DISTRIBUTION: InterNations volunteers distributing the Raf meal packs among labourers. Photos by Umer Nangiana
By Umer Nangiana
With passion for philanthropic exertion, volunteers from one of the largest local online expatriate community joined hands with one of the largest local charity organisations to make Ramadan special for the less-advantaged segment of the society.
More than 150 members of InterNations recently came forward to join Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (Raf) in providing food and more than 200kg of household items for the labourers at Al Shahaniya Camp.
While Raf distributed more than 500 packs of meal for the labourers, more than 40 volunteers from InterNations reached the camp in their cars and helped distribute the food packs besides delivering the goods they donated themselves.
Led by Mark Thomson, the Ambassador of InterNations Doha Community, the volunteers donated food stuff, household items, sanitary kits and cold water dispensers for the labourers.
“We at Raf are always very anxious as a charity to reach out to people in need and when Mark Thomson came to us, looking for co-operation, we were more than happy to come forward and co-operate. We contributed with 500 meals for fasting people who needed it and the on-ground work was done by the people from InterNations,” Salahuddin M al-Mahmood, Qatar Food House Manager (Raf), said.
This was not the first of its kind charitable initiative for Raf. They frequently execute such initiatives that directly benefit people in need. “We already have an ongoing project at the moment for providing drinking water to the people out in the streets and particularly labourers at their work sites,” said al-Mahmood.
He added that Raf has distributed 250,000 bottles of water so far. Every month they give out food parcels for the needy people and have distributed some 500 food parcels in the month. Also, on Eid al-Adha, he explained, they take the meat of sacrificial animals from people and distribute it to poor people.
“We also collect surplus food from the restaurants and people’s houses and we distribute it among the people who need food,” said the Raf Qatar Food House Manager.
For InterNations, however, it was their first time undertaking such an initiative and they were keenly looking forward to doing more.
“It is our first time as we have just established a volunteer group and we want to do a lot with official charities of Qatar. Close to 40,000 expatriates are a part of this social network and they want to participate to add value to lives in this country and to show the Qatari nation that they are here to help, co-operate and be a part of the society,” Mark Thomson of InterNations said.
“It was wonderful, easy and smooth. I spoke to Salahuddin several times on the phone and he provided the 500 meals, happily and willingly and showed up on time with his team along with our 44 members from the InterNations,” said Thomson about his first experience working with Raf.
He said the InterNations volunteers have been working already for a week delivering water coolers, industrial coolers, fridges, microwave ovens and large freezers. “We are basically sharing with these people what we have and we all believe in charitable work,” said the InterNations ambassador.
Even though about 150 people contributed to the cause, a group of 44 people was selected for the distribution owing to the requirements of the initiative.
“People have been sending stuff to my house which has been a storage place for the past one week. And then these people have come to help with whatever goods that are needed to be delivered. And then there are people who have donated fridges and TVs and coolers,” said Thomson. “Some people have given stuff from their own homes for us to bring here to improve the lives of people and to bring some Ramadan cheer to them,” he added.
Among the donated items were four or five fridges, two industrial coolers with 10 taps each that can provide cold water for up to 400 people a day, plus foodstuff and sanitary items. Over 70 sanitary boxes containing shampoos, toothpastes, soaps, towels and over 200 bedsheets and blankets were also distributed.
“We have lots of future plans and we are now looking for partners to work with within the official and legal frameworks. And that is why we approached Raf and I am thankful to Salahuddin. And I hope we would work together to attract others to co-operate as well,” said Thomson.
“And as you know [our members comprise] doctors, engineers and social workers; we have 54 nationalities and it is a great strategic move for us to work with our Qatari hosts and to work together to improve the conditions for everybody,” he added.
Raf Foundation has also launched the project ‘Breaking Fast and Fraternity’ this year.
The project aims at providing Iftars on certain days of Ramadan to selected communities. The project will also include religious and awareness programmes, as a number of prominent preachers from around the Islamic world will participate in it along with preachers from the communities participating in the project.
The project will promote the principle of Islamic brotherhood, fraternity, compassion. In execution of the programme, an application form for participation will be filled in by the leaders of communities and Raf will then hold a meeting with them. It will then sign contracts with restaurants for providing meals. The leader of the community or his representative will be assigned to confirm the number of meals to be provided by the restaurant to the site.
If the number of beneficiaries is more than 1,000 people, two restaurants will be assigned to provide meals in order to maintain the quality of meals. Programmes and Suhoor will be organised before the 20th of Ramadan on Thursdays and Fridays.
Raf will also co-ordinate with the Islamic Cultural Center (Fanar) to provide religious booklets and brochures in different languages to each community separately and they will be distributed by a supervisor from Fanar.
The organisation will also co-ordinate with the Ministry of Interior in the preparation of awareness programmes. At the end of the programme, the participating supervisors and leaders of communities will be honoured in a special ceremony.
