With four out of 10 households in Cape Town’s poor areas without food at least once a week, it’s almost certain that Ramadan will be an added burden for Muslim families this year. The ever-increasing cost of food means that impoverished Muslims will have less to break their fast, only to be compounded by Cape Town’s harsh winter. This has spurred local Muslim humanitarian organisations into action – many of whom will be combining their annual Ramadan and winter outreach programmes.
Islamic Relief South Africa (IRSA) is running a campaign which involves providing vulnerable households with food parcels for Ramadan. The aim is to provide families with these parcels before Ramadan begins.

“We want people to enjoy Ramadan in comfort and dignity even if they are in need,” says Islamic Relief communications manager Shanaaz Ebrahim-Gire.

Members of the community can donate a food parcel towards the programme and the NGO will distribute it in township areas. The distributions will be in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

“We want to give the poor a hot plate of food. Our main aim is to provide for destitute people mainly in Mitchell’s Plain in Cape Town.”

The South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF) aims to feed over 9 000 people every night and an additional 60 000 over weekends during Ramadan though partnerships with masajid in under-resourced areas throughout South Africa. SANZAF will conduct daily iftar programmes at 95 masajid across the country for June and July. SANZAF will also distribute non-perishable food parcels to over 3 300 families in need at the start of Ramadan.

It will cost SANZAF over R1.7 million for the month to ensure that families in need are served a nutritious meal to break their fast with. This can only be made possible through the contributions and generous donations from the public.

The partnering masajid include Square Hill Education Society (Retreat), Masjidul Ishraaq (Lotus River), Madrassah Islamia (Atlantis), Masjid Ighwatul Islam (Bridgetown), Jamiyatus-Sabr Masjid (Primrose Park), Siddique Islamic Trust (Elsies River), Masjidul Mubarak (Belhar), Tafelsig Council (Mitchells Plain), and Masjidul Mieftaag (Mitchells Plain).

SANZAF National Chairperson, Sajid Dawray, said: “Ramadan affords us the opportunity to reach out to those who live in constant hunger and deprivation through our national Iftar, Suhur (morning meal before fast starts) and Fitrah programmes undertaken by SANZAF’s dedicated staff and members.”

The Mustadafin Foundation will be running various feeding schemes including an iftar plate, suhoor food parcels and providing underprivileged residents with a cooked meal.

The NGO’s schemes are run in Hanover Park, Khayelitsha, Tafelsig and Delft. The Foundation takes its food distribution into the areas and supports various institutions with feeding schemes.

“Our aim is to provide for the destitute and deprived. We focus on those who do not have and cannot do anything for themselves,” says Mustadafin director, Gairunesa Johnstone.

The Foundation appeals to members of the community to donate a pot of soup, some bread, a pot of food, and items for the suhoor parcel. The suhoor parcel includes porridge and dates.

“While you have your hot soup and cold meats remember there are people who do not have a slice of bread. We call on Muslims who are by the means to sponsor the less fortunate,” says Johnstone.

Johnstone pointed out that there was a high demand for iftar plates in Ramadan. However, the NGO has faced challenges in that some family members sell food parcels to sustain their substance abuse addiction.

“People sell the parcels for drugs so we have to make sure we distribute it to people who don’t, however, we prefer providing the poor with a hot meal,” says Johnson.

Food security in SA

While South Africa is considered a food secure country, statistics released by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) show that 1 in four children are stunted due to malnutrition and 26% of the population (amounting to 14 million people) are hungry today. Another 28.6% are categorised as at risk of hunger. These figures show that despite the fact that South Africa is completely dominated by large scale industrial agriculture, there is still so much hunger.

In terms of affordability, researchers have found that food prices are outstripping the inflation rate. According to the University of Cape Town’s African Food Security Urban Network, poorer residents faced problems including the increasing cost of electricity for cooking, lack of access to refrigeration, the cost of public transport to shops and the amount of food which could be carried on these modes of transport.

It for this reason, that African Muslim Agency (AMA) provides Ramadan hampers for hundreds of families to sustain themselves for the entire month. AMA will be partnering with 80 organisations around the country that work on the ground. AMA director Imran Choonara said the humanitarian agency will be handing out thousands of large hampers that will last a family of five for the whole of Ramadan.

“We called all the organisations that have a list of needy people. So in the next few days, they will be distributing these hampers so people already have food in their homes. We have thousands of iftar boxes and these boxes will be sent to all parts of the country to be handed out at masajid, schools and madaris,” Choonara explained.

He asked the community to spare a thought for less fortunate Muslims fasting in southern Africa.

“It is winter and Ramadan so it means that many people are fasting and are feeling very cold. In these hampers, we also have blankets to keep people warm while they eat at suhoor and iftar.”

The Gift of the Givers (GOTG) will be running a daily iftar and partnering with VOC in its annual Ramadan outreach, Ahlan wa Sahlan programme. The relief agency’s iftar plates will be distributed in Mitchell’s Plain and Delft. The NGO appeals to the public to give to the less fortunate.

“While you enjoy your food in the evening remember there are people who do not have food. We want to provide the poor with a warm plate of food this Ramadan,” says communications officer Ali Sablay.

To support these charity organisations, contact their offices below:
Islamic Relief South Africa
396 Imam Haron Road
Lansdowne
Phone: 021 696 0145

Mustadafin Foundation
18 Belgravia Road, Athlone
Phone: 021 633 0010

Gift of the Givers (CT branch)
45 Noll Avenue
Rylands Estate
Phone: 021638 7909

Africa Muslim Agency (CT branch)
22 Belgravia Road
Athlone
021 699 0545