Ramadan: DirectAid supports over 25,000 Muslims

More than 25,000 individuals, mostly Muslims, at the weekend became beneficiaries of the annual benevolence extended by the DirectAid Society in Ghana, to aid their participation in Ramadan, the month of sacrifice and prayer.

Though majority of the beneficiaries were muslims, the gesture was also extended to non-muslims in need.

The Director of Mercy Centre, Mr Reda Naguib, said the gesture was for DirectAid to use particularly the Ramadan period to show love and kindness to humanity.

“This year, we are serving 25,000 persons all over Ghana at the cost of GH¢1.5 million and ‘Insha Allah’, we will continue to do more for our brothers here”, he said, adding that DirectAid always looked for opportunities such as the Ramadan to show love and kindness to humanity.

Items

At the Al Rahma Social Centre, also called Mercy Centre at the Lakeside Estate in Adenta, Accra, more than 700 people received packs of 10 kilos of rice, three litres of cooking oil, three kilos of sugar, two kilos of beans, three large-sized canned tomatoes and five packs of spaghetti . Among the number were non-Muslims who recounted how they had also benefited from the aid every year and, therefore, looked forward to it.

Free donation

As early as 8 a.m. on Saturday, long queues of men and women, young and old had formed at the gates of Mercy Centre ready to be ushered into the compound for the distribution of the free gifts.

“As we speak, we are doing this in so many other places apart from our main centres across the country. You know our centres in Tamale, Kumasi, Cape Coast and here at Al Rahma, we are also doing the same things in a number of zongos, towns and villages to support the Ramadan. We pray that Allah will bless us all and listen to our prayers. He should continue to give us the strength to support one other, which is our prayer”.

He said similar exercises were being carried out simultaneously at Accra Central, Nima, Ashaiman, Aflao, Kasoa and Swedru.

Gratitude

Chief Abdul Kadir Yakub Mole, Ashale Botchwey Zongo Chief, commended DirectAid for the continued and varied support to the community, saying the tradition had lived on since it began many years ago. “We cannot thank them enough, not just the free food distribution but for all the things they do for our community. They don’t give to only Muslims as you can see. Even here at their school, all who are being trained here are getting it for free. We thank them and Allah bless them.

A number of the beneficiaries who spoke to Graphic Online were grateful to the NGO, saying the food supply would go a long way to aid their fasting as they won’t have to worry about what to eat when they complete the daily fasting. Others still asked for God’s blessings on the organization to enable it provide more support for society.

Said Ibrahim Oumar a resident of Ashale Botwe and a beneficiary; “I thank all the people involved in this. Every year they have been doing it and I know it helps especially the Muslim community a lot, it helps the people to fast and we also show our gratitude to them for what they are doing. We thank them.”

Sheriff, a beneficiary, told Graphic Online the donation meant a lot to him especially at Ramadan Kareem, and he was even more delighted that the gifts were reaching so many people without discrimination.

An elderly woman, Madam Hawa Mahamudu, who said she was visiting her daughter who is a nursing mother, praised DirectAid for the kind support especially in these difficult times for many nations. She prayed God’s blessings on the benefactors and the strength to do even more.