Every Ramadan, Islamic Relief provides food parcels containing essential items such as oil, flour and dates to families in need across the world.
Many of the people we reach have been affected by disasters and are supported by Islamic Relief’s humanitarian emergency programmes. The food parcels allow them to be better prepared for the month of Ramadan, easing their worries about how to access food with which to start and end their fast.
Our annual Ramadan campaign enables people to share the blessings of the holy month with families across the globe. The donations we received last year alone allowed us provide food to more than 900,000 people in 33 countries during Ramadan.
“Whoever helps break the fast of a fasting person will have the same reward as the one [who fasted] without decreasing anything from the reward of the fasting person,” (Hadith, Tirmidhi).
How our Ramadan food package helped Aminata from Mali
In the family of Aminata Traore, there are 11 children. They live together with Aminata’s stepsisters in Bamako, Mali.
Since Aminata, 48, was widowed, she has been the sole breadwinner for the family, who share a mud house roofed with corrugated iron.
Animata benefits from Islamic Relief’s orphan sponsorship programme as well as our yearly Ramadan distribution.
“I am facing a housing problem since I am living in a house which belongs to one of my late husband’s friends.” said Aminata. “We are using it until he needs it. I do not know what I will do if we are asked to leave it now.”
“My husband was not rich but he could afford the main family expenses. When I lost my husband, I did not have a job and I am not used to asking for charity. All the children had to leave school.”
For six years, Aminata struggled to provide for the family from her earnings growing and selling vegetables, but then one of her children joined the Islamic Relief orphan sponsorship scheme.
Now, she receives a regular allowance that helps meet the basic needs of her family. She also benefits from other support we provide for vulnerable families in Mali – including our Ramadan food distribution.
“It was very difficult from me to provide my children with regular food. Farming was my only source of income before the sponsorship programme. Thanks to the sponsorship, my three youngest children are now attending school.
“Also thanks to the sponsorship, I receive a Ramadan food package which enables me to provide my children with food during the holy month. The packages are a great support to us during the month of Ramadan. They removed a great burden from my back.
“I thank all the donors throughout the world. I am very happy and grateful to them for all the things they are doing for us. May God reward them with the best rewards in this life and in the next.”
Please donate now to allow us to continue reaching people in need this Ramadan.