London: Shopna, a widow from Bangladesh, lost her husband 12 years ago. Initially, to try and make ends meet, she sold handcrafted mats which didn’t provide enough income to support her family. She had no choice but to take a loan, which she is still paying off, to buy chickens and ducks to sell their produce. Her eldest son works as a labourer on construction sites, earning £2.20 for a day’s work. Despite their efforts, Shopna and her three children often go to sleep hungry.
She spoke with our team prior to Ramadan and said, ‘Affording food for my family is a major concern for me. Especially in Ramadan, the price of food increases and our income remains the same. But I trust in Allah’s plan and that He will reduce my family’s struggle. I hope we will receive enough food for my family.’
UK charity Muslim Hands has provided over two million meals to those living in the UK and across poverty-stricken countries worldwide during the holy month of Ramadan. This includes over 100,000 people like Shopna who were presented with a family food parcel, containing all the ingredients they needed to make nutritious meals for themselves and their family.
The twenty-three countries that were supported included war-torn regions such as Afghanistan, Yemen, and Palestine, as well as Somalia, which is facing its worst drought in forty years. Communities in the Horn of Africa are being crippled by poverty because of climate change, causing failed crops and the loss of livestock, which has had a detrimental impact on food security.
The problem is not unique to parts of the African continent. According to the UN, ‘Over 820 million people in the world are suffering from hunger and do not have enough to eat.’ The recent Ukraine conflict has exacerbated this further, the country being the largest global exporter of wheat and sunflower oil. With the world contending for what may become a limited resource, rising prices for these basic necessities will place them beyond reach for many families, who will have to ration their meals or even go without completely.
Here in the UK, the rising cost of living as well as the long-lasting impact of the pandemic, meant that half of all Muslim households struggled to put food on the table to break their Ramadan fasts. Many of these families are joining the growing number of people turning to food banks for support. Our Open Kitchens in Nottingham and Hounslow have continued to see an increase in service users needing support during this time. Collectively, the charity has given thousands of cooked meals to the homeless, those from low-income families, students and refugees.
Among the students to benefit from these meals are those attending iftar events organised by the Islamic Society in Nottingham Trent University. At the beginning of Ramadan, ISOC President, Junaid, said, ‘We are looking forward to working with the Open Kitchen during Ramadan to provide iftar for students who will be spending Ramadan away from home. Ramadan at its core is about togetherness and community and the students that we will be supporting may feel isolated being in new surroundings or struggling with funds. Partnering with Muslim Hands is a great way to bring different communities together and share a meal with those that are in the same boat.’
Yasrab Shah, Muslim Hands Fundraising Director, said, ‘It’s been beautiful to see our Ramadan message ‘You Are Their Hope’ through our generous donors who continue to give above and beyond. Their generosity has allowed us to distribute food aid to those who need it most, supporting them prior to and during Ramadan. With their help, we will continue tackling food poverty year-round. The past few years have been extremely tough, and we continue to see millions already in crisis spiraling into another terrible situation. We simply cannot allow these people, including those in the UK, to go hungry. By working together, we continue to give hope that so many have now come to rely on.’
