18/05/2023
Our Founder & Trustee of Families Relief Sri Lanka Trust Saadiqa Fouz goes down memory lane....
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹..Where do I begin ...
To tell the story of our 8 year journey ....
The sweet compassionate story of feeding humanity....
Which fills all hearts .....donors volunteers and recipients alike......
How long will it last - we may not know ....
but making dua it would be till the stars all burn away...
providing good deeds to overflow - in our barzakhs...
and hopefully;
when we need it most...
To heavily fill our scales -the day when we answer to our Lord....
Who fills our hearts...
with compassion and mercy...
as we hold hands journeying to our LORD ..
👆Courtesy(partial) Andy Williams 🤪
Reminisces 8 years ago....
our story...how it all began
My cousin Khyre whilst visiting her daughter had volunteered her service at LANKA FOOD BANK Canada and conceived a brilliant idea to start one in dear ole Lanka👍🌹
But ideas don't materialise without action, and she was convinced that yours truly and dear hubby are the ideal persons to carry out such a project
Cleverly she obtained a few booklets from FB Canada and sent it across to us...
Browsing through ....it occurred to us the idea was great, but the concept would not suit Lanka
Nevertheless...having too much on my plate ... I shelved the idea until she returned to Lanka and bugged the living daylights out of me🤪😝 to start project
Yours truly found many excuses ...the most profound one being can't find volunteers who are dedicated as I did not want to over burden those handling Families Relief
But Khyre was relentlessly hounding me saying she has volunteers.... until I agreed to meet them
And on a bright sunny morning... during the first week of February 2015 we met ... 4 of us...Khyre, Sarah, Hazmi and Oliver😂....out of all of them Oliver admits being the least enthusiastic 😭....although hubby Farih was all geared for project
Nevertheless, Oliver not one usually to dampen spirits... discussed, and we decided to initially start with 50 packs...with Farih giving us the green light of his support with staff transport and all technicalities which motivated us to immediately draft an SMS and sent to all contacts the 4 of us had...and lo and behold...by the Mercy of Almighty Allah our SMS appeal snowballed so much that it seemed Colombo was taken by storm...by the slogan
"BUY 10 FOR YOU AND 01 FOR ME ...TO LANKA FOOD BANK GIVE"🎯
At that point although we had many inquiries.. some curious... some inquisitive and Alhamdulillah many genuine... although the donations were very few 🙈
But the good news was that many were willing to join the bandwagon as volunteers
The very next week I attended a meeting regarding the hijab day and there I was accosted by Mizli who had a suggestion regarding collection...
I invited her to join us along with Shameem, Shehara, Fihama Shemana and Suzi... with Rifka joining us later on
Then to my surprise the very next day...
I had a call from Zahra indicating her willingness to join us and now with the backing of this young dynamic team (Suzi is evergreen) Oliver was energised and sprang to action
End February...our first distribution What a memorable day it was🎯.. .(.oh what a circus🤸♀🤸♀ oh what a show)
confusion personified🙈
Believe it or not it took us about 3 hours to pack just 50 boxes then we (if I recollect correctly)... an entourage of about 4 vehicles with Farih's van taking the boxes....travelled to Mutuwal for distribution
And the distribution was done with such secrecy 🤫🤫🤫 that would put Bond to shame... reason - afraid of being mobbed 😂😂😂😂
and at this point I need to thank my super cousin Fareeza😉🌹 who gave me much needed backing on that day .. staying right through packing and distribution until we treated ourselves along with farih to a delicious biriyani and roast chicken at Buharis👏👏👏👏
Alhamdulilah....8 years on AR RAHMAN has blessed this project...with many joining in the capacity of donors volunteers and most importantly our recipients (who keep making dua for all of you)...
We have been climbing the ladder from 50 to hopefully 500 this month
Jazakallah khyrain donors for tolerating 5 years of requesting ...
bothering.😉..pestering 🤪...pleading😔 ....begging😫 and when nothing worked ... a bit of arm twisting as well 💪🦾...just to ensure that at least a few of the needy have food to eat at least for 2 weeks of the month..
For our dynamic committee it has been 8 year's of challenges ranging from insufficient funding especially when Oliver decides to increase the quantity of packs👏👏👏.. to grocers playing up with deliveries..
2 years back for Ramadan packs ... our grocer played up and we were challenged with the task of finding and purchasing 7500 kg of rice and that too in small 5 kg bags 🙃🙃🙃🙃😁😆 .. vividly remember how stressed the young ones were...told them life is boring without challenges 😂😂😂
Nevertheless, these challenges were all so
different to what Oliver was accustomed to... but it has all been such an interesting mix and totally fulfilling especially when we have feed back from recipients ....their experiences is another story to be told
A big Tribute to our volunteers who comprise of many individuals and youngsters from Rotaract Club ....who for the past 8 years have jettisoned their relaxing Saturday mornings to endure... lifting carrying ...sitting on low uncomfortable stools for packing whilst braving the burning sun and at times getting wet as well
A special tribute to Haaris....his dignified unruffled and silent 🤫 manner in handling the packs . Counting..dividing and having it all loaded for transport . ...
Nothing of this would be possible without the blessings of AR RAHMAN .... and the support of my dear hubby Farih ...who sacrifices his workday every month . .sometimes 2 days ...ensuring his staff is around to check and handle on all goods delivered...and all other technicalities to make sure packing goes on smoothly 🌹🌹🌹🌹
Please make dua that Food Bank continues till the day of Qiyama as a means of SADAQATHUL JAARIYA for all of us Aameen Ya Rabb
Much more spinning in Oliver's mind to pen but fingers protest and duty calls😔
Enjoy Pics of the our first day of confusion 👇
