The spirit of Ramadan: Lebanon’s ‘Save the Grace’ hands out iftar meals

A video by the UNHCR shows volunteers from ‘Save the Grace’ hand out iftar meals every day to Syrian refugees during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

‘Save the Grace,’ a non-government organization, provides food to over 50 families.

Meals are prepared at Lebanese chain Dardachat restaurant. They include starters, main dishes, and traditional desserts.

The Dardachat manager, Karim Tawil, believes helping the needy is a duty he must fulfill.

“There is more need than ever because there are many Syrian refugees who came to Lebanon and they can’t find any resources. Many are wealthy, but there are plenty others who don’t have a source of income, and they are really poor… so we need to help these people,” he said in the video report obtained by Al Arabiya English.

Volunteers deliver the meals before the call to prayer which signifies the end of the day’s fast. After they have delivered the meals, they rush home so that they can eat iftar with their own families.

Mostafa Shaker, a volunteer from ‘Save the Grace’, says he began volunteering with the group because he wants to see a change in the country’s culture.

“I took on this role as I believe our culture needs to change. Too many people here throw away excess food and we want to make sure this food is not wasted, especially as how in Lebanon there are too many people that need help. All the youth should get together to help Syrian refugees and poor Lebanese families too,” said Shaker.

The UNHCR has said there were over 640,000 registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon since the war between President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and rebels erupted in March 2011.

One Syrian wife and mother, Mona, mentions how she and her family left their home in Syria, and now in the month of Ramadan would prefer to be back in Syria celebrating with their family and neighbors they left behind.

“We left our family and came here, and we feel like strangers. Even though Lebanon is our neighbor, we still don’t know anyone here and we are far away. Ramadan is nice here, but we prefer to celebrate it with our family and neighbors.”