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One of our recent alumni helped to make a big difference in her community earlier this month. In this edition of Gimme 5, we asked Dr. Asraa El-Darahali (DDS’13), event coordinator of the first annual Spirit of Ramadan, to tell us more about the initiative which saw more than 500 attendees and 100 volunteers take part in raising food, toiletry and cash donations to help provide care packages for more than 1,000 people in Halifax.

1. What inspired you to become involved with the Spirit of Ramadan event?

During the months of Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to help the less fortunate. Most of the time, people just donate money and call it a day. This event allowed families to get involved, getting their kids to purchase the items on our shopping list and drop them off to be collected. The kids learned that there are people who don’t have the things we take for granted and it’s up to us to help them. They were also invited to help in the packaging process, which I think was the funnest part. We had 14,000+ items to be unloaded from a 36’ trailer so we made a human chain and passed each item down by hand – it was incredible and so much fun. You could feel the sense of community every step of the way.

2. As a Muslim, you are required to fast from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan. What was it like for you to run this initiative on an empty stomach?

This year, the days were very long – we were fasting for 17 hours! I didn’t feel a moment of hunger the whole day. Between working, family commitments, prayers, reading the Quran and preparing for the event, there was little time to feel hungry. This event was very special to me and every free moment I had, whether it was between patients or late at night, was spent contacting people, sending out emails, making promotional items, tweeting or posting on Facebook. I had so much fun organizing this event and working with an incredible group of individuals, and have already started planning our next event!

3. Why were Feed Nova Scotia, Bryony House, Metro Turning Point, Adsum House, Phoenix Youth Programs and Bayers Westwood Family Resource Centre selected as the charities that would help distribute these care packages?

Our fasting during the month of Ramadan is a reminder of the hunger and pain the less fortunate feel on a daily basis. We wanted to help those who were the most vulnerable people in our society and to help alleviate the burden of hunger on our neighbours. No human being should go hungry. These charities provide essential services to this population and we support them.  

4. Did anything happen during the Spirit of Ramadan initiative that surprised you?

I felt like this event was destined to be successful from day one. The energy and the support from the local community was astounding. We didn't hear the word “no, we’re sorry” once during whole process. The Atlantic Superstore on Quinpool Road agreed to sell us the items at or below cost. They had so much faith in our success that they pre-ordered 500 of each item before the main event took place at Mic Mac Mall on July 12. The most beautiful part was that we surpassed our initial goal of helping 500 people and were able to alleviate the burden on 1,121 people!

5. How did your time at Dalhousie inspire your involvement in this event?

The dental program at Dalhousie instills the responsibility we have of helping those in need. As a dental student, I volunteered at the North End dental clinic, providing free dental care to those in need, and participated in Halifax Connects, handing out oral hygiene kits. Being responsible and compassionate members of our community was part of our curriculum and I’m grateful that Dalhousie provided me with these opportunities.