Reaching out to the needy in holy month

Charities and humanitarian organisations have made special arrangements for programmes to help orphans, widows and underprivileged families during the holy month of Ramadan.
Mohammed Al Ahmed, Financial Resource Manager, Red Crescent Society (RCS), said, “In the first project, we have set up Iftar tents in the areas which are populated by low-income group all over UAE. We have allocated Dh15 million for the ‘breaking of fast’ project. We have also made provision for Iftar tents in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan in addition to some African countries.”

Zakat al Fitr
“Another project is ‘Zakat al Fitr’. By seeking a mere Dh15 donation from contributors before Eid al Fitr, we aim to raise as much as Dh4 million in and outside the UAE. Also part of our campaign is ‘Zakat al Mal’, in which the contributor would donate from an amount that has remained in tact for more than one year. We are hoping to raise Dh25-30 million in ‘Zakat al Mal’ this year,” he added. Al Ahmed stressed that around 10,000-20,000 families belonging to various nationalities were benefiting from RCS charities. “During Ramadan, the society distributes clothes to poor people or gives them money to buy clothes for their children,” he said.
Mohammed Bakkar bin Haidar, Director-General of Beit Al Khair, said that the arrangments for Ramadan programmes had begun six months ago, including the media campaign and the preparation of the warehouses.
“Our association aims at raising around Dh120 million in 2007. The charities we hold are meant to help more than 5,000 Emirati families,” he said.

For families
Among the charity programmes carried out by Beit Al Khair are: the project of Ramadan Mir, which reaches out to all families registered with the association, in addition to orphans, by granting Dh850 to each family. A budget of Dh6 million is allocated for Ramadan Mir; cash ranging from Dh700 to Dh 1,500 is distributed to poor Emirati families; amounts ranging from Dh3,000 to Dh7,000 distributed to some other families depending on their needs.
Bin Haidar pointed out that most of the donations come from UAE nationals and are largely spent on poor Emiratis.
Another charity organisation, Rouwaq Ousha Bint Hussain Association, has been carrying out several charitable works. Last week, it launched the Liberation of Loan Prisoners’ Campaign. “We raised donations meant for liberation of more than 50 UAE nationals who were ‘loan prisoners’. We wanted the inmates to spend Ramadan with their families,” said Dr. Mouza Ghubash, head of the association.

Iftar tents
Dr. Ghubash added, “During Ramadan, we set up Iftar tents which receive 500-600 people a day. Distribution of food supplies to needy families is also part of our concern. There are more than 1,500 families from all nationalities which benefit from this project in the country.”
“During Ramadan, we also give away cash to families. Our main source of finance are donations from benefactors. Rouwaq Ousha Bint Hussain Association reaches out to all impoverished people. They don’t have to be registered with our association to be welcomed,” Dr. Ghubash noted.