Dubai: Needy families have started approaching the Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) to collect Ramadan food coupons that the organisation is handing out.
The coupons can be redeemed for Dh300 worth of food products from any UAE branch of the Lulu supermarket chain.
PAD hopes to reach out to at least 1,000 families this Ramadan, up from around 850 families that it supported under the initiative in 2014 and roughly 600 families that received assistance in 2013. If the target is met, it would mean donors would have raised Dh300,000 worth of coupons by the end of Ramadan.
On Thursday, the first day of Ramadan, a few people visited the PAD premises in Oud Metha to collect the coupons — denominated in three Dh100-vouchers — as the annual drive was officially launched.
This year, the donations are being handed out in the form of coupons instead of the usual boxes containing a selection of food items. Coupons had been handed out in previous years too but they were only redeemable for a prepackaged selection of products. The packages included rice, cooking oil, flour, lentils, dates, sugar, clarified butter, tea and other items meant to last a month for an average family of four.
According to estimates made by PAD, the Dh300 coupons are likely to meet the basic Ramadan food requirements for an average family of four. Each Dh100 voucher in the overall Dh300 coupon can be used separately or all of them can be used together at once. They are now redeemable against all kinds of food products.
“We noticed that many families prefer to have the flexibility to choose what they want to stock for Ramadan and when they want to go shopping. They also feel less shy in coming forward to collect a coupon, which can be slipped inside an envelope, instead of picking up a box from us or at the supermarket,” PAD General Secretary Dr Faisal Ikram said.
Dr Ikram thanked Lulu and Dubai’s Community Development Authority (CDA) for their support as donors.
Saleh Al Mazmi, head of licensing at CDA, lauded the PAD’s initiative, saying it reflected the spirit of Ramadan.
Beneficiaries of the campaign also hailed the PAD’s effort. An emotional Pakistani recipient said the initiative was making a huge impact. “Because of the good work of [PAD], my family can enjoy a good iftar every day and I can see happiness on my children’s faces,” said the man who only gave his name as Khan.
Another recipient, a woman who identified herself as Farzana, added: “I would like to say a big thank you and I appreciate the fact that [PAD] is thinking of and helping needy families.”
Although most of the beneficiary families are Pakistani, residents of any nationality may contact PAD for the Ramadan food coupons. PAD officials have said they interview potential recipients and assess their situation when handing out the food coupons. The organisation already has some 850 recipients registered with it.
Dr Ikram said that PAD is also involved in a campaign to help prisoners unable to pay their airfare to return home and hence stranded in the UAE. “They have already served their sentence but are still inside [because they can’t afford a ticket home], or they have to clear a minor fine. PAD is coordinating closely with Dubai Police on the list of such cases and working with donors to help prisoners pay their fare and fly home,” he added.
All PAD welfare activities are CDA-approved, Dr Ikram said.
