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Saturday, May 27, 2017
Dubai: The community-based initiative ‘Ramadan Sharing Fridges’ is back this year, with over 60 fridges registered across Dubai to date.
The initiative started last year with a single resident setting up a fridge and distributing food and drink donations to those in need in her community. Soon after, it became a sweeping sensation that involved thousands of volunteers across four emirates.
This year, a team of 13 Dubai expats are licensed to organise the initiative while operating under the Red Crescent umbrella.
“Last year, we grew organically and we weren’t expecting such a great response from the public as we had finished Ramadan with over 170 across four emirates. Today, just a few days before Ramadan starts, we have almost 60 fridges registered and we are expecting more to join as we enter Ramadan,” said Australian-Afghan Sumayyah Sayed, creator of the ‘Sharing Fridges group’ on Facebook.
The registered fridges are located across various Dubai communities, divided into 10 zones. The zones cover most of the emirate from old Dubai, Garhoud and Mirdif to Al Barsha, Marina, and Jebel Ali.
“We are an initiative built on the kindness and goodness of the UAE residents and any number is welcome. The important thing for us is to ensure those fridges are filled as much as possible,” highlighted Sayed.
She pointed out that people can drop their food and drink donations at any of the fridge locations displayed on the Google Map posted on the initiative’s Facebook page.
“Our ultimate mission is to provide access to free food and drinks in every community through the donations of individuals and to promote one community where everybody belongs,” added Sayed.
Another organiser, Dubai resident Anne Mulcahy, from France told Gulf News that residents are encouraged to donate foods and drinks such as fruits and vegetables, juices, water, soda, laban, and dry fruits.
“For food safety reasons, we are not accepting any hot and/or pre-prepared food in our fridges. It is also important to ensure that food is portioned so that the workers can easily help themselves,” she said.
Residents interested in joining the initiative and setting up a fridge, must seek approval from their building management before reaching out to the ‘Ramadan Sharing Fridges’ group to register. “Once they are all set, we list the fridge on the map to make it easy for donors to find. Then it is up to each fridge manager to fill the fridge,” explained Mulcahy.
She further pointed out the success of the initiative relies on donors as fridges empty very fast and continuously need to be refilled. Volunteers must manage the supply of food in their fridges, while residents are encouraged to regularly donate to the nearest Ramadan fridge locations to support the cause.
Five schools in Dubai have also joined the 2017 Ramadan Fridges initiative, by committing to installing Ramadan fridges, with many more lined up to join. The schools, which have set up a fridge are the Horizon School, Dubai British School, North Anglia International School, Victory Heighs Nursery and Mirdif Private School.
“The overall purpose of the Ramadan Fridges is to initiate and promote a community initiative throughout the month of Ramadan, which will allow individuals to share free food and refrigerated drinks with our community workers, thus reinforcing the sense of togetherness during the holy month,” added Mulcahy.
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10 zones
Ramadan Sharing Fridges will stretch across 10 zones in Dubai and over a dozen communities:
Marina, Palm & Sufouh1
Sports City, Ranches & Surrounds2
Emirates living — JVC and the Springs
Umm Suqeim & Jumeirah
Al Barsha, Al Quoz & Downtown
Meydan, Silicon Oasis & Surrounds6
Garhoud to Mirdif
Old Dubai
Al Ghusais & Al Mizhar
Jebel Ali and DIP
By Jumana Khamis Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.
