Fatimah Morgan and communities, partners, sponsors and collaborators will host their second annual mass boeka (iftaar) this weekend in New Horizon, Cape Town. Unlike the first event hosted in the street, this one will be held in a park.
Though boeka speaks to Ramadan and the Muslim community, Morgan, a dedicated community activist, said the gathering received assistance from various non-Muslim individuals and communities who recognised the value of such an initiative.
Last year’s event saw an estimated five thousand people from New Horizon and surrounding areas attend the event. Of those five thousand, a large percentage of people were non-Muslims. Therefore, the sole purpose of the initiative is to help those in need.
“I don’t turn anyone away from bringing anything because it’s all for the community. It’s for the people. It’s our love for the people. We, as an Ummah, need to show that we, as Muslims care about the next person, whether we are Muslim or Christian. We need unity, and we need to build unity in our societies.”
What Inspired the Boeka initiative?
Morgan has been involved and working in the community for some years. During that time, she sought to learn, understand and identify the challenges and the needs of the people in the area. Unfortunately, like many people in impoverished communities in the country, she witnessed many families and individuals who had little to nothing to eat.
“I’ve seen so many people go hungry. I’ve seen little kids two or three years old that don’t have a piece of bread to eat, and you can see the hunger on their children’s faces. When I woke up that morning, I thought to myself … Why can’t we do something to help and also bring other people from other areas out so they can see what these people need.”
Furthermore, last year’s event informed people of how dire the living conditions are for many communities in the province. Morgan added that since then, she received numerous calls daily from people willing to assist and donate whatever they could. Some have even called to find out if they can prepare food for the evening.
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A Step Towards a Sustainable Solution
Unfortunately, some community initiatives can only be sustained during certain times of the year. However, Morgan and others are searching for more sustainable solutions, such as looking for employment opportunities for many residents. An undertaking which has been challenging given the unemployment crisis in our country.
“I am also trying to help and assist them in getting jobs. But it’s difficult. It’s very difficult to find work for people. Then [when they can’t find work], they start with gangsterism, stealing and whatever. So by helping them and showing them, we care. They will turn around and change their lives.”
In her experience, when things seem bleak and hopeless, God always makes way for people to help one another. Speaking on the challenges about last year’s boeka, she did not know what to expect, and their preparations were insufficient to accommodate the number of people attending.
However, Morgan said, “Not one person left hungry, and not one person left without a plate of food. It’s all in Allah’s hands. He knows what’s going to happen, and he will make sure that people are fed.”
