Eid Mubarak! Muslims around the world are wishing one another a happy holiday as they celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan. At the same time, a YES alumnus from Tunisia shares his experiences volunteering during this special time of the year.

By: Aziz Medhioub (YES 2016 -2017, Tunisia, hosted by CIEE in Fond du Lac, WI)

Ramadan has been always that one month that many people around the globe have a hard time grasping its core values. Away from all the religious rituals that are involved in the celebration of this month, for me Ramadan is one other opportunity to give back to the community, to bring people together and to share with those in need a moment of joy and happiness. Therefore, I joined an initiative organized by “Impact association“ on the 27th day of Ramadan which consists of putting together a huge “break the fast” meal outdoors and having all those who are spending their nights hungry in the streets come along to enjoy the moment.

Preparations for the event started one month prior to the chosen date. It was a hectic four weeks for the association. “Impact” had to get the paperwork for the authorities ready to use the chosen location (Park Bir Belhassen, Ariana, Tunisia), agree with a restaurant on the quantity of food needed, buy the utensils and rent all the tables and chairs to ensure a comfortable experience for everyone all without exceeding the limited budget.

The day of the event came. All the volunteers gathered by 4PM, and we had to finish the venue set up before 7:39PM (sunset time, when we would be breaking the fast). We were first split in two groups, my group had to head outside of the park and look for anyone who might need to join our table. We went around the venue perimeter and then a few locations around the city that were known to have homeless people around, like Mosques, farmer’s market, and parks. 

We lead all those we found back to the meal’s venue and quickly assisted the others to cover the tables using the tablecloth, and start filling our guests’ plates with food as well as to get drinks and water out for them. We were all up on our feet constantly working till everyone was served. We checked on them frequently to see if they needed anything else or special and we tried our best to deliver.

10PM marked the end of the event for us, when everyone had left full and satisfied. We could finally get our breath back. We shared the meal together while giggling, laughing and talking together. No one was a stranger, we were all friends and we all felt at ease. The meal ended, and it was the time for the cleanup. We collected garbage, stacked the tables and chairs, and swept the floor.

The feelings of pride, joy and satisfaction after such a long day were overwhelming. As we took one last group picture I left with one single thought in mind:

The good we leave behind is what defines us as human beings. We need more love, empathy, compassion and mercy toward each other. And only when we start spreading these values around us, our worldwide problems will eventually disappear. The Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty and Zero Hunger should not be just a dream, but a real goal that we strive daily to achieve.