AUC students to continue charitable activities in Eid el fetr

Community-Service Clubs at the American University in Cairo (AUC) have been going the extra mile to assist Egypt’s neediest people during Ramadan Holy Month. Students have been participating in keswa (clothing) campaigns and providing Ramadan food packages and now AUC clubs are getting ready to continue charitable activities in Eid El Fetr (Breaking of the Fast Feast).

Volunteers in Action (VIA), one of AUC’s oldest community-service clubs, has been identifying and assisting underprivileged people across Cairo. This year, they have been working on assembling and disseminating iftar-to-go packages in the areas of Nasr City, Meet Okba, Mohandiseen and October 6 City. “The initiative commenced with the beginning of Ramadan, and we have provided at least 80 individuals with ready-made meals every day,” said Mohamed El Hadi, VIA’s financial coordinator.

Additionally, this year, the club managed to supply nearly 3,300 individuals with Ramadan packages, which include basic food items such as rice, tea, sugar, beans, dates and oil. The club also assembles food packages on demand, whereby individuals are able to purchase Ramadan packs for prices that are less than those offered by major retailers.

Throughout the year, VIA’s micro-housing committee identifies and assists people who reside in shanty houses by offering house-repair services and working on infrastructure. The club is also widely recognized for organizing annual charity weddings at the New Cairo campus. Every week, members of VIA visit, engage and play with orphans in various orphanages across the country.

As for the Help Club students, its members managed, through visiting AUC offices, to collect LE100,000, monetary contributions, which translated into 1,500 food packages being sent to deprived residents in Old Cairo and the governorate of Qena.

The club has been also working alongside prominent nongovernmental organizations on a Rahman Delivery project, which prepares and distributes approximately 150 ready-to-eat meals every day throughout Ramadan. “The Help Club has been working in Old Cairo for more than 15 years,” said Moemen Abdel Azeem, president of the club. “We have a long-standing history with the residents because we engage in other projects as well. In addition to providing them with nourishment, we sponsor children activities, offer medical services and adopt educational programs.”

During Eid El Fetr, the club will be engaging in keswa and udheya (animal sacrifice) activities. They will be providing brand new clothing to individuals who are missing out on the festive spirit of the occasion because they cannot afford them. The club will also be sponsoring an udheyya program, whereby they will ensure that meat is being distributed to poor people on the first day of Eid.

Resala AUC, a subsidiary of Resala Charity organization, has already organized a clothes fair with more than 1,000 items being offered to the poor for a consistent price of LE 5. “The proceeds will be going toward other Resala projects, which include financing micro-business projects, addressing medical emergencies and reconstructing makeshift homes,” said Ali Yahia, president of Resala AUC. Club members have identified more than 250 individuals who are in dire need of clothing and have supplied them with brand new clothes.

The club has also organized two mawa’ed al rahman (charity feasts) in the areas of Dweika and Taal Al Aaqareb. The club also partook in a mass Ramadan packs initiative and paid visits to hospitals. For members of Resala, this year’s initiatives are especially meaningful considering the current state of affairs in the country. “Orchestrating this year’s initiatives has been challenging because many of the volunteers were unable to assist,” said Yahya. “With the number of volunteers falling short, it was harder than usual to deliver meals on time.”

For Yahya and the other AUC volunteers, assisting the poor and needy is a collective responsibility. “There are many people out there who have no access to food or shelter. As responsible citizens, it is our duty to help out and give back to our communities.”