UAE: How an Indian diaspora group ran a giant iftar tent in Sharjah

Sharjah: At a Ramadan tent in the Rolla area of ​​Sharjah, a team of volunteers served iftar meals to nearly 1,500 people to end their daily fast this Ramadan.

It’s the second Ramadan month after it was suspended for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and volunteers from Indian diaspora community organization Kerala Muslim Cultural Center (KMCC) in Sharjah are running a tent for blue-collar workers and others Serving bachelors who are employed in the area.

The head of the KMCC office in Sharjah said they are grateful to the government of Sharjah for restoring iftar tents after the pandemic.

“This time, we are the only community organization that has been licensed by the Labor Standards Development Authority (LSDA) and the Sharjah Municipality to operate such an Iftar tent after all COVID restrictions are lifted,” said Nissar Thalangara, UAE KMCC Treasurer.

Other iftar tents in the emirate are run by charity organizations, while other approved community organizations are distributing iftar in labor accommodation and mosques, he said.

“During COVID, we used to deliver prepackaged iftar meals to our door. We are happy to now be able to operate tents without the COVID restrictions,” Thalangara said.

Abdullah Chelery, acting president of KMCC Sharjah, said the LSDA allowed the organization to operate an Iftar Tent called “Sharjah KMCC Iftar Tent” behind the NMC Hospital near the Rolla clock tower after a successful Ramadan demonstration by volunteers last year.

“Because of the pandemic, LSDA split the iftar tent in two last time. This year, LSDA set up a bigger tent in the same area. So, now everything is under one roof.”

Mujeeb Rahman, acting general secretary of KMCC Sharjah, said the organization coordinated with individual sponsors and corporate companies in Sharjah and Dubai to source food for the iftar distribution.

“We have several charities supporting this initiative. Some companies provide fruit and water, while others help us obtain other raw materials to prepare iftar meals.”

The Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) is also a major supporter of the initiative, providing free water and electricity connections to air-conditioned tents.

By around 4:30 p.m., people started queuing outside the huge tent that can hold more than 1,000 people. However, enthusiastic volunteers arrived at the venue in batches starting at 2.30 pm, and left after breaking the fast and cleaning up the entire tent.

Zakeer Kumbala, who is in charge of KMCC volunteers, said about 120 volunteers spent hours making sure that the iftar distribution was carried out smoothly and systematically.

Each iftar box contains chicken biryani, dates, fruit, juice and water. KMCC has authorized five kitchens approved by the Sharjah Municipality to prepare biryani. By 3.30pm, the cooked food arrived at the tent and was packed by a team of volunteers.

One team of volunteers packs biryani and another cleans, cuts and packs fresh fruit and dates.

Kumbala said there were also three groups of volunteers for security and crowd management, for iftar services and post-break cleanup.

“Everyone wears a uniform green T-shirt with the KMCC Sharjah and LSDA logos on it. However, each category of volunteers has a different color for the sleeves and collars according to the duties assigned to them,” he explained.

Kumbala, himself head of logistics and administration, said volunteers come from all walks of life.

“We have professionals like engineers, government and private sector employees, shopkeepers, etc. They have been assigned duties as they can be reached, based on their office hours during Ramadan.

“While most of them are experienced in managing iftar tents, he said KMCC also made sure to train new volunteers in each type of work.

“Some of the volunteers also bring their children who are interested in this noble cause. We have some young students who are helping with their parents to distribute Iftar. We want to encourage them so they can inspire others too,” he added road.

Hundreds of people were still queuing outside the tents once they were at full capacity. “We try to provide meals for everyone who comes in,” Kumbala said. “The volunteers feel more comfortable this time around because we don’t have restrictions on wearing masks, temperature checks and social distancing like last time.”

The tent also hosted senior officials from various government ministries in Sharjah, who addressed the participants.