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The caring crew from ‘A Box of Goodness’ are collecting toys to donate to children in need to help them celebrate Gergaoun, writes Mai Al-Khatib-Camille.
The traditional folksy festivity is usually celebrated on either the 13th, 14th or 15th of the Islamic calendar month of Ramadan and is believed to date back to the birth of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, Hasan ibn Ali.
The Prophet’s daughter, Fatimah, was said to have handed out coloured sugar cubes to people in celebration of her child’s birth and the spirit of joy and giving was then carried forth from generation to generation … which falls in line with the social media initiatives ethos of sharing is caring.
“We want to uplift the spirits of children and spread joy during this blessed month,” said Sri Lankan Malay Miranthi Dole, better known as Miro, who is the founder of the initiative.
The community champions are urging people to contribute new toys for children up to the age of 12. Bags of sweets are also acceptable. Canadian Kelly Kirkpatrick from Saar, who is handling the collections, added: “Thank you for your generosity and helping us make this holiday special for so many children in need.”
To contribute, there are drop-off points in Saar and Sanabis and the cut off for collection is on Monday to make the rounds by Tuesday which is Gergaoun.
For details, contact Kelly at 39303580 and follow @aboxofgoodness on Instagram.
