Young Derry Muslims raise £1.5k for Foodbank

The North West Islamic Association said they were “very proud of our youth” following the completion of the challenge.

A spokesperson said: “In the midst of the living cost crisis, they chose the Foyle Foodbank knowing how much demand it has.

“They did their bit and asked everyone to do his. And they raised an impressive £1,500 for such a worthy cause. Well done and Congratulations to all of them.”

A spokesperson for the Foodbank said: “Massive thanks to the young people of Muslim Youth North West Islamic Association for raising £1500 during Ramadan and for their ongoing support. The money raised will allow us to buy fresh food for those who come to us for support.”

The young people themselves explained the reasoning for their charity initiative. “There is an urgency that everyone comes to help their neighbors in the city. This Ramadan, we, a group of Muslim youth age 10-16 years old, are fasting the whole month and we would like to raise fund for a local charity cause. We choose the Foyle Foodbank, as it provides emergency food to people in crisis.”

They also explianed: “Ramadan is one of the holy months in the Islamic calendar. Kinda like lent but for Muslims. Muslims fast from dawn to dusk every day for a month. Whilst fasting, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking (even water), and generally try extra hard to be a better person. That means trying extra hard not to lose their temper, gossip, backbite or anything else.”

“It’s a form of worship where the idea is to get better at self-restraint (it’s like a workout for the soul) and to feel empathy for and really understand what it’s like for people around the world who may have a lack of food or clean water.”