A good deed is like a step to Paradise. Tatarstan

“Ramadan – Not a Day Without Kindness!” campaign by Solidarity Foundation was launched in various regions of  the country. In Tatarstan volunteers of the Foundation organized distribution of food packages with pasta, cereals, sugar, halal canned meat, dates, jam and other staple foods in Pearl of Faith Islamic centre.

“We worked like  a well-oiled machine – in the morning quickly unloaded the vans with food, then put it in bags and by noon were ready to meet our supported,” said the head of our Tatarstan branch Syumbel Valiullina.

Those to whom Solidarity had repeatedly provided support were  looking forward to our phone calls, said Syumbel.

Anatoly Denisov is visually impaired, he brings up  five children alone, and even tries to look for jobs, despite his blindness. But still there is not enough money to support his family. Once the team of Solidarity Foundation in Kazan helped Denisovs to renovate their old apartment, and in this holy month we did not forget our supported.

“Thank you very much for helping us, this is an invaluable aid,” Anatoly was very grateful.

But some  people received aid from our Foundation for the first time.

Gulnaz Sultanahmedova, disabled of group II, lives together with her seriously ill son. Their pensions are barely enough to buy food. When our volunteers called Gulnaz, she was very surprised. She simply could not understand why some strangers would want to help her.

“In the end she burst into tears, saying – can it be there really are such people, ready to help for nothing, just in good faith. And she was very, very grateful, ” says Farida Saidgaraeva, a volunteer of  Solidarity Foundation.

Altogether  50 iftar parcels were handed out or delivered to homes for the poor in Kazan by Solidarity team, so that the people could feel they were not alone, and enjoy the blessed month together with all the community.

“Mothers with children, elderly people  who were able to get here by themselves, and ill people would come to us. That’s why we also volunteered to  help them carry the iftar packets to their homes – somehow  they got quite bulky and heavy,” says Syumbel.

Ilham has got a seriously ill son. He can’t get a permanent job to earn the child’s medical treatment and works now part-time at the mosque, but the money is barely enough for food. Ilham was brought up in an orphan asylim, he’s got no relatives who could  help him – just none. But now Ilham’s family has got some friends – the volunteers of our Foundation.

“It was a pleasure  helping these people. Especially when you see their reactions, the emotions. When you see that people start smiling and leave us with a prayer – that’s worth a lot,” says Syumbel. “In our daily life there are many things that make us forget about kindness, to grow hard-hearted, and such campaigns let us understand that we must help those less fortunate than us.”

“It was my first experience of participating in such an action, and I really liked it. When I saw these people thanking us with  tears in their eyes, people who were fasting but didn’t  have enough food for their iftar … All that went straight to my heart. Now I’ve got only one idea – to help, and help, and help,”  shares Farida her experience. “This is especially important in Ramadan.”

But the  work of Solidarity Foundation in Tatarstan is not over. During the holy month our volunteers will give out more  Iftar packages to poor families, and give some school supplies, stationery and gifts to orphans, so that on 1 September  they could  to go to school on a par with other children.

Campaign “Ramadan – Not a Day Without Kindness!” by Solidarity Foundation continues in other regions of Russia, too. You can join our activities in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Daghestan, Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Bashkiria and give some joy to the poorest and most disadvantaged.

Syumbel Valiullina, Branch Manager of Solidarity in Tatarstan with one of the supported by the Foundation

Kazan volunteers of Solidarity Foundaton in Pearl of Faith Islamic centre

Altogether  50 iftar parcels were handed out or delivered to homes for the poor in Kazan by Solidarity team, so that the people could feel they were not alone, and enjoy the blessed month together with all the community