Monday, August 1, 2011

Ramadan and The Horn of Africa.

    Today marks the first day of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calender and celebrated by Muslims the world over. Muslims abstain from food and drink (as well as things like smoking) from dawn till dusk everyday during this lunar month. The purpose of the month-long fast is to make people count their blessings and  empathize with those less fortunate by experiencing-if only for a few hours- how they feel everyday without food and water.

     This year, perhaps more than others, this should resound with us more. There is-as you no doubt know- a famine in the horn of Africa. Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are suffering through a drought which has destroyed crops and wiped out entire herds of animals that people rely on for their livelihood and as a source of food and as such has killed thousands so far and will doubtless claim thousands more before the worst is over. Some Somalis have walked for days -some up to a month- in a bid to leave their war-torn country where aid agencies can not operate and reach the refugee camps in neighbouring Kenya. Many don't make it.

    We're without food and water for a few hours, safe in the knowledge that once the sun goes down we can eat and drink as much as we like and that it's only for a certain number of days. They don't know if they'll ever get a meal again.

      So please, whether you're fasting or not please, please take the time to click on this link Donate to Oxfam and give anything you can to help. You could actually help save a life and you can do it without leaving your house. 

3 comments:

  1. It's very touching. We clearly have enough food to go around if it was distributed properly. There is so much waste in America. I've traveled a bit--although I've not been to all the places I want to visit--and it's rare to see so much food and so many usable goods thrown away in Central and South America for instance.

    Your message is a very important one. I wish you a blessed Ramadan.

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  2. Thanks Bccmee, it's true that we waste far too much food, especially in the West where people take sell-by dates literally. Usually if something is in the fridge or freezer it will last a while after that date.

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  3. The US government and the American people do a lot to help those in need around the world. We send food and money to African countries - it's what their government does with the money and supplies that the problem.

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Add your tehina or mushy peas here!