JEDDAH, 16 September 2007 -- With less privileged people unable to afford new clothes for the coming Eid festivities at the end of Ramadan, the Al-Sawani Group has found a novel way to ensure the less well-off have new clothes this Eid.
The group has, for the second year in a row, launched its annual Ramadan charity campaign called "Kiswat Al-Eid" (Eid Clothing).
"We have decided to implement this campaign for the second year because of the great success we had with it the previous year. We are also looking forward to continuing this campaign for years to come," said Muhammad Hafiz, CEO of the Al-Sawani Group, speaking at a press conference at the Basateen Shopping Center.
He said that people in Ramadan are inclined toward giving charity and that when shoppers come to shop at Al-Sawani stores, collection boxes for used clothes will remind them of people who cannot afford to buy new clothes.
Clothes that are collected are washed, wrapped and sealed, and distributed by the Naqel Transportation Company to needy people as identified by the Islamic Relief Organization. The Al-Sawani Company collected around 80,000 items of clothing for all age groups last year. This year they aim to collect over 100,000 items of clothes and follow a similar technique to previous years.
"There will be boxes in all of the 400 Al-Sawani stores offering more than 30 international brands around the Kingdom. The clothes will be distributed late Ramadan and in the first days of Eid Al-Fitr," said Marwan Zawawi, commercial manager.
He said that the clothes look new once they are cleaned, sealed and packaged, and that many people donate new clothes.
Hafiz said that the Al-Sawani Group hopes that the initiative will be a starting point for other many other social activities in the future, which will benefit society as a whole. "This will emphasize our aim to highlight our group as a socially responsible organization in the community," he said.
By Lulwa Shalhoub
© Arab News 2007
