`Rice, tea, basil seeds’: Local charities light up poor man’s Ramzan in Kashmir

Srinagar: Loss became a permanent feature in their lives when a family from Sopore town of Baramulla district lost all the bread earners during the pandemic.

“The loss of loved ones coupled with a loss of livelihood reduced the once “well-off” family to penury. All that is left are widows struggling to run the household. They recently approached us for help and we got them registered,” a volunteer from noted Srinagar-based Charity Athrout said.

This is not an isolated case. Post pandemic, many such families in Kashmir are struggling to make ends meet. While several families lost their bread earners to Covid-19, many people lost their jobs. Subsequently, they have skipped Ramzan shopping due to their financial issues.

However, local NGOs are pitching in in these desperate times. They have started distributing ration and special food kits to the needy and underprivileged so that their holy month goes uninterrupted.

Under Ramadan project 2022, Athrout, a Srinagar-based charity organization is working in close coordination with 13 local NGOs across the valley to reach out to deprived families.

Chairman of Athrout, Bashir Nadwi said they have around 1000 families registered with the charity organization. “We are already offering financial and medical help to the underprivileged. Besides, we have distributed around 500 Ramadan ration kits among them so far,” he said.

He said this year, the month of Ramadan is bittersweet as many people affected by Covid-19 are fighting poverty and vagaries of life to survive.

“Therefore, in addition to the ration kits, we are also distributing Ramadan special kits to 900 households. The kit includes staples like rice, oil, salt tea, tea, turmeric powder, chili powder, saunf powder, dates, basil seeds (Babri byol), sugar, and semolina (sooji),” he said.