03 September 2009
Since late August Muslims around the world have been observing Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. Thirty days of fasting and charitable giving, Ramadan unites Muslims from disparate backgrounds - rich and poor, from the developed and the developing world - behind common values.
Many of the countries in which DFID works are home to Muslim communities, both great and small. Bangladesh is a majority Muslim country and is also the recipient of one of DFID’s largest bilateral aid programmes. International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander has this week visited Bangladesh to see how people are coping with climate change, which is already impacting upon the country’s poorest communities. Visiting during this special time of the year, he has also seen how Ramadan inspires the values of cooperation and compassion that are crucial to eradicating poverty.
Watch Douglas Alexander’s Ramadan message below.
Video from Douglas Alexander in Bangladesh, during Ramadan .
The spirit of Ramadan is present throughout many of the other countries in which DFID works. More than at any other time of the year Muslim members of staff are reminded how their work to improve the lives of the poor fits in with some of the core principles of their faith.
Jummai Bappah is a social development adviser for DFID Nigeria. “Working for DFID gives me the opportunity to fulfil my religious obligations, being part of those who help each other,” she says.
“Ramadan challenges us to go the extra mile: go hungry during the day for a month to experience what the poor go through every day of the year.”
Sarra Deya Ismail works as a programme officer for DFID in Sudan, a country which has suffered the terrible effects of decades of civil war. For her, the sense of community present during Ramadan shows what can be achieved through peaceful, respectful cooperation. “Ramadan is a time for people to reflect, contemplate, put aside their differences and get closer to Allah,” she says.
The rituals of Ramadan – such as prayers and iftar, the meal eaten each day after sunset to break the fast - help bring neighbours and families together. “It is the month when people are encouraged to strengthen their relationship with their families,” says Sarra. “For me this is what Ramadan is all about. It is the one month that you are guaranteed to share nearly all your meals with your family.”
Lanny Jauhari, a programme officer for DFID Indonesia, also stresses the celebratory side to the festival. “Ramadan is a joyful moment for all of us – the month of giving and forgiving. Indonesia has the biggest Muslim population in the world, and therefore Ramadan is very festive in our country. It’s like Christmas in the northern countries.”
Watch Lanny’s video diary, below, to find out more about Ramadan in Indonesia.
Ramadan video diary from Lanny Jauhari, who works in DFID Bangladesh.
Ramadan’s central message of compassion and mutual support helps inform the efforts of Lanny, Sarra, Jummai and many others to alleviate poverty. To further support this work DFID continues to collaborate with Muslim charities and communities, in the UK and internationally. With DFID’s ten largest programmes operating in countries that are more than 15% Muslim and together are home to over 40% of the world’s Muslims, the spirit of Ramadan has a crucial role to play in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and building a fairer, more prosperous world.
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