100 Iftar boxes to Sonapur workers

A six-year-old boy, along with a group of kind-hearted teens, has distributed more than 100 boxes of Iftar meals to labourers in the spirit of Ramadan.

The kind gesture, which took place last week, was initiated by the members of youth organisation, Green Hope Foundation. They have been giving back to blue-collar workers during Ramadan for the past five years. In their first year, they donated 30 boxes with their own pocket money, however, this time they gave 136 as their group has expanded.

The founder of Green Hope, Kehkashan Basu, said the event was organised with Dubai Municipality's camp in Sonapur.

"The holy month of Ramadan is one of sharing, caring and giving. It is a time for introspection and one of spiritual renewal and gratitude for the bounties bestowed upon all human beings," Basu said.

"There were 21 Green Hope members at the event. The youngest was six-year-old Ashwel. It was his first handout and he said that he would tell his classmates to join in next time."

Basu said the labourers were all smiles after receiving the boxes, which had biryani, dates and water.

She said they were also thrilled about interacting with the Green Hope members.

"I think, more than the food, they enjoyed interacting with us since most of them live away from their families. The smiles on the faces of the workers, as they accepted the food packs, really made our day," Basu said.

"We, as members of society, strengthen our foundations of fellow feeling and harmony through selfless acts of sharing and caring.

"Green Hope works on the core philosophy of sustainable development through active involvement of civil society. Every year during Ramadan, we gather our resources and contribute food packets to the workers. Most of these workers are away from their families and really look forward and enjoy these interactions with us. So, this year too we decided to conduct this activity so that we could spread happiness."

Green Hope has grown at a very rapid pace over the years. Since its inception in 2012, the group now has more than1000 members and volunteers, working to make a difference in many countries. In the UAE, they have about 100 active members.

"When we began our journey with a group of less than 10 friends, we never imagined that in a little over four years, Green Hope would have a presence in 10 countries. We even held our first side event at United Nations in New York in 2015. Our most active chapters are Oman, Nepal, India, Canada and, of course, the UAE," Basu said.

Source: .khaleej Times