Arpin Middle East, BGRS, and DASA International Movers joined forces to support the Ramadan Sharing Fridges initiative this past holy month at the Octane Car Service Centre in Al Quoz, Dubai.
Volunteers from the three companies packed and donated 500 food packs every Tuesday of the month of May and helped hand them out to the labourers in the area who queue up every day during Ramadan to receive meals to break their religious fast.
“This initiative is truly dear to our hearts and we are so happy to be participating for our second year,” said Lauren Inglis, Regional Director, Arpin International Group – Middle East & India. “We appreciate all that these skilled labourers do to maintain this beautiful city in which we are so fortunate to live and work. It’s been great seeing many of the same thankful faces once again this year.”
Financial assistance was provided by Arpin Strong to help its colleagues in Dubai with the initiative. The non-profit benefits those in need worldwide through its support of Arpin Group companies and its participation in charitable endeavors. BGRS also assisted with a donation from their staff.
This particular fridge, managed by Pam and Shak Shakil of Octane Car Service Centre, is only one of three in the most populated industrial areas in Dubai and feeds between 500-1,000 people a day. The labourers, who are working in 45-degree Celsius heat while fasting, were grateful to receive these packs to break their fast at around 7pm when the sun sets, known as Iftar.
The initiative started in 2016, when Australian expat, Sumayyah Sayed, put a refrigerator stocked with food and water on her front porch to serve the less fortunate labourers during the holy month of Ramadan. Within two years, her act of generosity had blossomed into a community movement. Today, her initiative, Ramadan Sharing Fridges, has 170 refrigerators and support from over 27,000 members who have joined the campaign through Facebook.
Photo: Volunteers packed and donated 500 food packs every Tuesday of the month of May.