Shalwar suits to ration kits: Saudi-based Hyderabadi NGO redefines charity in Ramadan

Hyderabad: With several NGOs participating in the donation and charitable activities this Ramadan, the focus of many is the magnitude of outreach. But a Saudi-based Hyderabadi NGO begs to differ. It has a simple formula - give what you choose for yourself albeit in less quantity. So, all its donations look like a gift, even if not packaged like one.

Vision Trust NRI Forum, a charitable endeavor of the Hyderabadi diaspora in the Gulf, believes the quality of charity is more important than quantity. For Jaleel Ansari, the Chairman of the Trust, the number of beneficiaries doesn't matter, rather their satisfaction does. The trust has been silently providing relief aid in the form of generous ration kits with high-quality rice and pulses in ample quantities to deserving families.

One noteworthy distinction is the quality of clothes donated by the organization. Every year during Ramadan, the trust distributes Salwar Suits for women and Kurta Pyjamas for men. Interestingly, these are neither from bargain-basement nor the distasteful lot for donations. On the contrary, the clothes donated by the trust are rather dignified and better-than-modest for people who wouldn’t seek alms out of dignity. The volunteers of the trust identify beneficiaries much ahead of Ramadan, and systematically deliver these to them with no pomp or show off.

“The whole purpose of charity is to share what you have, not subpar what you use”, says Jaleel Ansari. He cites the famous saying of the Prophet Muhammed PBUH “None of you will have faith till he wishes for his brother what he likes for himself” to justify his perspective.

The trust is mostly funded by donations from family members and close relatives and has been playing the part for many years now but doesn’t like to put on an act. There are no fancy annual programs, no fundraisers, no awkward photographs with the beneficiaries, and most importantly, no flattering themselves with publicity or brandishing.

During the Covid 19 lockdown, Jaleel Ansari’s better half Uzma Ansari served home-cooked meals to several families in their vicinity for at least three months in a row. Not to mention, they discreetly home-delivered ration kits to hundreds of families during the Covid-19 lockdown ensuring the ‘pride of the beneficiaries was spared the insult of calling such help donations’.

The trust silently indulges in helping NRIs in Saudi Arabia with domestic and legal issues. Most notably, it was instrumental in the release of an Indian from Nizamabad imprisoned in a Saudi Jail on a false complaint for almost 6 years. In 2021, the trust helped repatriate him with the help of the then-Indian Ambassador in Saudi Arabia Dr. Ausaf Sayeed after taking up the legal route to defend him which took nearly 4 months.

Before Covid, the couple provided free education to the poor in a school established for the poor. Jaleel Ansari is a Saudi-based NRI and his wife manages the Vision Trust School in Hyderabad.