Meet young volunteers who are providing free Ramzan meals to patients, attendants

by Ishfaq-ul-Hassan

Srinagar: Mosques were blaring with Ramzan announcements when Ghulam Hussain received a call from the office. A volunteer with Ababeel Trust, the 30-year-old jumped from his bed and rushed to the office. 

A huddle was held and it was decided that volunteers will prepare Sehri meals for the patients and attendants at Government Medical College Hospital, Kishtwar.

Meet young volunteers who are providing free Ramzan meals to patients, attendants

“I was retiring for the day when I received a call. We rushed to the office and prepared chicken biryani for the patients and attendants. We were preparing meals for a full night. Luckily we had stored the groceries beforehand,” said Hussain.

Every Ramzan, Ababeel Trust distributes free Sehri and Iftari among patients and volunteers in Chenab Valley and Jammu. More than 800 people are provided free meals during Sehri and Iftar. “Anyone can come and have a meal. In Chenab valley, the menu changes every day. Sometimes we distribute rice with mutton or chicken. Some days we cook paneer and vegetable dishes,” said Syed Imran, head of Ababeel Trust.

The subtext of the campaign is that nobody should go to bed empty stomach. “We are also distributing meals at Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu. Anyone can come and eat food. We pack the food and distribute it among the people. It does not matter whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. Anyone can come to have a meal. During Sehri, mostly Muslims have a feast. During Iftar, many non-Muslims also join in. We do not discriminate. We seek blessings from everyone,” said Imran.

The volunteers mostly pool money from their own pockets for charity activities. They have also opened a bank account where people deposit their donations. “We have been providing Ramzan meals for some time now. A few years back, we faced a financial crunch. By the grace of Almighty Allah, we managed somehow,” he said.

This year, Ababeel Trust has started a community kitchen in a Jammu mosque for the students of Chenab and Kashmir. These students are receiving coaching for different competitive tests in Jammu city.

 “We will be providing Sehri and Iftari to all the students. They can come to the mosque at Batandi and join us at Sehri and Iftaar,” said Imran.

Courtesy: The Kashmir Monitor