Local Muslim community raise £3,000 for Foyle Foodbank during lockdown

Farzana Sharmin, Rabia Kar, Rashida Rauf and Fouzia Naz (absent from photo) from the North West Islamic Association were present to hand over a cheque for £3,000 to James McMenamin manager of the Foyle Foodbank. The donation, this year, was raised through a Ramadan charity fasting challenge on the NWIA Facebook and through other donations. DER2035GS - 027

Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, the North West’s Muslim community rallied for the fourth year in a row to raise funds during Ramadan.

In fact, they managed to raise the largest amount to date for the Derry facility, which helps local people and families of all backgrounds who find themselves in food poverty.

This year the money was raised via a Facebook fundraising appeal organised and run by members of the Association as well as through other donation.

Dr Zahid Bahli, chair of the North West Islamic Association, said he wanted to thank the entire community in the north west for pledging money to the appeal.

The Muslim community traditionally fast from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan and the altruistic nature of this time of year, when the hunger of others is contemplated, manifests itself locally in the challenge to support the foodbank.

Recent years has seen the wider community in the north west supporting the fundraising appeal, and this year was no different despite the lockdown.

Representatives from the NWIA handed over the proceeds to Foyle Foodbank manager James McMenamin on Tuesday, with the local foodbank describing the contribution of the Association as “amazing as always”.

“This is the most we have raised,” Dr Bahli said, adding that the Foodbank is important for every community in the town,perhaps more so than ever due to the economic fall out of COVID-219 impacting in more and more people.

“This year everything was locked down and the appeal went out over Facebook but the response has been very good,” he said. “Before lockdown started we set up a group within our organisation who were looking after people in isolation, communicating with them, leaving food outside their homes and this fundraiser was also set up.

“Ramadan was a very different experience this year. It’s always a very busy month, we all have fasting, prayers in the evening, we all see each other at the breaking of the fast, we all invite each other to the house, people go to family and friends, but this time we were all in our own houses.”

Dr Bahli said however that they were “very, very proud” to have raised £3,000 for the Foodbank, adding that it was a “good achievement” for the whole community.