Stepping out for charity

City walkers from across the kingdom are stepping out for charity to help kick start the ‘Make a Difference this Ramadan’ community campaign, writes Mai Al Khatib.

GulfWeekly has linked up with Bahrain City Centre to back the mall’s initiative which encourages customers to donate everyday items that many people take for granted such as clothing, books, eye glasses and perishable food.

A special collection box has been placed in the mall to allow big-hearted readers to make donations.

Braving the baking summer sunshine and even some empty stomachs, members of the City Walkers group made no excuses to shy away from their weekly exercise routine once they had dropped off their contributions on the first day of the holy month.

Regular walker Beulah Roche, 65, an investor from Salmaniya, said: “This is a very good cause to help the poor and needy. It’s something really good. It was a great success last year and I was looking forward to this opportunity again to help those in need.”

Active housewife and mother-of-two, Ranjana Jaiswal, 45, from Hoora, always manages to find the time to join her City Walker’s group three-times-a-week and donates when she can. She is excited to finally be taking part in the campaign.

She said: “I wasn’t able to take part last year as I was away during summer but am glad that I am here to experience it this time around.

“It is a really good thing that they are doing to help those in need.

“I tend to donate whenever I get the chance. There are others that need them more than I do.”

Once the donations were made, the City Walkers were led away by an instructor for their regular keep fit routine.

Duaij Khalifa Al Rumaihi, senior mall manager, said: “We have seen a great start to the campaign thanks to the City Walkers.

“We hope it grows even bigger and better this year. Ramadan is a time to reflect on the lives of those who are less fortunate and the campaign is the perfect opportunity to reach out to those who need it most.”

This year the ‘Make a Difference this Ramadan’ community campaign in Bahrain will be working in conjunction with Al Noor Charity Welfare Society to support needy families in the kingdom.

The society was founded in 1997 by its president Shaikha Lamia bint Mohammed Al Khalifa to provide funding for educational and medical purposes to those in need alongside other initiatives such as helping to rebuild homes and caring for the elderly in the community.

The collection box is located on the ground floor of the mall near the customer service desk alongside the Al Noor booth. It offers information about the society and features a donation box to cover its various categories of services.

All perishable food will be forwarded to Al Noor’s headquarters in A’ali for distribution among needy families across the kingdom every Sunday.

All the other donations will be given to the society at the end of Ramadan.