliver food to the people of Kondhwa, Bhagyodayanagar area. But the needy people of Hadapsar and Katraj area are not able to reach them every day, nor is it possible for Aliya, Ayesha and Nasir to take food boxes there every day.

So all three of them go to that area and distribute enough ration for at least two months on the basis of the given identity card. They also offer ‘Sehri’ and ‘Iftari’ facilities during Ramzan. A satisfied Ayesha says,

“It is a pleasure to be able to reach out and help the needy. Because of the work of Aliya and Nasir, I am associated with a good organization.”

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Chhaya Kavire, Pune / April 04th, 2024

How a women’s collective revived the food of Nizamuddin

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Food, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , ,

NEW DELHI:

Zaika-e-Nizamuddin, run by 11 women of Delhi’s Nizamuddin basti, is carrying forward the 700-year-old legacy of culture and cuisine.

Members of Zaika-e-Nizamuddin
Members of Zaika-e-Nizamuddin

The awe-inspiring neighbourhood of Nizamuddin is located in the heart of Delhi. One of the oldest parts of the capital city, this bustling area comprises the World Heritage Site of Humayun’s Tomb, the vibrant seven centuries-old settlement of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti and the 70-acre Sunder Nursery, among other landmarks. It also has a delectable cuisine, that is distinct in its rootedness and flavour, which is integral to Delhi’s food scene.

A women’s collective—Zaika-e-Nizamuddin (ZeN)—is carrying forward this 700-year-old legacy of culture and cuisine. As the name suggests, it is the flavours (zaika) of Nizamuddin that the group curates. Swati Batra, Women’s Livelihood coordinator of the initiative, says, “Zaika-e-Nizamuddin was initiated in 2012 under the Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in response to a study conducted under the initiative’s ECCD (Early Childhood Care and Development) component. The study revealed more than 50 percent of the children under the age of six in Nizamuddin Basti are malnourished. Further exploration highlighted junk food to be one of the major causes of malnourishment in children. ZeN came into existence when a group of mothers was brought together to make and supply healthy homemade alternatives to the junk snacking.”

What makes the dishes made by this group of chefs different from what one eats at Jama Masjid? “That food is more commercial, and laden with oil and spices . We, on the other hand, are simple home cooks. We don’t have a degree in culinary skills,” says Fatima Shahjahan, a member of the collective. “Our food is loved because we make every dish from scratch with age-old recipes. The taste upholds the living heritage and also gives a peek into the culture of Nizamuddin,” says another member, Kulsum. “It looks simple, but it has struck a chord with many,” says ZeN member, Noorjahan.

The group started its catering wing in 2015, and since then it has grown into an independent women’s enterprise and provides food beyond Nizamuddin. They were invited to Park Hyatt, Hyderabad, and JW Marriott Mumbai for special food festivals in 2019 and 2020. The group recently got registered as an LLP company with 11 women members as partners.

The product repertoire of ZeN includes home delivery, picnic baskets, catering, pop-up restaurants and live counters with dishes like khichda, salans, koftes, laddoos, namkeens and more. They also participate in several food exhibitions and have a weekend stall in Delhi’s nature hub, Sunder Nursery. “The main value proposition is that every order is made exclusively (from scratch), using fresh ingredients (no refrigeration) and age-old recipes (no internet),” says Batra.

It is empowering to see the ‘bajis’ (elder sister in Urdu) of Nizamuddin sport aprons and headgears to make nihari and haleem using their grandmother’s recipes in a commercial bawarchi khana (kitchen). It has been a transformative journey for 11 illiterate women, who have never done any work outside their homes, apart from being domestic helps. To work on something of their own has been empowering. “It wasn’t as difficult to form a group as it was to keep the group together, especially during phases of low income. All the women come from a difficult reality and investing time into something without any immediate income has been very trying. They faced a lot of resistance from their families initially. But fortunately, the members held on to the hope and stuck around. Now they are partners of their firm,” says Batra.

The AKTC team responsible for incubating and anchoring the group tried to keep the women active during lean periods and the initial phase (when the quantum of business was lesser) by involving them in different kinds of training, regular meetings and organising exposure visits. When they started out, the women made around ₹200 a month. They are now earning up to ₹6,000 a month per person. There is also a communal kitty that they circulate among themselves. Over the years, ZeN has been able to create a place for its brand in the multi-faceted food space of Delhi. It has a small but loyal customer base who appreciate the quality of the food along with the journey of the enterprise.

“ZeN works with the objective of creating sustained, dignified, and enhanced incomes for its women members through promoting the indigenous cuisine of Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin,” emphasises Batra. As the group coordinator receives an order from a customer she puts in the duty of the chef(s) according to an internal roster. The chef(s) in charge procures fresh meat and vegetables and prepares the order which is finally delivered by a local delivery boy working with the group. Bigger or difficult orders are made under the supervision of group leaders.

The collective works on a flexible model where the members can choose the number of hours they want to devote. If a member decides to not take up the order, the one next in line in the roster gets it, and so on. Every member has a work passbook that records their daily duties. At the end of every month, the chefs’ income, according to the work they have done, is transferred directly to their bank account.

The pandemic was challenging and the collective is still coming to terms with it. “It was a huge and disappointing speed breaker, and the kitchen remained closed for months. Concealment of Nizamuddin, after it was marked a ‘red zone’, made everything worse. The annual turnover reduced by more than 20 percent in FY 2020-21 compared to FY 2019-20. The enterprise also lost many hard-earned customers,” rues Batra.

The catering service re-started after a break in July 2020 after collecting customers’ responses through a survey on their willingness to place orders. During the second wave, ZeN launched a new product idea of simple home-cooked food. The food received encouraging response and was mostly ordered by Covid-positive patients across the city. “The biggest learning has been to take feedback constructively and continue to work in a systematic manner with constant efforts towards improvement. For community enterprises like these, teamwork is very important,” says Batra, revealing that Zaika-e-Nizamuddin is planning to scale up in the future by considering collaboration with cloud kitchens and delivery partners while maintaining their authentic value proposition. “I can’t say any more on this topic. Just keep a watch out for us going big,” she smiles.

ZeN can be contacted through their Instagram page: @zaika_e_nizamuddin. They deliver across Delhi-NCR and orders can be placed via WhatsApp on 9891543356.

source: http://www.lifestyle.mint.com / Mint / Home> Mint Lounge> Food> Discover / by Medha Dutta Yadav / March 28th, 2022

Service most noble

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Food, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , ,

KUWAIT / Kozhikode, KERALA:

Sana and Jassim have started a chapter of the Robin Hood Army in Kozhikode, who collect excess food and distributes among the hungry.

Sana and Jassim with their family
Sana and Jassim with their family

We all have advised our children not to waste food. We have also expressed dismay over the amount of food that gets wasted at restaurants and parties. What else? Is that all we can do? Then, meet this couple who has moved from Kuwait. They are collecting surplus food from restaurants and catering services, and donating it to the underprivileged people in Kozhikode.

Fret not anymore, if you have excess food after a function at your home or if you ordered a little too much while having dinner at a restaurant. Because Sana and Jassim’s green veiled volunteers from the newly started chapter of Robin Hood Army in Kozhikode are one phone call away. They will rush to your place to collect the food and deliver it to the needy.

In less than two months, the Robin Hood Army has fed 4,959 people in just 54 drives. A zero-fund worldwide organisation started by Neel Ghose and Anand Sinha on August 26, 2014, the Robin Hood Army is functioning in 133 cities in 13 countries. Its vision is to eliminate hunger. “More than 40 per cent of cooked food in the world is directly going to the dustbin and I believe that every religion emphasises that we shouldn’t unnecessarily waste food,” says Sana.

Sana, mother of three and hailing from Mumbai, had always wanted to dedicate her life to social service and was looking for the right NGOs to work with, when she found out about the services of RHA and applied to be their volunteer in Kozhikode.

“My vision is to make Kozhikode as a zero food wastage city and reach to each and every needy person out there – be it the need for food, education or social awareness, myself and my army will be there,” she says.

From professionals including lawyers and teachers to wheelchair-bound people, they have 45 volunteers at present. Specialised in health coaching and nutrition, Sana Jassim’s husband Mohammed Jassim personally arrives at restaurants and other venues to taste and check the quality of the food before it is donated. He had been working in Kuwait for 40 years in an oil company before he moved to Kozhikode last year.

“Our main purpose is to end wastage of food. This is a nonprofit service. Everyone who commits to volunteer will have to meet their own expenses such as fuel for the transport,” Jassim’s adds.

Presently, Sana and her team including her husband are preparing to start RHA chapters in hyper local areas such as Balussery, Wayanad, Malappuram etc. There will also be educational training for the local kids and their mothers on the beach areas as Sana thinks that even though Kerala is 100 percent literate, the quality of education offered to the underprivileged needs to be improved.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestye / by Fathima Shareef, Deccan Chronicle / April 06th, 2019

Meet Mubeena Ramzan, the trailblazer in imparting women’s education and property rights

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, FREE : Food, Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sopore (Baramulla District) , JAMMU & KASHMIR:

“In today’s world, if something goes wrong in our household, women are held responsible,” said Mubeena Ramzan, an iconic figure for women’s rights and upliftment in Kashmir. Featured in “The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims of 2019” and born in the ‘apple town of Kashmir’, Sopore, she had always been a “sensitive” child who always looked around for people who were not so privileged. She had a strong desire to help the underprivileged but financial constraints made her helpless. Growing up, she aimed to change this and be instrumental in helping the lesser fortunate women around her.

“When I initially started, we were just a few people but the recognition of our Kashmiri people who stood with me and joined our cause made me happier,” she shared about being among the most influential Muslims of 2019. Mubeena completed her studies in her native town and joined a private college run by Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam which was the only college for women at Sopore then. “Whenever things are wrong at home, a woman is asked to do a job and support the family,” she recalled. Speaking about her immediate surroundings, she detailed how women were still suppressed “in the garb of religion as interpreted by the village elders and religious leaders.” Disturbed by such wrong interpretations of the status of women in Islam, she was motivated to get educated and work towards improvisation concerning women rights.

“There is an ayah in the Quran which talks about women to remain inside four walls of their homes but we have forgotten that every ayah had its own context,” Mubeena stated while defining her motivation to pursue Islamic Studies. “Our so-called maulvis used Islam as a tool to suppress women while Islam is the only religion which empowers women in every aspect of her life,” she added. Driven by this zeal, she went to the University of Kashmir for pursuing Masters in Islamic Studies. Her choice of studying the interpretation of Islamic teachings was aimed “to look inside the teaching which catered to women.”

“In Islam, women have been given property rights but whenever a daughter asks for her share she is abandoned and fought off,” says Mubeena. Her harrowing experiences of witnessing abandoned women with limited access to clothes, food or water motivated her to enrol for a B.Ed., M.Phil and PhD in Islamic Law. Her vision remained to challenge the deliberately flawed interpretations of Islamic teaching that caused Muslim women untold misery. After her studies, she initially started working as a research associate, looking for opportunities to educate, help and empower women through Islamic teaching. She feels that when people “want to truly empower a woman they should give her the share from the property.”

“In Islam, women don’t have any economic liabilities, men were created as the protector and guardian of women so it’s his responsibility to look after her,” Mubeena explained. She completed two theses on Islamic Law and Social Evils as well as on Shah-e-Hamdan and Orientalism. Her education has taught her that “there needs to be more resources for women’s empowerment and education.” To contribute to the cause, she continued working in various educational institutions as a contractual lecturer and research associate and went on to open her own institution for women, Jamia Islamia Mahdul Muslimaat.

“The vocational training in activities like cutting, tailoring, and computer skills here empower and helps us to support ourselves financially,” says Nahila Wani, a senior student at Jamia Islamia Mahdul Muslimaat. The school provides shelter, food, clothes, and education free of cost to all needy students. “Many students who have received an education from this institution have gone on to open their own schools, benefiting our society,” shares Nahila who added that the well-balanced curriculum “fosters independence and awareness among women, making them conscious of their duties and rights.”

“There were so-called preachers who said that I can’t run this institution as I am a woman,” she said while recounting the initial three years of starting the institution. She explained that initially the establishment faced many problems but over time they installed networks with professional teams including top doctors in the valley. The emphasis here lies in educating women in Quranic exegesis, science of Hadith, Jurisprudence, and History, while also training them in languages like Arabic, English, Urdu, and computer skills. “Our goal is to equip them with the necessary skills to become self-reliant and competent individuals,” said Mubeena.

In 2014, Mubeena also started Ansar-ul-Nisa, a socio-religious organization that provides special support to needy orphans, would-be-brides, and widows. Through the organization, she came across several cases of suicidal cases of women, especially among married women. According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, there was a 15.62% increase in crimes against women in 2021 compared to the year 2020. Over 7,000 arrests were made in cases of women harassment in the union territory in 2021. In the 2011 Census, among 64 lakh women in the valley, the crime rate per lakh population in stood at 61.6% as of 2021. 315 cases of rape, 1,414 incidents of attempt to rape, and 14 dowry deaths were reported in 2021 wherein 91.4% of cases showed that the accused were known to the victims. Around 1,851 cases of physical assault on women with the intention to outrage their modesty was also caused. The figures clashed with the lockdown in COVID-19 when suicidal tendencies among Kashmiri women grew rapidly, the same time around Mubeena’s team was expanding women counselling activities.

The counseling cell works 24×7 hours to help Kashmiri women in such events wherein one of the cases she dealt with was involving a girl who was abandoned by both her parents who had separated and remarried and registered her as an orphan. Her organization fought on the social front against her father ultimately convincing the local elders to rightly grant some portion of the property in her name. The girl was married off soon after and is currently living happily with her husband and a daughter. Two more orphan sisters studying in Jamia Islamia Mahdul Muslimat received legal help to secure property share from their grandfather and are now living with their mother in their own house. Stories like this abound in Mubeena’s organizations.

“We believe in providing a safe space where newly married women, divorcees, and those suffering from mental health disorders can come to share their stories and find relief,” shares Mubeena. Through her institution’s counseling team of highly qualified professionals including top doctors and professors, they divert efforts to support them financially and emotionally. “As we look to the future, we aim to establish a helpline number to further expand our reach and continue to provide crucial support for those in need,” she said. At present, 600 girls are studying in the institutions and about 500 widows also receive financial assistance. Due to lack of funds, her plans of opening a college for skills-oriented courses are delayed.

Speaking about her future plans, she detailed that she aims to build an institution where all modern subjects are taught at par with Islamic education, alongside martial arts and vocational skills like cutting, designing, oratory, etc. “Our whole motive is to make women empowered through education,” Mubeena iterated her future plans.

Sadaf Shabir is an independent journalist. She tweets @sadafreports 

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> India News /by Sadaf Shabir / May 24th, 2023

Manipur: Muslims Emerged as Peacemaker; Offered Food, Shelter to Warring Meities and Kukis

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Food, Leaders

MANIPUR :

New Delhi:

In Manipur, the Muslim community has emerged as a crucial peacemaker amidst the ongoing conflict between the two largest groups: the majority Hindu Meiteis and the minority Christian Kukis.

Meities account for about 53.5 percent of Manipur’s total population while 42 percent of the population belongs to Kukis. The rest are Muslims and other groups. The clashes between the two groups began when Kukis, who are Scheduled Tribes and live in hilly areas of the state, protested against the Manipur high court order granting ST status to Meities. Kukis felt that privileges available to them by virtue of being ST would be grabbed by Meities who are in majority and have control over the state government.

When the violence between the two communities began on May 3, Meities living in Kuki dominated and Kukis residing in Meitie-majority areas began fleeing to protect their life and property. There was so much hatred that in many cases, it were the neighbour attacking their neighbour of the opposite group.

Manipuri Muslims, who are called Pangals and are converts from the Meitie community, were targeted by Meitie Hindus in May 1993. About 140 Muslims were reported to have been killed in the 1993 violence. Muslims also suffered huge loss of their properties.

But the Muslims forgot what had happened with them in the past and came forward to offer a helping hand to Meities as well as Kukis at the risk of their own safety because both the groups had warned Muslims not to give help to their opponents. Ignoring the threats, Muslims offered, food, shelter, clothes and other relief materials to the victims irrespective of the group they belonged. In the process, many Muslims were attacked and sustained injuries. However, no Muslim was killed.

An incident worth mention occurred on May 4 when Kuki individuals sought shelter in the Muslim-dominated area of Hatta Golapati in the state capital of Imphal. The Meitei Muslims bravely opened their doors, risking their safety, to save the lives of more than 3000 Kuki people. Subsequently, the Meitei Muslims handed them over safely to the security forces. In this endeavour, men, women, and children from Hatta Golapati played a significant role. Women cooked food for the refugees, while men and children provided clothes, food, and other necessities.

Similarly, in the neighboring Churachandpur district, the Meitei people rushed to KWAKTA Village, where approximately 20,000 Muslims reside. Although the local Muslims are not financially well off,  the they collected grains, vegetables, and other essentials from their homes and mosques to feed the victims. The Kwakta Muslims prevented the Kukis from attacking nearby Meitei villages and also stopped the Meitei from attacking Kuki villages near Kwakta. Tragically, many Kwakta Muslims were injured in crossfire and bomb blasts.

Throughout their relief efforts, the Muslim civil society and Muslim student organizations have been diligently collecting relief material from Muslim families and distributing it in the refugee camps.

Moulana Syed Ahmad, President of Jamait Ulama-i-Hind, Manipur, and SM JALAL, President of All Manipur Muslim Organisations Coordinating Committee, an apex body of all Muslim Civil society in Manipur, addressed the media recently. Speaking to the media, Moulana Syed Ahmad, President of Jamait Ulama-i-Hind, said, “We have always lived in brotherhood, as children of one father and mother.” The violence has targeted the co-existence and peace of both communities, which have been living peacefully since the inception of the state of Manipur.

Notably, many interfaith groups have also stepped forward to promote peace and harmony under the banner of “INTERFAITH FORUM FOR PEACE AND HARMONY.” This forum has organized meetings, rallies, and prayers, appealing for peace, with participation from various groups, including Jamaat-e-IslamiI Hind, Catholics, Baptists, Federation of Madrasa Sana Mahi (Meitei religious group), International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Brahma Kumaris, and Vishnu Gaurav, etc.

In this time of crisis, the collective efforts of the Muslim community and interfaith organizations are providing a glimmer of hope for peace and reconciliation in Manipur.

At least 150 people are reported to have lost their lives, 400 are wounded, and more than 60,000 have been displaced from their homes. The authorities, including the army, paramilitary forces, and police, are still struggling to quell the escalating violence even after more than two and a half months when the violence began.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Human Rights> Communalism / by Syed Ahmed Ali / July 26th, 2023

Riyadh’s Karimnagar Committee – Unsung heroes serving in rain or shine

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Karimnagar, TELANGANA / Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA:

Karimnagar Committee held an annual Iftar party on Friday at a resort on the outskirts of Riyadh.

Jeddah: 

In a world of constant connection through social media and cell phones, many expatriates have likely found themselves still feeling disconnected from those around them. Many NRIs don’t even know the people who are from the same niegbourhoods living abroad along with them.

Connecting with compatriots from the homeland not only strengthens bonds within the community in alien land but also renders service to them in rain or shine, this is the concept of the Karimnagar Committee.

Riyadh-based Karimnagar Committee, an expatriate organization that looks after NRIs from Karimnagar town of Telangana is one of the sincere and old organizations in the Saudi capital that has been serving the needs of Karimnagar NRIs for over two decades.

Interestingly it’s the maiden community organization of the Karimnagar NRIs not only in Saudi Arabia but the rest of the Gulf countries yet maintains a low profile and is far away from any publicity.

Karimnagar Committee as it is widely known among the NRIs hailing from the town and working primarily in Riyadh.

In fact, it was the one that facilitated employment opportunities for scores of newly arriving Karimnagar youth in search of green pastures. It imparted job orientation skills among youth before being recruited thus making it dearer to many youngsters in the town.

Only the “Karimnagar” tag is a criterion to find shared accommodation in Hara for unemployed youth of the town.

Ramzan Packs, an initiative kickstarted 20 years ago saw numerous beneficiaries from low income families in need during the holy month of Ramadan.

Karimnagar Committee holds its annual Iftar gathering in a sheer spiritual environment away from so-called leaders and officials. This is the only gathering that enthusiastic Karimnagaris come together, according to organisers.

In a joyful Ramadan atmosphere, the Karimnagar Committee held an annual Iftar party on Friday at a resort on the outskirts of Riyadh, in which it was keen on meeting all Karimnagaris as one family around Dastarkhwan or Iftar mats.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Middle East / by Irfan Mohammed / April 09th, 2023