Charity needs no occasion

Ever wondered about the charity supply chain? Or even its logistics? Charitable activities heat up during Ramadan, Fahad A Rahman Bin Sultan with the UAE Red Crescent

Ramadan, being a time for introspection, for cleansing one’s soul and for peace, is also a time for giving. It is a month in which piety, asking for forgiveness and charity are advised in abundance. These are things to be done all year, but the month comes with a mission to make people mindful of these qualities.

The UAE’s Red Crescent Authority speeds up its activities of spreading cheer, peace and charity in Ramadan, but that does not mean they are idle at other times. Ramadan or not, their logistics office in Jebel Ali Free Zone is a full house.

And Fahad A Rahman Bin Sultan, Manager, Red Crescent Humanitarian Logistics Centre, Dubai, is at the centre of this.

But he’s not complaining. In fact, he might have more job satisfaction than anyone else in Dubai, as his days are full of stories of goodwill. “Working in charity, there is no pressure,” he says. “You do your job because you are driven out of the peace that comes from seeing someone in need happy. It’s selfish.”

“We are here because of the donors,” he continues. “There is so much good in this world, it cannot be expressed.”

His team starts preparing for Ramadan two months in advance. “Usually, we have some very rich people who approach us who want to have Ramadan tents providing free iftar daily for everyone,” he says.

Bin Sultan’s office then takes it from there, contacting restaurants and tent suppliers, scouting for suitable locations to set up the tent, as well as sources of electricity, furniture and carpets. When the Red Crescent has the final cost of the iftar, they contact the donor who provides the financial backing. An iftar meal for one person costs about AED15 (US$4). A tent generally feeds thousands daily.

“You don’t have to provide a tent, we are here for donors from all walks of life,” says Bin Sultan. “If you want to donate a meal for one person or 10, it is up to you.”

For the convenience of all, the Authority provides drop boxes at supermarkets and malls, so anyone can give whatever they are comfortable giving. At different locations volunteers collect money for iftar, zakat (financial support), sponsoring an Eid meal, or Eid clothes.

“Our government helps out a lot, too,” says Bin Sultan. “They’ve provided us with unlimited supplies of air conditioners and fridges to provide to those who need them to beat the summer heat. There are a lot of people who are not exactly needy but this kind of assistance helps. In the charity business, we have to be careful of recognising who the real needy person is, as a lot of people approach us. To establish the truth, we do our own research, of course.”

UAE Red Crescent Authority helps in times of crisis and provides general aid

The UAE Red Crescent also does work outside the UAE. “We have been given directives by the government to prepare to send supplies two months in advance, things such as dates to surrounding Muslim and non-Muslim countries such as India, Yemen, Africa and other Middle Eastern countries, as all have Muslim populations,” says Bin Sultan.

The Red Crescent charters planes in times of crisis, but also to transport Ramadan essentials. “Chartering works out to be a better solution for us rather than having our own air crafts,” he says.

What about unavailability of flights when a disaster strikes and there is a worldwide rush to provide aid to the needy country? “We do not wait,” says Bin Sultan. “The minute there is an appeal from a country, we move in any way we can. If there are no commercial flights available, then we send a few of our volunteers with cash to the strife-affected region. There we start buying the necessary items and distributing. Within three to four days when we get a flight available, we have another delegation go over with more essentials.” But they have a different modus operandi when the disaster struck country does not appeal for help. “Recently, when there was an earthquake in Sichuan, China, they did not appeal for three to four days,” says Bin Sultan. “In cases like this, we can do nothing. In crisis when countries don’t appeal, it could be because they think they are capable of handling the repercussions themselves or they are so overwhelmed they do not know what to do.”

Eventually, the Red Crescent approached the Chinese government with support and were accepted into the country. “The disaster-affected area was in the mountains so it was also a logistical nightmare to reach it,” says Bin Sultan. “The existing roads had collapsed.”

During the Southeast Asian Tsunami, the Authority was flooded with offers of support by UAE residents. Even people with very few clothes washed the few pieces they had, packed them and brought them to the logistics office to be sent to the affected areas, says Bin Sultan.

A shipping company offered its services free of cost, another company supplied around 75 to 80 containers and yet another offered its staff members to sort and pack all items to be sent. All this help resulted in about a 1,000 tonnes of aid.

Over the years, experience has led the Red Crescent team to keep warehouses stocked with essentials like non-perishable food products, mattresses, tents, blankets and to also have enough trained volunteers on their files. This prevents them from wasting time looking for supplies and manpower in times of disasters.

Bin Sultan says that the location of their logistics centre in Jebel Ali is crucial as it provides close proximity to all airports (approachable in about an hour). With Dubai World Central, things will get even better. The Jebel Ali office also provides close proximity to factories of essentials, making it easy to purchase large stocks. The same applies to their warehouse in Abu Dhabi.

HELP OUT

The UAE Red Crescent Authority accepts donations at any of their branches in all seven of the emirates. Those interested in donating their time can also fill in volunteer application forms.

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