Essex Jamaat’s Fight against Famine - Part 2

Appealing to the hearts (and more importantly, the pockets) of the members of Essex Jamaat, the youth of the community launched an initiative which they called ‘Essex Jamaat’s Fight against Famine’ as Ramadhan commenced. The aim of the appeal was to raise money for The World Federation’s Ramadhan Relief appeal, targeting in particular the famine-stricken population of Somalia.

The fundraising itself took various forms, largely during the jamaat’s evening programs. Most evenings saw a dessert stall set up after Iftar, where the youth sold ice cream, cakes and a variety of other desserts. This particular idea proved to be a huge hit, both with the children and the more senior members of the community. The main event, however, took place on the 15th night of Ramadhan, the night of the birth of our second Holy Imam. Prior to this night, people were able to order roses and boutonnieres for their loved ones. These were artfully put together by a florist and were presented to the recipients on the night itself. It was an episode which brought much joy to the community. The final fundraising event was the completion of the Qur’an from the 19th night of Ramadhan until the 23rd night. Members of the community paid a reliable person to recite the whole of the Qur’an for the thawaab of their marhumeen. This was another highly popular and successful venture.

Now, one month (and dozens of ice cream cones) later, we have raised over £1,000 for the appeal and would like to extend our gratitude to all members of the community for their participation and generous donations, which will make a world of difference to many people less fortunate than ourselves.