Shares of the poor wholesaled by zone chiefs [Archives:2006/993/Reportage]

Fuad Al-Hasri
Most of the poor learn nothing about functions and activities of charitable societies scattered throughout the country. Some of these societies sleep throughout the year and wake up in Ramadan to collect donations for the poor while others double their activities during the holy month, as this month is considered a chance for giving charities to the poor and the needy. This article sheds light on activities of charitable societies during Ramadan, as well as on whether these societies exercise any activities in any other months of the year.

Briefing us on the activities of his society, Wasim Al-Qubati, Manager of Public Relations and Media at Al-Hekma Al-Yamania Charitable Society, said: “the society implements many charitable projects that target the poor and the needy. It construct mosques, drill wells, sponsor orphans, in addition to implementing other projects such as the sacrifice and faster feeding projects.”

Ramadan's charity seeds

Ramadan's charity seeds is reflected by the lavish support offered by the will-to-do people during the holy month. Receiving support from philanthropists, the society held open tables to mosques and hospitals. In addition, the society deliver foodstuffs to poor families to their homes such as rice, sugar, flour and dates, meanwhile the poor families that benefited from this project numbered up to 77,125 in Taiz last year.

Not only in Ramadan

There are other projects held in Ramadan, as well as in other months, like the successful project launched last year, represented by the distribution of foodstuffs and other consumptive commodities to the poor and the needy. 302 food baskets, worth 7,000 Yemeni Riyals per basket, were delivered to poor families last year.

As part of its projects, Al-Hekma Al-Yamania Charitable Society delivered foods to 15 mosques, but this year it distributed meals to more than five mosques, in addition the criminal investigation bureau for prisoners, according to Salim Al-Qubati.

Eid Wears Project

Al-Qubati mentioned that the society provides the poor and low-income families with Al-Eid wears. Also, it provides orphans with monthly aides and helps them get an access to education and healthcare.

To verify that charitable societies give aids to marginalized people, we asked some of those marginalized about the fact. One of the marginalized people said that they only receive the iftar meal occasionally and not daily as some societies claims.

Distributing meals in mosques causes chaos

“Charitable societies exercise good deeds in Ramadan, however distributing meals to people in mosques causes chaos due to the huge crowds,” Haj Abdu Ismail said. “those societies are supposed to plan how to distribute meals in an organized way in order to avoid chaos by the poor, who constitute huge masses and crush with one another.”

“The one who hears that charitable societies support us during Ramadan may believe that people nationwide live in good conditions. Two years ago, we learned that the zone chief took all the foodstuffs, given by charitable societies to the poor, to sell most of them in the wholesale market. He gave the poor only what remained,” Fahmi Abdullah, one of the marginalized people complained.

Another marginalized guy, under the name of Wafi Abdullah, who lives behind Al-Thawrah Hospital, said they receive no aides from charitable societies. He added: “we go to philanthropists to have Iftar. Sometimes, we go to the nearby mosque to have Iftar there. We eat, but never receive foodstuffs to be cooked at home.”
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