PESHAWAR: Since 8th Ramazan, a group of 20 youth gathers near Deewar-i-Meharbani (Wall of Kindness) in Hayatabad to prepare food and drinks to be delivered to the fasting people on the go or those breaking fast on the roadside.

As the time of breaking fast approaches, beggars, vendors, labourers, taxi drivers and even passers-by can stop and break their fast with food generously offered by the youth. Long plastic mates with neatly served food and drinks are occupied by the fasting men of all ages and occupations.

Taxi drivers hurriedly park their vehicle on roadside to join around 250 others, who are all set to break their fast. The hosts show generosity by making space for them and quickly serving a plastic plate filled with Samosa, dates, rice and fruits. A glass of refreshing Rooh Afza is also given to everyone to break the fast with.

Some taxi drivers, who drive by slowly with a confused look at seeing so much generosity and scores of people sitting and eating, are also quickly handed some Samosas and dates to break the fast if they can’t stop to join.

Scores of people benefit from Iftar arranged by volunteers

“It’s a very good arrangement for the needy people,” said Amir Jan, who is a taxi driver. He cannot go to his home for breaking fast. He had been coming to this spot for the past so many days. “Food here is good,” he added.

Mohammad Tahir, an elderly beggar from Charsadda, had been coming to break his fast since the day the youth started giving out food at Iftar. He had been eating there for so many days that now he wanted the menu to change.

“I would like them to provide us roti and curry instead of rice sometimes,” said Mohammad Tahir.

As the call for prayers started, resounding from the nearby mosques, the roadside guests broke their fast with prayers for the hosts, who provide them with food and drink on a hot summer evening.

The young volunteers themselves broke their fast while standing, quickly taking a date and drink and then running to bring something to eat for those, who had emptied their plates.

“Charity begins at home, they say. We started buying food with our own pocket money. Everybody chipped in to buy food and serve Iftar here,” said Syed Waqar Akbar, who is a teacher by profession and member of an organisation called IM Volunteer, having more than 600 members.

The organisation is also holding another such public Iftar at Gulbahar locality of Peshawar City.

“Some 43 people, who gave us money and did not want to be named, have also contributed to this good cause,” said Waqar Akbar.

The taxi drivers, labourers, vendors and even attendants, who have brought their patients to the nearby Hayatabad Medical Complex, also come here for Iftar.

The young volunteers mostly teachers and students have joined hands to do a good deed of providing food to the hungry fasting people.

Abdullah, a young government officer living in the neighbourhood, also volunteered to serve drinks to the fasting people. The neighbourhood has also shown support for the youth’s kind initiative.

Shoaib Ghaffar, president of IM Volunteer, said that every year the organisation held one or two such big gatherings but that time they wanted to hold a daily event so that many people could get benefited.

“It is a student sponsored initiative but people who pass by and see us working also give us donations that we use to buy food for Iftar,” said Shoaib.

Nawab Ali, a labourer who had kept two dates in his pocket and held some tools used in construction, also decided to join in the roadside Ramazan feast.

“I hail from Nowshera and work here in Hayatabad. When I looked at the food I was tempted to stop and break my fast here,” said Nawab Ali. He added that it was not easy to fast in the hot summer and work too.

“God knows if I am lucky I would come back tomorrow again to break my fast here,” said Nawab Ali.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2016