Turkish charities spread Eid-al-Adha joy of millions across Africa

Turkish charities brought joy and happiness to millions of Muslims across the African continent on Wednesday, providing meat to be used in celebrating Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, Anadolu Agency reports.

Ilyas Bulut, coordinator for Turkiye Diyanet Vakfi (TDV), told Anadolu that 5,750 cows would be slaughtered in 11 locations in Uganda and distributed to the needy.

Bulut said the meat will be packed and distributed to the needy with the assistance of mosque imams. He said his organization will also reach out to correctional services facilities.

Muslims with financial ability are required to sacrifice animals for the holiday which marks the conclusion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The significant religious observance commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s act of obedience to God when he was willing to sacrifice his son. Muslims mark the occasion with prayer, feasting, and acts of charity.

The former Turkish ambassador to Uganda, Fikret Kerem Alp led a delegation to deliver donations by Turkish Muslims, to assist families in Uganda.

“I served here for four years and now on the occasion of Eid, I return in order to celebrate the festivities and help out the beautiful people of Uganda. I hope I can invite more and more generous people to come and assist our brothers and sisters,” he told Anadolu.

Current Ambassador Mehmet Fatih Ak emphasized the importance of solidarity and making those in need happy.

“This is a day of utmost significance, not only for us, but also for humanity to remind ourselves of the sacrifices we make for the good of everyone. I want to seize this opportunity to call upon more sacrifices as we unite our efforts to fight poverty and maintain peace,” he said.

READ: Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid Al-Adha

Osman Mohamed Ahmed, executive director of the humanitarian NGO, Zumar Foundation, told Anadolu it is slaughtering more than 300 cows for the needy around the nation’s capital in Kampala.

Many beneficiaries expressed gratitude to Turks for the Eid meat, known as Qurbani.

“The economy is not favourable, I would not have afforded to buy meat for this day, may Allah bless the Turkish donors,” Kzaabu Asia told Anadolu.

Joy of Eid spread across continent

Diyanet also distributed Qurbani in South Africa, Nigeria, Burundi and Chad, among others.

“We spread the joy of Eid to every corner of the world under the supervision of our officials and volunteers in Burundi, Chad, Nigeria, and Togo, we continue to slaughter Qurbani entrusted to our Foundation by our nation,” TDV wrote on Twitter.

The foundation works in cooperation with local partners to execute charity across the continent.

Refugees get helping hand

In South Sudan, the Turkish Red Crescent extended a hand to 600 refugee families in the national capital of Juba by distributing more than 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds) of meat.

Turkish Ambassador Erdem Mutaf said Turkish NGOs and the Turkish Red Crescent will slaughter and distribute meat from 1,500 to 2,000 cows.

“We have Turkish NGOs coming from Turkiye to sacrifice animals and to distribute meat to South Sudanese across the country,” he said.

Juliette Murekeyisoni, UNHCR deputy country representative in South Sudan, thanked the Turkish government for its generosity in supporting refugees in South Sudan at all times.

She said it is not the first time Turkiye is supporting refugees in the country. ​​​​​​​

READ: Over 1.8 Muslims continue to perform Hajj rituals in Saudi Arabia