Spreading festive cheer with free ‘iftar’ to the poor

After offering namaz at around 5 pm daily, the volunteers, who also observe fast, have been carrying the food packets on their bikes to distribute them to the poor for the last 27 days.

Using social media to raise funds for their initiative, a group of 40 Muslim volunteers has been distributing 100 ‘iftar’ packets daily to the fasting poor during the holy month of Ramzan here.

The food packets contain a pack of glucose biscuit, a banana, two dates, a snack and a 150-ml water bottle in Muslim localities in Gorakhpur as well as adjoining districts, including Maharajganj and Deoria. (HT Photo)

“Initially, members of the group began the work by contributing money from their own pockets. But as we kept updating our initiative on social media, help started pouring in, with many coming forward to contribute. So far, we have distributed 4,000 iftar packets costing about ₹55,000, out of which ₹30,000 was donated by our group members while another ₹25,000 came from social media,” says 26-year-old Yusuf Wahab, an LLB student behind the idea.

After offering namaz at around 5 pm daily, the volunteers, who also observe fast, have been carrying the food packets on their bikes to distribute them to the poor for the last 27 days.

The food packets contain a pack of glucose biscuit, a banana, two dates, a snack and a 150-ml water bottle in Muslim localities in Gorakhpur as well as adjoining districts, including Maharajganj and Deoria.