Uganda Red Cross delivers Ramadhan food package to Vulnerable Muslim communities ahead of Eid al-fitr Celebrations.Uganda Red Cross delivers Ramadhan food package to Vulnerable Muslim communities ahead of Eid al-fitr Celebrations.

Ramadan is a special time of the year for the Muslims around the world. It is celebrated after completing a 30 days fasting. Muslims from all corners of the world take off time to repent their sins and live in accordance to the holy foundations and notions of Allah.

They also use this opportunity to focus on charity to the most vulnerable in their communities. Uganda Red Cross, with support from Kuwait Red Crescent in a special way prepared and distributed food packages to the vulnerable Muslim communities as they completed the recent holy month of Ramadan. '

The food packages worth UGX 112 Million benefited over 1,500 households in the three districts of Mbale, Iganga and Mpigi. The distribution started on Saturday 1stJune 2019 in Mbale and Iganga where 1000 households received their food packages, and then proceededto Mpigi districton Monday 3rd June where 500 households benefited.

According to Brain Kanaahe, the Community Resilience Manager at Uganda Red Cross, the distribution targets vulnerable Muslims who have had to struggle making ends meet throughout Ramadhan. “We are here to share love from the Kuwait Red Crescent and Uganda Red Cross to these vulnerable groups happy after fasting these 30 days of Ramadan.

We are mainly targeting households led by women, children, the elderly, orphans and other people with special needs. We hope to reach over 9,000 vulnerableMuslims in this program.” Said Kanaahe. The package which was welcomed by the beneficiaries across the three districts with open hands, contained sugar, maize flour, rice, cooking oil, beans and dates. These will help those who cannot afford a descent ‘Eid meal have a happy celebration after a long month of fasting. “We are grateful to the Red Cross for this generosity.

Majority of our people were already worried about how they would celebrate ‘Eid. I have over 900 Muslims in this mosque and there is no way I would have supported all of them. The intervention has been timely and the leadership of this mosque is so thankful to the Red Cross family” said Ismail Musamale, the imam (leader) ofMunawala Mosque in BungokoMtoto sub county, Mbale district. In Iganga district, the distribution was led by Dr. Halid Kirunda, the branch chairman who also doubles as the URCSCentral Government Board chairman.

He appreciated the community members for always working closely with Red Crossduring disaster response interventions and when responding to other pressing needs of the community. “Uganda Red Cross is a membership organization, so we always work with such grassroots communities. Without them our work wouldn’t be possible. So as we appreciate their continued support and participation, we also identify with them through such acts of love.

The residents here are mainly Muslims and as they conclude their holy month of fasting, we feel happy giving back to them especially those who are needy. We wouldn’t want others to enjoy the day while the vulnerable are left behind.” Said Kirunda Kuwait Red Crescent is happy to have made a contribution towards giving back to the vulnerable in the communities that deserve the Red Cross/Crescent services.