Kelly Harward plans to feed 45,000 people during Ramadan
For a British-born UAE resident Kelly Harward, the month of Ramadan is a time for her to give back to the city she has called home for more than 15 years and its people. She and her team plan to feed 45,000 people at a mosque in Dubai.
Kelly is leading the programme for the third year running and hopes to reach 1,500 people every day. “We aim to feed a huge number of people in a month, which is a very ambitious goal, but we know we can achieve it with the help of our wonderful community of supporters here in Dubai,” she said.
“For us, Ramadan goes beyond religion,” Kelly shared as she handed out bags of food on the first day of the holy month, “Every year, people from all walks of life, nationalities and cultures come together to help the community. I truly believe that everyone can make a difference. You don’t have to be a billionaire philanthropist to do that. We are a group of ordinary people, friends and neighbours who have come together to do good.”
Every day, several volunteers join Kelly at the mosque in Satwa to help her. “We tell everyone about the process, where the food is placed, how the queues of people move, how we restock, clean up and get on with the work,” she says, “We set up food stations with hot meals, fruit and water. Together we unload the food trucks and then distribute the food.”
She admits that managing the whole endeavour is challenging at times, but it’s worth it. “Managing the volunteers, the food and the people we serve is very logistically challenging,” she says, “This is the third year we’ve run this campaign, so the organisation is perfected and everyone works so wonderfully together.
The initiative is the best thing about Kelly’s entire year. “We remember to greet everyone who comes to eat with a smile,” she says, “We look people in the eye and say thank you. We socialise. The mosque comes alive with community. It rings with different languages, different voices, as we all work together with one goal – to share love and joy at this incredible time of year.”
Source: Khaleej Times
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