Feature: Egyptian charity kitchen provides hundreds of fresh meals to poor, homeless people

Index.html" target="_blank">In a vast kitchen Index.html" target="_blank">Inside a ground-floor apartment Index.html" target="_blank">In Sharqiya provIndex.html" target="_blank">Ince north of the Egyptian capital Cairo, three women were busy preparIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing vegetables before sendIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing them to a nearby chef who was cookIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing a large amount of rice Index.html" target="_blank">In a huge cookIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing pot with a tall ladle Index.html" target="_blank">In his hand.

Two hours later, about 10 young people wearIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing gloves took the cooked food and the green salad, packed Index.html" target="_blank">In disposable plastic and foam plates, organized them Index.html" target="_blank">Into separate one-person meals with an orange or any other fruit added to each meal, and put them on shelves to be ready for distribution.

The activities are almost the daily work of a charity kitchen Index.html" target="_blank">Initiative that started Index.html" target="_blank">In 2016 with three volunteers and ended up with at least 35 volunteers providIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing from 300 to 500 fresh, healthy meals for poor and homeless people now for three days a week.

"The Charity Kitchen is a youth Index.html" target="_blank">Initiative that started Index.html" target="_blank">In January 2016 under the name of 'Anti-Hunger Forces' and is now gaIndex.html" target="_blank">InIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing more volunteers as a unique experience that provides fresh hot meals for the poor," Suzan el-Moslemany, founder of the Index.html" target="_blank">Initiative, told XIndex.html" target="_blank">Inhua at the Charity Kitchen Index.html" target="_blank">In Zagazig city.

Moslemany started the Index.html" target="_blank">Initiative by cookIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing at home. After the Index.html" target="_blank">Initiative gaIndex.html" target="_blank">Ined more popularity, more and more volunteers joIndex.html" target="_blank">Ined and donations came, allowIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing her to rent a place to store food.

She also established the "Zwad" charity to support the poor.

Each meal consisted of rice, grilled fish, green salad and an orange.

"Our activities are based on donations. We used to work every day, but now we provide our meals three days a week after the price hikes," said Moslemany, addIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing that the Charity Kitchen provides different healthy meals each day contaIndex.html" target="_blank">InIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing proteIndex.html" target="_blank">Ins, starches, vegetables and fruits.

"We do not receive fIndex.html" target="_blank">Inancial support from any Index.html" target="_blank">Institution and this is one of the obstacles we're facIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing. The door for volunteers and donations is open, for we're all partners of benevolence," she emphasized.

The co-founders of the Charity Kitchen are currently preparIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing a bigger kitchen to cook 1,000 meals per day, particularly durIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing the immIndex.html" target="_blank">Inent Muslim holy month of Ramadan, to provide fast-breakIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing meals (iftar) for fastIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing poor people.

"If we provide meals for all poor families, we need 2,500 meals every day, so we can distribute them Index.html" target="_blank">In rotation to provide the poor and homeless of each neighborhood with meals once a week," Moslemany told XIndex.html" target="_blank">Inhua.

The Charity Kitchen focuses on poor aged and lonely people, sick people and orphans, and it has a team whose mission is to fIndex.html" target="_blank">Ind distressed families and deliver food to their homes.

Sayyid Ahmed, 40, has been the Charity Kitchen's volunteer chef for more than a year and two months.

"I saw the Charity Kitchen's Facebook page, I liked the idea and contacted the founders to joIndex.html" target="_blank">In," Ahmed told XIndex.html" target="_blank">Inhua while stirrIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing the rice Index.html" target="_blank">In the cookIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing pot with a ladle, notIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing that he cooks a different meal each day.

As for Ahmed Sherif, a 35-year-old computer engIndex.html" target="_blank">Ineer, his task is to promote the Charity Kitchen onlIndex.html" target="_blank">Ine through postIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing pictures of the meals and the charitable activities held by Zwad on Facebook.

"Before I joIndex.html" target="_blank">Ined the Charity Kitchen, I could not imagIndex.html" target="_blank">Ine that poor people would go to bed Index.html" target="_blank">In hunger at the end of the day, for beIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing unable to buy dIndex.html" target="_blank">Inner for themselves or their children," the volunteer told XIndex.html" target="_blank">Inhua.

The target beneficiaries of the Charity Kitchen are those poor people who do not beg others for money Index.html" target="_blank">In the streets, which is why the Zwad staff deliver them food mostly at their homes.

"People here are motivated by love and benevolence, workIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing 11 hours a day to serve people who cannot afford healthy food," said Mohamed Gamal, a 36-year-old lawyer who buys the necessary food Index.html" target="_blank">Ingredients from the marketplace.

He noted that some storeowners give them a discount up to 50 percent to take part Index.html" target="_blank">In their charitable activities, addIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing that he experiences many touchIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing situations durIndex.html" target="_blank">Ing his task.

"I once gave a doorman a meal and he put it aside. When I asked him why he didn't eat, he said he would share it with his two children, so I gave him more for them," the man told XIndex.html" target="_blank">Inhua.

(by Mahmoud Fouly, Abdel-Maguid Kamal)