The South African National Zakah Fund (Sanzaf) has ensured that poorer communities all over the Kaap can celebrate Eid ul Fitr with the distribution of over 20 000 food parcels.
The kos has been distributed by local mosques throughout Ramadaan and each parcel has enough ingredients to provide a family of five with two meals.
Shireen Kamaldien, Western Cape Sanzaf head of projects and programmes, says: “We help feed communities throughout the year and because the month of Ramadaan is such a holy time, we want people to be able to fully take part in celebration.
“We adopt 15 mosques that we give the parcels to and they adopt three further mosques to either make food for or share the parcels.
“They distribute it among themselves and to date we have handed out more than 20 000 parcels and each parcel has 22 items like chicken, veggies, lentils, rice and even stuff for desserts.”
Shireen added that Sanzaf identifies the mosques in need of parcels through a verification process where they look at the needs of the community they serve and their congregation.
“During Ramadaan, the mosques hosted suppers every night and that is how we have been able to distribute hot meals to the communities. We are happy that we have reached our goal of feeding 500 000 people,” she says.
The distribution of parcels also happens regularly throughout the year.
“There are so many people out there that not only need food but are also in need of a breadwinner, so they are dependent on us to provide sustenance. It is incumbent on us to help the poorer communities,” says Shireen.
After opening their doors more than 45 years ago, Sanzaf is linked with 40 mosques in Mitchells Plain, over 30 in Athlone and in other areas such as Rondebosch, Wynberg and Bo-Kaap.
Sanzaf also serves mosques outside of Cape Town including Boland, West Coast and the Garden Route.