Ramadan: Egytian charity delivers aid during Islamic holy month

As Muslims across the world gear up to celebrate Ramadan, the Misr ElKheir charity foundation in Egypt is getting aid ready for residents living in poverty. Volunteers hope the food will ease the burden for families who are struggling to make ends meet.

Mariam Zaki, a volunteer, said, "every year, I always see that Misr ElKheir during Ramadan packs Ramadan boxes every day for families in need and I've always wanted to be part of the volunteering team involved in this. This year, I managed to be part of the volunteering team and I came to pack Ramadan boxes. Every year, the items inside the boxes are different based on the needs of the families. This year, hopefully these boxes will bring happiness to these families and we can provide them with everything (they need)."

Hanan el-Derbashy, head of the solidarity and debtors sector at Misr ElKheir Foundation, is hoping tht the charity's work will have a positive impact on millions of people.

She said, "this year we are aiming to feed 7 million people observing the fast. It is a huge number, a very big number that the foundation is working towards with all its departments. We have the supply chain department, the execution department, the field offices, we have the Takaful (solidarity) department, we have many departments and volunteers. We have many departments in the foundation that start planning for the campaign five or six months in advance to be able to achieve our target during Ramadan."

In Cairo meanwhile, residents say the high cost of living is making Ramadan preparations difficult.

Cairo resident Sameh el-Sheikh said, "we are preparing for the holy month. As you know there is a full atmosphere (specific to Ramadan). Everyone who is married and has children, has to bring the Ramadan spirit to the whole household. And we start to prepare all the Ramadan items including yamish (a mixture of dates, nuts and dried fruits usually purchased before Ramadan). But this year its prices are sky high so we are buying half of the yamish we used to get."

For Ramadan, Muslims around the world observe daily fasting from dawn to sunset. The period often brings families and friends together around meals to break their fast.