PESHAWAR: A group of young volunteers, arranging free Iftar on a roadside for the last five years at Saddar Chowk in Peshawar, has earned public appreciation.

Adnan Khan, provincial chief of Fix It, a not-for-profit organisation, said that he and his 50 active colleagues arranged free Iftar also called ‘Datarkhwan’ for poor labourers, daily wagers, children and women on a roadside in Peshawar Saddar on daily basis.

“There were more than 300 young volunteers. They are ready online to join them on our call whenever a need arises,” he said. He added that they provided free Iftar to poor students living in private hostels during Ramzan and they sometime helped the organisation in arranging the meal.

Adnan said that although the number of people remained fluctuating, yet more than 200 persons including children, women and elderly turned up at their free Iftar, which provided a sumptuous food variety along with cold drinks and fruit chaat.

He told this scribe that several volunteers pledged supply of food, fruits and other edibles as they appealed to donors always for food items and not for cash.

He said that the main objective of the initiative was to help out needy and poor people, who could not afford different food items for Iftar. There are daily wagers in different corners of the city who earn less than what they need to afford their two-time meal.

“We don’t demand money from donors rather we ask them to buy us food items for our free Dastarkhwan. There are people, who bring us food parcels. Some people wish to take food items home and our volunteers give them away packages for home,” said Asghar Ali, another volunteer.

Fix It has its own makeshift kitchen on roadside, cooking variety of foods relished by fast keepers. “Yes we have our own makeshift kitchen where our volunteers cook several kinds of dishes, cold drinks alongside fruits that our guests love to relish at Iftar. There is also a separate Dastarkhwan for women and children. Some visitors are even attendants with their patients in hospitals,” said Mansoor Akhtar, another volunteer.

Shah Wali Kaka, 59 from Bajaur tribal district, a daily wager, said that he could not earn enough to afford his Iftar and that’s why he showed up at free Iftar along with his three colleagues.

Adnan Khan told Dawn that his organisation would extend free Iftar to other cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Presently Nowshera is selected for arranging this initiative. It will be extend to the entire province,” he added.

He said that young people could contribute to such an initiative.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2023