ABU DHABI // An impoverished Muslim community in Cambodia is having free iftar meals throughout Ramadan, thanks to the generosity of more than 20 Emirati donors.
More than 1,000 Chams Muslims, who live along the banks of the Mekong River, survive on less than Dh7 a day, making them among the most vulnerable people in the capital Phnom Penh.
KungFuture, a small British NGO, has been working to help the community since 2012. It recently drew the attention of donors in the UAE who agreed to fund a large prayer and iftar gathering for 800 families.
“The UAE has always been very giving,” said Ben Geodjenian, KungFuture’s founder and chief executive.
“They are giving in the right place. When we started our work I approached some friends in the UAE, and their response has been humbling.
“Emirati donors don’t want a reward or publicity out of this. They just want to support the less fortunate.”
Mr Geodjenian and his team sought to improve the community’s living conditions, with an emphasis on overall family well-being. This included enrolling children into schools, providing meals and access to healthcare.
“I happened to stumble upon this Muslim community that was living in very bad conditions,” said Mr Geodjenian. “We work with very poor communities in Cambodia but the Muslim community, we believe, is the worst off.
“For various reasons, not many international NGOs were willing to support them.”
He said most of the families were illiterate and their children were not attending school.
“School involves paying for uniforms, books and a teacher fee, so they just wouldn’t go,” said the NGO chief.
“Children were collecting trash on the streets and there were several cases of typhoid, dysentery and even polio.”
Since donations from the UAE began flowing in, KungFuture has been able to send 200 children to school and addressing their families’ health issues.
“We have started providing food packs every month and have a doctor and nurse on hand to deal with illnesses in the elderly, orphans and pregnant women,” said Mr Geodjenian. “In fact, we managed to have five successful childbirths. Without the support these women were dying.”
The Emiratis’ generosity has helped to pay for a significant amount of food.
“Their donations help us to provide 2,000 kilograms of rice and eggs, 8,000kg of fruit every week and nearly 2,000 cartons of milk, and sweets for the children,” said Mr Geodjenian.
“So it’s a pretty big operation and all because of the kindness of UAE donors.”
According to KungFuture, Dh314 a month can support a family of four with food parcels, shelter and medical and emergency aid. Sending a child to a state school costs Dh79 a month.
Hind, an Emirati donor, has been working with KungFuture for several years and persuaded her family and friends to become involved.
“It’s a small organisation but the scale of what they are trying to achieve is very impressive,” said the 34-year-old resident of Abu Dhabi.
“I believe in the work they do, especially with children. Their efforts to educate them, involve them in sports and martial arts programmes and keep them safe is commendable.
“As Muslims, we grow up learning to care for others, especially those less fortunate than us. I really want other people to think that way, too. Ramadan is a good time to start.”
Mr Geodjenian said more charitable collaborations were necessary to lift such communities above the poverty line and help them to gain self-sufficiency in the long run.
“The Emiratis we work with see that this is much deeper than simply giving money,” he said. “They understand the human dimension to what we are doing. That, to me, is very important.”
Donations to KungFuture can be made at www.kungfuture.org.
aahmed@thenational.ae