Supporting a worthy cause

THE Feed the Need food crusading project has been making a difference for more than four years and GulfWeekly is urging its family of readers to back the cause during the holy month.

The campaign was initially started by Australian expat Michelle Bailey, a psychologist and coach, and has grown to attract thousands of supporters.

Editor Stan Szecowka said: “We always receive a tremendous response from readers to our community campaigns and I’m positive we can make a real difference once again by supporting Feed the Need, a charity that works relentlessly with other charities and community groups to ensure that no-one around the island goes hungry.”

The mother-of-two had experience in welfare situations having worked in the sector back home for around 20 years, including being part of an eight person team that developed and trained managers across Australia.

Michelle, co-owner of EMEA Business Development, said: “Food waste is a global problem. I also fully appreciate the tremendous effort that goes into producing food as I grew up on a farm.

“In Bahrain, I saw many people in need and thought the quickest, easiest way we could help would be to share. I was simply motivated to share the excess many of us have and often let go to waste.”

According to official studies, GCC countries stand out among the world’s top generators of food waste. Generating more than 150 million tonnes of municipal waste per year, this statistic is expected to rise in the coming weeks.

As for food wastage in the kingdom, the Bahrain’s Supreme Council for Environment Waste Disposal stated that food waste is expected to exceed 500 tonnes per day during the holy month.

In May 2014, Michelle placed her first fridge outside of Hi Mart 24-hour supermarket on Saar Avenue which her daughter, Layla, who is now 10, had paid for using her saved pocket money and birthday gift cash.

Since then, the organisation has installed 20 fridges around Bahrain as part of the initiative and they are being filled with rice, milk, cheese, bread, fresh fruit, plus other supplies.

Low paid expat workers and local families going through hard times benefit from the community campaign.

The movement has attracted more than 11,000 community members on its Facebook social media group supporting the cause and some have travelled across the causeway from Saudi Arabia to donate. Many holiday-makers from Europe visiting family and friends have stepped in to help too.

Over the years, the group of like-minded volunteers and children have provided more than 20,000 cooked meals and five tonnes of grocery items to those in need in Bahrain.

And, Feed the Need started in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia 18 months ago and Dubai has started opening similar Ramadan fridges over the holy month.

“It’s such a simple idea and we have made it easy for people to give,” Michelle added. “I also run a garage sale from our home in Saar where people donate items and we raise money for food. Every month what hasn’t sold is packed up and given to those in need.”

This year for Ramadan, Michelle and her team of volunteers, which also includes her husband Riyaz Jivanjee who is the co-founder of the project and co-owner of the EMEA business, will be launching a Food Drive on May 26 and are also hoping to start a Food Bank.

Michelle said: “Ramadan is a time for reflection, intensive worship, giving charity, purifying one’s behaviour and doing good deeds.

“Fasting is also a way of experiencing hunger and developing empathy for the less fortunate and appreciation for all we have. To experience hunger, we can easier identify with those that go hungry every day of the year here in Bahrain.

“This Ramadan we are having our first Food Drive. Children had asked for a project that they could do themselves and run with minimal interference from adults.” 

Alosra stores have allowed them to set up table and chairs inside their stores. Children are able to talk to customers about the campaign and collect food donations. A responsible adult sits with them, or nearby to supervise.

Similar events have seen children as young as three take part and as many as 200 volunteer over the last four years. “This has enabled us to fill fridges twice a day over that weekend,” said Michelle.

Michelle would like to start a Food Bank which would act as a collection point for dry goods that are donated, usually because they have a short shelf life. This bank could act as a conduit to all charities and people working with the poor and disadvantaged every day.

‘End Waste – End Hunger’ is the campaigner’s battle cry. “The food that cafés and restaurants throw away every day is perfectly good and can nourish those in need,” she said. “We would like to create a service that could collect this fresh food and deliver it the same hour to the hungry.

“Our supporters donate groceries into our fridges every day and they have donated up to 5,000 meals in past Ramadan months. This Ramadan, the Marriott group of hotels has pledged 1,000 hot meals and we are hoping more hotels will jump on board.”

AWAL Gulf has also donated another three refrigerators this year and they have replaced those that needed repair.

Michelle said: “I’ve donated almost five years of my life to this project and I want to establish something Bahrain can be proud of, that is sustainable and can be run by both Bahraini and expats alike for the benefit of our beautiful country.”

l People can contact Michelle on 39627883 to donate hot meals and other food can be donated at any time to any of the fridge locations. To find out the locations, visit www.feedtheneedbahrain.com