NEF has been working in the Arab world since 1915 and honors its traditions. That includes the Holy Month of Ramadan, a time for inner reflection by Muslims, devotion to God, self control, fasting, community, and above all, a time of giving and feeling for the poor. Zakat or alms-giving is considered a personal responsibility to ease the economic hardships of others. During Ramadan for several years now, NEF has provided food packages to the very poor and most needy in the communities we serve: in the West Bank, where on September 12 the United Nations reported three out of four Palestinians now live in poverty; among Sudan's desperate refugees fleeing their country's cruel violence and drought.
Our West Bank food packages each contain about $50 worth of basics like milk, cheeses, canned beans, lentils, tomato paste, pasta, tehina sauce, halawa, jam, and sugar. They ease the burden of joblessness and rising cost of living during what is supposed to be a particularly joyous time when relatives and friends gather around a table and break that day's fast together--a meal known as iftar. In some of the poorest areas of Khartoum, where NEF concentrates its Sudan programs, the average NEF food packages covers iftar for a family of seven for two weeks. Packages contain sugar, tea, wheat, rice, beans, and dates. In both locations, food distribution is made in cooperation with local zakat committees, who best know their communities and those most in need of our help. |
