Help the Hungry CAN-paign
Wessex Jamaat runs another successful Food Drive.
Homelessness and food poverty are dark and hidden secrets in the wider community today, and this summer whilst observing longer fasts of almost 18 hours a day during the holy month of Ramadhan 1435 A.H. (July /Aug 2014), the Wessex Jamaat members gained an insight on what hunger truly meant.
As part of their commitment to the ideals of the holy month of Ramadhan, the Sheikh Session Group of Wessex Madrasah launched the ‘Help the Hungry CAN-paign’ on 15th Ramadhan. This was the day of the wiladat of our beloved 2nd Imam Hasan Al Mujtaba (a.s,) and this felt particularly appropriate, as it was the Imam himself who offered his iftar on three occasions at the time of breaking fast. Therefore whilst the community conveyed their gratitude on having a delicious iftar – dinner – at the end of each day, they also realised that there are others not so fortunate.
Inspired by the words of wisdom from the noble Prophet Muhammad (saww) who stated, “One is not a believer who eats his fill while his neighbour is hungry,”
Khudayja Datoo, Fatema Nasser and Abbas Ali Moledina took lead for this year’s ‘CAN-paign’.
‘Help the Hungry CAN-paign’ was a driv
e to collect tins of food, toiletries and other necessities for distribution to the needy in the community. Members of the community, from the young children to their elderly grandparents, came together to raise funds and collect tins for the homeless and the needy.
Furthermore, the team accompanied by Sheikh Fazle Abbas Datoo, the Imam at Al Mahdi Centre, also spent time at the Basics Bank in Fareham to familiarise with its work and also volunteered to sort out the foodstuff.
One of the coordinators, Khudayja Datoo commented: “This was a very insightful trip because it puts us in the shoes of those who cannot afford food to eat - imagine walking through the door and having to ask for food; what a daunting and humiliating moment.”
The community came together supportively to raise approximately 600 cans of food items for donation. Each individual can was labelled with a gift message for the recipients with a hadith from Imam Ali, as their way of sharing the message of Islam. These gifts were handed over to the Fareham and Gosport Basics Bank on Saturday 13th September 2014.
Sheikh Fazle Abbas commented, “The month of Ramadan provides an opportunity for personal reflection and community building. In keeping with the teachings of Islam, it is gratifying that the Al Mahdi Wessex Jamaat has continued to sustain the Can-paign which is such an esteemed project benefitting our neighbours in the community. The young children to their elderly grandparents, by coming together to raise funds and collect the tins for the homeless and the needy, have put into action the true spirit of fasting in Ramadan. This is a blessing.”
On behalf of the Sheikh 
Sessions group, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed so generously and helped the project in whatever way they could. May all our joint efforts be rewarded in this life and the next, InshAllah.
We pray that, with this project, we have been able to put into practice the teachings of the Ahlul Bayt a.s. in reaching out to the needy in our community.
For more information on the Wessex Jamaat, Al Mahdi Centre, contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Or visit the website: www.almahdi.org.uk
Dated: 14th September 2014
Written by Khudayja Datoo and Fatema Nasser