|
|
Nearly 7 million poor Egyptians will benefit from the Ramadan aid project this year.
|
CAIRO — Like the case in the past years,
Egyptians are racing to bring a long-gone smile to the faces of
millions of underprivileged by donating to provide aid packages during
the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
"Businessmen are competing to donate for the
needy," Ahmed Radwan, the media officer of Egypt's Gama`ia
Al-Shar`iaha (religious society), told IslamOnline.net.
"Thanks to their swift response to our
appeals, this year's budget of Ramadan aid packages jumped to LE9
million ($2 million) from only LE12 billion last year."
Businessmen, charities and even lay people have
joined hands in offering aid packages to nearly seven million
Egyptians this Ramadan.
"Phones keep ringing from donors and the
well-offs wanting to join the Ramadan aid drive," said Eman
Ahmed, coordinator of a prominent preacher Amr Khaled's Ramadan Aid
Baskets.
"Nearly 140 charities have joined us this year
compared to only 70 last Ramadan."
Charitable donations in Muslim countries usually
surge during Ramadan, which started in Egypt on Sunday, September 24.
Lost Smile
|
|
"Skyrocketing prices have made a large section of Egyptians unable to buy the basic commodities during the holy fasting month," Abdel-Halim said.
|
The Ramadan aid packages are meant to provide the
basics for poor families during the holy fasting month, and thus bring
a smile to their faces.
"We are planning to distribute two million
Ramadan aid packages this year," said Radwan, whose society is
one of the main sponsors of the campaign.
The aid packages are being distributed through the
society's different branches nationwide.
"We have doubled the bags' contents of sugar,
rice and other basic commodities, thanks to the increasing
contributions of the well-offs," he added.
Nearly 600,000 orphans, 320,000 women breadwinners
and 200,000 students will benefit from the Ramadan aid packages.
Some donators insist that every Ramadan bag include
commodities that poor families can not afford.
"One lady donated LE 90,000 for the
project," Ahmed said, adding she insisted that each package
should include different kinds of high-priced yummy Ramadan sweets.
Other donators entrust the coordinators with
deciding on the content of the aid packages.
Experts see the Ramadan aid packages are a communal
effort to fill in the gap left by the state in catering for the poor
and needy.
"This drive may have been accelerated by the
dwindling state role in catering for the poor and
less-fortunate," said Dr. Mohammed Abdel-Halim, professor of
Islamic economy.
"Skyrocketing prices have made a large section
of Egyptians unable to buy the basic commodities during the holy
fasting month."
