Xinhua
ISLAMABAD: Raising his hands in prayer according to Muslim traditions while breaking his fast at dusk in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muhammad Rashid made a wish for the health and happiness of Chinese volunteers serving food to Pakistanis at a makeshift dining place on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital.
Rashid, who sells ice cream here to financially support his family of five living in the country’s eastern Multan district, relishes a hearty dinner each night alongside about 200 others at the venue established by the Chinese volunteers to feed the underprivileged people and make the fasting month easier for them.
“Ramadan presents its challenges, not just with the daytime fasting, but also with the added pressure of providing for my wife and kids,” Rashid told Xinhua.
In these trying times, the dinner arrangements made by the Chinese volunteers provide invaluable assistance, as now his food expenses have been cut to half as he only needs to buy breakfast.
About a dozen volunteers associated with the China-Pakistan Youth Exchange Community (CPYEC) and other Chinese charity organizations are spreading love, hope, and kindness this Ramadan in Pakistan by distributing food items and arranging iftar dinners for locals.
With the food provided by the Chinese, Rashid and fellow community members can now redirect their food expenses towards supporting their families during Ramadan.
Talking to Xinhua, Muhammad Salman, a Pakistani volunteer with the community, said they have been arranging dinners for about 200 people daily since the first day of Ramadan this year.
“Our volunteers procure the food, meticulously prepare and cook it, then arrange it on the outskirts of Islamabad, targeting areas populated by laborers and underprivileged individuals,” Salman told Xinhua.
The food provided by the Chinese volunteers includes fruits, vegetables, juice, dates, and traditional Pakistani dish.
The donations for the food come from people in China and the Chinese community in Pakistan, a 24-year-old Chinese volunteer, Wang Jing, told Xinhua.
“Our support for the Pakistani people will make them understand the care and love that we Chinese have for them. Understanding the friendship between the two peoples can further consolidate and deepen China-Pakistan friendship,” he added.
According to CPYEC, the volunteers began organizing Ramadan iftar meal donation activities in Pakistan in 2017 and have provided iftar dinners for more than 60,000 Pakistani people.
“This year, we also distributed food packages containing rice, flour, oil, and other daily necessities to local poor people, planning to benefit more than 9,000 people,” said the Chinese volunteer.■