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The community-driven OneHeartBahrain social media initiative aimed at spreading goodwill across the island through acts of kindness is running several Ramadan campaigns to help people in need throughout the holy month.
More than 100 big-hearted people have joined the caring campaign that is planning to donate thousands of fresh meals and grocery boxes full of non-perishable items to labourers and the less fortunate across the island ... and more volunteers and donations are welcomed by the philanthropic organisers.
“As a unity-focused goodwill movement, we are open to all different belief systems, cultures, races, and religions,” said Birthe van der Heijden, a social strategist and teacher in meditation practice who started the Instagram account in September 2019.
“We respect that all individuals have different traditions and values. It is important to accept each other in our uniqueness and embrace one another in our differences.
“The observing of Ramadan traditions encourages people to step into greater levels of compassion, understanding of the human need, sharing and charity. And, this is exactly what goodwill is about.
“It is both a state of mind and a way of life, where service or charitable practices and actions can be incorporated into our daily living - being there for another and actively doing something to help lift the lives of others.
“This is why Ramadan is actually the perfect opportunity for us to share and come together in this like-minded spirit of goodwill and giving.
“What we hope to achieve is greater levels of unity and oneness between different communities of Bahrain.”
This year the giving group is ramping up its efforts with a more co-ordinated approach to reach as many people as they can.
For example, the Chef & the Whale Café in Budaiya offered a food box donation for their cause for every breakfast that was purchased earlier in the week. OneHeartBahrain also has a drop-off box at the location for people to donate non-perishable items which the volunteers will later gather up and distribute to those in need.
The Almodina Restaurant also teamed up with the group to feed the less fortunate. They are preparing 6,000 fresh meals to be delivered to a group of 100 labourers for 30 days. The meals will be given twice-a-day, at Iftar and Sohoor.
“We encourage donations,” said Andrea Mocay, the OneHeartBahrain group operational facilitator who is the regional business development manager at Al Hilal Publishing.
“We have ambitious goals of feeding as many people as we can during the holy month of Ramadan and we can only do it through the generosity of the community.
“Ramadan after all is a month of introspection and devotion and only through solidarity and sharing you can reach your higher self. We want to touch as many underprivileged communities and make sure they are reminded there is kindness and generosity in the world and that are putting our best efforts forward to support them.”
The group will also be distributing 50 LuLu Hypermarket grocery boxes every week to people in group accommodation. One food box costs BD4 and can be purchased from the LuLu stores in Dana Mall and Atrium Mall.
For details, contact Dana Mall branch manager Shibu Abraham on 36560456, or Atrium Mall branch manager Anas N A on 36561216 to place an order.
On the last day of their Ramadan food distribution, which will take place at Eid, the group will stage a special activity planned for children-in-need and their families.
“In collaboration with Catopia Cat Cafe in Adliya, we are gathering secondhand and new toys which will then be handed out to children-in-need on this Eid day of celebration, alongside food boxes for the families,” added Andrea.
Toy donations are welcomed until May 5 and for details can WhatsApp the team co-ordinator Rajat Sachdeva on 39467348.
The team also works closely with The Bangladesh Society Bahrain and its general secretary Sabuj Milon. He said: “Usually I lead and manage different programmes to support financially distressed people of the community by arranging food, medical facilities and financial assistance in co-ordination with different sponsors,” said Sabuj who was with the team last weekend distributing food boxes.
“During this pandemic, we have served thousands of people in financial distress due to job loss. Last Ramadan, with the help of sponsors, we were able to distribute 33,000 packets of fresh food to people in desperate need.
“I feel really privileged that my organisation inspires me a lot to keep working for social development and provides me with every possible support to go the extra mile.”
Those wishing to volunteer can connect with @oneheartbahrain on Instagram or on Facebook or by WhatsApping Andrea on 33095283 or Sabuj on 33502322.
Andrea added: “We have a volunteering group called Helping Hands as well through which all the activities are being co-ordinated. This group is open for anyone to join at any time, even if it’s just for the Ramadan period.”
