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| The Camp |
The stark compound is bathed in the fading sunlight. The cream colored containers blend with the sand
into a monochromatic landscape. It is very still on the island with only the movement
a mild gulf breeze breaking the searing heat of the day.
I see a few men dressed in shalwar
kameezs (baggie trousers and long tunics) and lungis (sarong like skirts) waiting
around the gate entrance with wary anticipation as we position our cars full
of food and gifts just up the hill from the camp. My welcoming wave receives no
like response. I admit that this makes
me apprehensive. What if we don’t have enough for everyone? What if we've
brought the wrong food? What if they
don’t come for our gifts?
 |
Volunteer Farooque Rao assists the men to
line up to receive their Iftar dinner and gifts. |
It is the last Friday of
Ramadan and the
Al Reem
Ramadan Charity Project is delivering its first Iftar dinner and gift
package to the 250 men living in a labor camp on
Al Reem Island in
Abu Dhabi,
UAE. Just three short weeks before, through
emails and flyers, I began gathering generous souls to help. My goal was to
fund one
Iftar dinner (the celebratory evening meal during Ramadan) and give the
men a gift bag of 5-6 essential personal items and food. (The team so over
achieved this goal!)
 |
Mark Fuller, Graham & Vicki Eveille and
Govind Ayyappan assemble gift packages. |
Ramadan is the Muslim holy month of spiritual renewal,
fasting, family gatherings and alms giving. During this holy time many acts of
compassion and generosity are performed. The past two Ramadans, while living in
Dubai, I joined in the
Adopt A Camp
program to help provide and assemble 5,000 gift packages for various labor
camps. These “care packages” contained personal hygiene products, clothing,
bedding, and food items.
 |
Emily Howells, Csilla Fodor, Nargis Jhetam, Iman,
Hibo Osman assemble gift packages. |
This past April, we moved to a beautiful apartment on
Al Reem Island in
Abu Dhabi. From our living room we have a stunning view of the gleaming
turquoise
Arabian Gulf and the expansive
bridge crossing to
Saadiyat Island.
From my kitchen window I have an unadorned view of a men’s labor camp. Six
containers stacked two high with 6 doors each housing 250 men. A meager sand
yard and two nondescript buildings complete the very small compound that is defined
by a corrugated steel fence.
 |
| One of the gift packages. |
Six days a week, in the
intense Abu Dhabi heat, I see the men in their blue overalls with
heads wrapped in scarves, as protection from the blistering sun and sand, trudge
across the street to build another new luxury apartment building. These men
have left their homelands of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to work and earn
money to send back to their families. It is hard to believe that this life is a
better option for them and their loved ones. It must be hard for the families to be separated during holy month of Ramadan.
“You can do this,”
I say to myself. “So what if you only
know three people in Abu Dhabi. You’ve seen the outpouring of generosity from
Muslims and non-Muslims alike during Ramadan and you know the first rule of
fundraising - you have to ask. And, if you don’t do it, who will?”
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| Nicole Dobrata helps distribute gift packages. |
My husband Roger is less convinced but promises to fill in
any shortages.
My anxiety lifts on day number ten.
AngelWesley, founder of
Labor Of Love an informal group that assists laborers, informs me she has a donor for the
Iftar dinner,
Tamquest Events/Media.
Tamquest‘s
Smile on the Face program
to help laborers also commits to shampoo, hand wash, water, chips, and more. I tally the other commitments I
have for the package and realize with immense gratitude we have a program!
But it
doesn't stop here.
 |
| Dan Taylor wishes Ramadan Kareem to the men. |
Over the course of the next two weeks the generosity of
people in Abu Dhabi is overwhelming.
BabS Klyn from
Feel Great Helping and
Cause Connect post my flyer on their
volunteer web sites and
BodyTree, my
Pilates studio, posts the notice and provides a drop off point for contributions.
Very soon the donations outgrow our guest bedroom, seep down the hallway, take
over the dining room and pour into our living room.
Did I mention that Roger is a saint?
 |
| Dan Brown and Vicki Eveille hand out Iftar dinners. |
In all, this incredible band of 100+ volunteers fund and
deliver four Iftar diners valued at AED 10,000 ($2725) and four gift bags
containing a total of 34 pieces of food and personal items with an
estimated value of AED 31,000 ($8447).
This band of volunteers are a virtual United Nations representing
many countries and many beliefs - Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others, all
who put aside their political and religious differences to come together for a humanitarian
cause. It is inspiring. That it is happening in a region of the world so full
of conflict is a real testament to the generosity of the individual and our
deep respect for one another.
What comes to mind is
MargaretMeade’s famous quote, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever
has."
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| Nina Brown helps our littlest volunteer Levi Steele! |
I do want to express my unending thanks to the residents,
the management and maintenance crew of
Amaya Towers for the donations, the assistance with assembling the gift bags and
the endless trips up and down the elevator carrying boxes of goods. I am also so
grateful to
Abdel, the camp manager,
who was so patient with my question and saw to it the men arrived on time. Also,
thanks to
Mabadala Development Company, Waitrose, Mafraq Hospital, ParsonsParsons, and
Popular Popcorn for their generous corporate support. But the real heroes of
the project are the
regular folks who
reached into their wallets to share their abundance with others less
fortunate.
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| The perfect thank you. |
As we are about to leave, volunteer
Vicki Evielle waves to the small of men gathered in the yard.
“Look,
they are waving back at us.”
This simple gesture
creates a very heartfelt moment – what a perfect thank you.
We all wave back.
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