Karachi charity distributes sahoor food to over 20,000 people daily

Volunteers of ‘Together We Can’ charity prepare suhoor meals in Karachi. (AN photo)
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Updated 29 March 2024
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Karachi charity distributes sahoor food to over 20,000 people daily

  • Together We Can, a registered charity, was founded in 2020 as a ration drive by friends from Pakistan and Dubai
  • Initiative started out by preparing 200 packets for distribution at sahoor, now it can go up to 35,000 daily

KARACHI: With a team of over 80 volunteers, the Together We Can charity in Karachi is pulling off the impressive feat of delivering free sahoor meals to at least 20,000 people daily in this southern Pakistani city, with generous donations and support from family and friends, the founder of the organization said.

The TWC, a registered charity, was set up in 2020 as a ration drive by a group of friends from Pakistan and Dubai to help the needy at a time when income streams had dried up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Besides the delivery of free food, the TWC has also set up 380 water pumps, over 30 solar-powered water tanks, and built 12 mosques in the impoverished Thar desert region in Sindh. The organization also provides medical assistance in far-flung areas of the province.

“TWC’s Ramadan journey started in 2020. People mostly focus on (providing) iftar meals and no one focuses on sahoor,” the charity’s president, Nurain Sheikh, told Arab News.

When it started, the initiative prepared 200 packets for distribution at sahoor.

“By the end of the first 30 days, (the number) went up to 5,000. The next year, we started with 5,000 only, and it ended at around 16,000 (to) 17,000 people. Now, as you see, we start with 20,000 only and it goes up to 35,000 (to) 38,000 (by the end of Ramadan). Last year, we roughly closed at 35,000.”

FASTFACTS

• Together We Can, a registered charity, was founded in 2020 as a ration drive by friends from Pakistan and Dubai.

• Initiative started out by preparing 200 packets for distribution at sahoor and it now goes up to 35,000 daily.

The number of food packets delivered depends on both demand and how many vans can be arranged to collect and drop off the meals in different neighborhoods of Karachi, Sheikh said. There is a focus on poor areas including Ibrahim Hyderi and Machar Colony.

“The areas have been chosen based on the circumstances of people residing there,” Sheikh said.

“Our own staff and other people we know tell us about the conditions they live in. Believe me, there is an area where when we distributed burgers or bun kabab, the children said, ‘What is this? Is this something to eat? We haven’t seen a burger before.’”




Volunteers of ‘Together We Can’ charity prepare suhoor meals in Karachi. (AN photo)

The charity drive is made possible by a network of friends, family and loyal staff.

“All of this work is done by our staff, their relatives, and the house help of our friends and families. All of our donors are also friends and family, friends of friends and friends of family,” Sheikh said.

Eighty volunteers, who form the backbone of the service, start working at 8 p.m. to prepare and pack the meals, and end at 4 a.m. which is around the time for morning Fajr prayers.

Though the volunteers are not paid for their work, Sheikh said they are rewarded daily “with a lavish dinner or some token of love and appreciation.”

The menu for sahoor includes biryani rice, water, fruit juices and bun kebab sandwiches, which comprise a shallow-fried spicy patty called shami kebab, omelet, onions and chutney served inside a bun.

“Every parcel has either water or juice, with compulsory nimco and either biryani or a bun kabab,” Sheikh said.

He said around 830 cartons of juice or water, with 24 bottles in each, are distributed daily.

“For biryani, around 75 kg of rice make 1,000 packets. A total of 1,500 kg of rice is used every day to make 20,000 packets of 300 grams each. In addition, we make 5,000 bun kebabs.”

Volunteers who have been working with the charity since its launch said the quantity of packs distributed has increased over the years.

“Earlier, the quantity for sahoor packs was small but it kept increasing with each year,” 30-year-old volunteer Mohammad Usman said.

“Now the setup has become huge. We really enjoy doing it. We distribute as well, we pack (it) and we don’t take any salary for this.”

“When I come back from my Taraweeh prayers, I come here and make bun kababs,” said Shahnaz Danial, a middle-aged community worker.

“Then we go to distribute them. I usually go to Civil Hospital or Jinnah Hospital where the people are quite poor … when I went to Civil (hospital) I was shocked to see that all the people were sleeping on the floor or footpath.”

 


Indian PM says Albanese re-election to strengthen ties

Updated 4 sec ago
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Indian PM says Albanese re-election to strengthen ties

  • India is expected to host a summit meeting of the Quad later this year
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Saturday on his general election victory, saying it would strengthen ties between the nations.
India has deepened defense cooperation with Australia in recent years as part of the Quad alliance with the United States and Japan, a grouping seen as a bulwark against China.
Modi said he looked forward to working together to “further deepen” ties with Australia and “advance our shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”
India is expected to host a summit meeting of the Quad later this year.
“Congratulations on your resounding victory and re-election... This emphatic mandate indicates the enduring faith of the Australian people in your leadership,” Modi said on X.
Albanese wooed Modi during a visit to Australia in 2023, referring to him as the “boss” during a massive rally of Indian-Australians.
Modi had earlier hosted Albanese in India, when they performed a lap of honor aboard a cricket-themed golf cart before a Test match, and bonded over their countries’ shared love of the sport.

Romanians vote in a presidential redo after voided election sparked deep political crisis

Updated 19 min 47 sec ago
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Romanians vote in a presidential redo after voided election sparked deep political crisis

  • The election redo is a crossroads moment for Romania as it seeks to restore its democracy and retain its geopolitical alliances
  • The decision to annul the election and the ban on Georgescu’s candidacy drew criticism from US Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and Russia, which publicly supported his candidacy in the rerun

BUCHAREST, Romania: Romanians are casting ballots Sunday in a critical presidential election redo after last year’s annulled vote plunged the European Union and NATO member country into its worst political crisis in decades.
Eleven candidates are vying for the presidency and a May 18 runoff is expected. Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT). Romanians abroad have been able to vote since Friday.
Romania’s political landscape was shaken last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first-round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.
Like many countries in the EU, anti-establishment sentiment is running high in Romania, fueled by high inflation and cost of living, a large budget deficit and a sluggish economy. Observers say the malaise has bolstered support for nationalist and far-right figures like Georgescu, who is under investigation and barred from the rerun.
While data from local surveys should be taken with caution, a median of polls suggests that hard-right nationalist George Simion will enter the runoff, likely pitting him against Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, or the governing coalition’s candidate, Crin Antonescu.
Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016, is running on a pro-EU “Honest Romania” ticket. He says Romania needs a president “who has the will and the ability to reform the system.”
Veteran centrist Antonescu, 65, has campaigned on retaining Romania’s pro-Western orientation, while Victor Ponta, a former prime minister between 2012 and 2015, has also pushed a MAGA-style “Romania First” campaign and boasts of having close ties to the Trump administration.
Another hopeful, Elena Lasconi, came second in last year’s first round ballot and is participating in the rerun. She has positioned herself as a staunchly pro-Western, anti-system candidate, railing against what she describes as a corrupt political class.
Distrust in the authorities remains widespread, especially for those who voted for Georgescu, a sizeable electorate that Simion has sought to tap into.
“The anti-establishment sentiment is not like an anarchic movement, but is against the people who destroyed this country,” Simion, who came fourth in last year’s race and later backed Georgescu, told The Associated Press. “We are not a democratic state anymore.”
Simion said that his hard-right nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party is “perfectly aligned with the MAGA movement,” capitalizing on a growing wave of populism in Europe after US President Donald Trump’s political comeback. AUR rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election, proclaims to stand for “family, nation, faith, and freedom,” and has since doubled its support.
The election redo is a crossroads moment for Romania as it seeks to restore its democracy and retain its geopolitical alliances, which have become strained since the canceled election fiasco.
The decision to annul the election and the ban on Georgescu’s candidacy drew criticism from US Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and Russia, which publicly supported his candidacy in the rerun.
The presidential role carries a five-year term and significant decision-making powers in national security and foreign policy.


Japan protests China’s airspace ‘violation’ near disputed islands

Updated 43 min 53 sec ago
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Japan protests China’s airspace ‘violation’ near disputed islands

  • The Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement released late Saturday that its vice minister lodged “a strong protest” with the Chinese ambassador to Japan
  • On the same day, China’s coast guard announced it had used a helicopter to “expel” a Japanese airplane from airspace around the disputed islands

TOKYO: Tokyo has lodged a protest against Beijing after a Chinese helicopter “violated” Japan’s airspace and four vessles entered its territorial waters around disputed islands.
The islands in the East China Sea — known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan — are claimed by Beijing but administered by Tokyo and are a frequent hotspot in bilateral tensions.
The Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement released late Saturday that its vice minister lodged “a strong protest” with the Chinese ambassador to Japan “over the intrusion of four China Coast Guard vessels into Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands” on the same day.
The vice minister also protested “the violation of Japan’s territorial airspace by a helicopter launched from one of the China Coast Guard vessels, strongly urging (China) to ensure that similar acts do not recur.”
Japan’s defense ministry said the helicopter flew within Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes on Saturday near the Senkaku islands.
“The Self-Defense Forces responded by scrambling fighter jets,” the ministry said.
Public broadcaster NHK and other local media reported that this is the first time a Chinese government helicopter violated the Japanese airspace off the disputed islands.
On the same day, China’s coast guard announced it had used a helicopter to “expel” a Japanese airplane from airspace around the disputed islands.
Liu Dejun, spokesman for China’s coast guard, said a Japanese civilian aircraft “illegally entered” the airspace of the islands at 11:19 am (GMT 0219) and left five minutes later.
Beijing frequently announces it has driven Japanese vessels and aircraft away from the islands, but Japanese officials have told AFP that Chinese authorities sometimes announce expulsions when none have occurred.
Unnamed Japanese officials told local media that Beijing was possibly reacting to a small Japanese civilian aircraft flying near the islands.
Chinese and Japanese patrol vessels in the East China Sea have routinely staged dangerous face-offs around disputed islands.
Tensions between China and other claimants to parts of the East and South China Seas has driven Japan to deepen ties with the Philippines and United States.


5 arrested in UK for ‘terrorism offenses’: police

Updated 04 May 2025
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5 arrested in UK for ‘terrorism offenses’: police

  • The men aged between 29 and 46 were arrested on suspicion of “preparation of a terrorist act”

LONDON: British police on Sunday said they had arrested five men on suspicion of “terrorism offenses.”

The arrests were carried out in London, Swindon and the Greater Manchester area and were related to “a suspected plot to target specific premises,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

The men aged between 29 and 46 were arrested on suspicion of “preparation of a terrorist act” and remain in custody, the police said.

“This is a fast-moving investigation and we are working closely with those at the affected site to keep them updated,” said Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism chief Dominic Murphy.

“The investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of enquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter,” he said.


Singapore’s long-ruling party wins another landslide in election boost for new prime minister

Updated 04 May 2025
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Singapore’s long-ruling party wins another landslide in election boost for new prime minister

  • People’s Action Party won 87 out of a total 97 seats. The opposition Workers Party maintained its 10 seats
  • PM Wong has appealed for a resounding mandate to steer trade-reliant Singapore through economic troubles

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s long-ruling People’s Action Party won another landslide in Saturday’s general elections, extending its 66-year unbroken rule in a huge boost for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong who took power a year ago.
The Election Department announced the PAP won 82 Parliamentary seats after vote counting ended. The party had earlier won five seats uncontested, giving it 87 out of a total 97 seats. The opposition Workers Party maintained its 10 seats.
The PAP’s popular vote rose to 65.6 percent, up from a near-record low of 61 percent in 2020 polls. Jubilant supporters of the PAP, which had ruled Singapore since 1959, gathered in stadiums waved flags and cheered in celebration.
A US-trained economist who is also finance minister, Wong’s appeal for a resounding mandate to steer trade-reliant Singapore through economic troubles following US President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes has hit home. The government has lowered its growth forecast and warned of a possible recession.
Wong, 52, said he was humbled and grateful for the solid mandate for the PAP. He acknowledged voters’ desire to have more alternative voices in government, but said a strong PAP team was needed to tackle challenges ahead.
“The results will put Singapore in a better position to face this turbulent world,” he said.
Eugene Tan, a law professor at the Singapore Management University, said the opposition’s failure to make further inroads after 2020 was a surprise. “Singapore voters played their cards close to their chest. Today, they indicated that their trust is with a party that has delivered over the years,” he said.
Wong succeeded Lee Hsien Loong to become the city-state’s fourth leader. Lee stepped down in May 2024 after two decades at the helm but remained in the Cabinet as a senior minister. His retirement as premier ended a family dynasty started by his father, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first leader, who built the former colonial backwater into one of the world’s richest nations during 31 years in office.

 

 

The PAP is seen as a beacon of stability and prosperity, but tight government control and the rising cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities also has led to growing unhappiness, especially among younger voters. Widening income disparity, increasingly unaffordable housing, overcrowding and restrictions on free speech have loosened the PAP’s grip on power.
The opposition says giving it a stronger presence in Parliament will allow a more balanced political system and greater accountability. But they face an uphill task, often hamstrung by a lack of resources, fragmented support and a lack of unity. Critics said gerrymandering also gives the PAP an advantage.
Pritam Singh, leader of the Workers Party, acknowledged it was a tough contest and vowed to continue the fight for a more balanced Parliament. “The slate is wiped clean, we start work again tomorrow, and we go again,” he said.
‘Bilateral defense and security ties’
The United States government offered its congratulations to Singapore and Wong.
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US and Singapore had shared a “strong and enduring strategic partnership and a commitment to a secure, free, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region” for almost 60 years.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the newly elected government and Prime Minister Wong to strengthen economic growth and our bilateral defense and security ties, which benefit Americans, Singaporeans, and others across the region,” Rubio said.
While the Workers Party failed to expand its presence, it had consolidated its support with increased share vote in some areas, said Southeast Asia political analyst Bridget Welsh. Other smaller opposition parties however, failed to make a breakthrough.
Welsh said voters opted for stability amid concerns over global volatility due to sweeping US tariffs. Wong’s more approachable leadership in engaging younger voters and efforts to renew PAP by bringing in about a-third of new faces also helped swung votes, she said.
“I call this the Wong and Trump effect,” she said. “The issue of economic insecurity really did reinforce his mandate.”