Art of Living Oman extends a helping hand

The holy month of Ramadan is a perfect opportunity to take a deep dive inwards and experience the beauty of expansiveness. It is replete with all the principles of the Art of Living – an opportunity to live our innate nature to care and share, compassion and charity, faith and prayers. The holy book of Islam, the Quran, emphasizes the importance of charity – Sadaqa – to help multiply, several times over, the blessings from God. It is common to see people giving food to the poor and needy during this holy month. When the Adhan or “call to prayer” happens each day for the “sunset prayer” during Ramadan, signaling the end of the day’s fast, there are many out in the world whose fast will not end because they have no food. So, not only do the devout celebrate Ramadan by giving time to God but also by giving time, energy, material goods, and food to those less fortunate than themselves.

The Art of Living chapter of Oman lives the true spirit of Ramadan every year by collecting and distributing foodstuff to the needy ones living in the villages, spread in the deep interiors of the country. The most useful of foodstuffs like rice, flour, sugar, milk powder and cooking oil are donated by people from all segments of Oman society that are then collected by our Omani volunteers and distributed throughout the country.

This year, the holy month has seen an unprecedented collection of over 2.25 tons of foodstuff, 75 school bags, school stationery kits, school snack boxes and water bottles, and clothes for the needy, that have been distributed in Al Khod, Al Amerat, Al Mudhaibi, Ibri, Muttrah District, and several labor camps in Muscat.

The Ramadan food collection drive in Oman is an on-going service project. The chapter hopes to increase its effort in the coming years to extend its goodwill towards all of mankind.