Philadelphia dawoodi bohra

Sharing a meal brings the entire family together. Not only does it feed everyone, but the initiative also ensures that everyone, irrespective of their background, receives the exact same meal. There is a strict quality check in place—you will never find overcooked rice or a burnt roti in any dabba.

We check everything, from the shape, size and colour of the rotis, to the consistency of the dal to the quantity of food that goes into each dabba. Meals are filled into the containers and made ready either for door-to-door delivery as is the practice in most towns and cities, or to be picked up from designated collection points. Every day, at p. Across the border in Karachi, Pakistan, a similar scene unfolds in the morning. There are 18 community kitchens in Karachi alone, and at least 30, people benefit from it.

Being a part of the food industry himself, Gain understands the intricacies of running such an initiative. Initially, the goal of the FMB kitchens was limited to provide nutritious meals to members of the Dawoodi Bohra community across the world on a daily basis.

However, over the past decade, true to the Islamic tradition of extending help and support to all creation, the functions of the initiative have accordingly been diversified. The traditional meals served after sermons and majalis gatherings to commemorate numerous occasions have also come to benefit from the guidance and direction of the FMB administration, the most important being the days of Ashara Mubaraka, the ten days of mourning on Imam Husain, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

FMB has also become an avenue for individuals to express and share their joys and sorrows with the rest of the community. Islamic customs encourage Muslims to feed others during occasions of joy, such as the birth of a child or wedding ceremonies, as well as moments of sadness, such as the passing of a loved one. In such instances, community members can send a meal to households in their vicinity, or even in different towns or countries altogether, through FMB.

His Holiness has, over the years, expanded the mandate of the community kitchens to cater not just to the Dawoodi Bohras but to the larger community as well. In the aftermath of natural calamities, FMB kitchens have come to the aid of thousands of people, mobilising food relief efforts. Whether it is providing relief to those affected by floods in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chennai, and Rajasthan, or to those displaced by Hurricane Harvey which hit Texas and Louisiana or helping those affected by Cyclones Amphan and Nisarga, which battered the various parts of the Indian subcontinent, FMB kitchens have unfailingly risen to the occasion.

In such trying times, volunteers risked their own well-being to feed the hungry and help those in need. In the wake of the global Covid crisis, His Holiness directed FMB kitchens and community organisations across the world to wholeheartedly come to the aid of those in need.

This clarion call united volunteers worldwide who came forth to serve food to those affected by the unprecedented calamity. Lockdowns across the world wreaked havoc on supply chains, disrupting the movement of personnel and critical equipment.

However, the fact that FMB had been operating well-established community kitchens for almost a decade and had streamlined processes in place was a blessing, as it enabled the volunteers to adapt to the changes quickly. The Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, acknowledged these efforts during an online conference with various social welfare organisations and religious leaders, requesting the community to restart FMB kitchens in service of the nation during the lockdown.

Subsequently, many FMB kitchens across India resumed operations after undergoing the requisite inspection from local authorities. The year was an eventful one for FMB. With the support of local authorities, organizations, and charities, FMB set up food banks at numerous locations in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and other parts of India, distributing cooked meals and dry rations to those in need.

FMB volunteers organised a food drive in London in the aid of a local food bank and were able to donate and distribute thousands of pounds of food to vulnerable families along with volunteering to serve hot meals to people in homeless shelters across the United States.

Additionally, the initiative undertook a host of activities to promote food security and spread the message of Zero Hunger in Australia, East Africa, the Middle East, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. All activities were undertaken with strict adherence to Covid restrictions, including social distancing, wearing masks, and maintaining high standards of hygiene. Over the course of the pandemic, more than community kitchens across 40 countries have provided hundreds of thousands of cooked meals and more than tonnes of rations to those in need.

We were forced to relook at how the community kitchen was operated. During the initial days, we went from door to door and provided essential dry rations to households to suffice for a month—vegetables, dal, rice, chai, butter etc. We collaborated with other charities, and also visited bus stands and railway stations providing food to people, such as daily wage earners who were in need. This, in turn, helped us continue operations and help not just the Bohra community, but also provide food relief to everyone who needed it.

One-third of all food produced for human consumption throughout the world each year is either lost or wasted. This amounts approximately to an astonishing 1. Even though enough food is produced to feed the entire human population, more than million people continue to go hungry. The UN has further warned that the Covid pandemic has resulted in a hunger catastrophe putting a huge number of people at the risk of starvation. Islam places great emphasis on preventing waste of all kinds, especially the wastage of food and water.

In his sermons and addresses to the community, His Holiness continually emphasises the need for vigilance against wastage. To eliminate food waste, community volunteers formed the Dana Committee Dana meaning a grain of food under the aegis of FMB.

As of , there are Dana Committees, with 7, total members, spread across forty countries. To safeguard against food waste, FMB kitchens across the world, in conjunction with Dana Committees, have introduced online systems through which community members can specify the exact quantity of food they require for their household on a daily basis as well as inform the kitchen to temporarily suspend meals for a particular duration in case of reasons like travel.

When communal meals are served in community centres, an RSVP system allows individuals to inform the kitchen in advance whether they will be staying for the meal. Such systems go a long way in planning proportionately and mitigating wastage from the outset. If, however, there is still food that is left over, members of the Dana Committee ensure that it is packed appropriately and distributed to those in need.

The concept of a community kitchen and centralised preparation of food is in itself a beneficial in countering wastage as it engenders economies of scale as well as savings in energy and water consumption. Food is one of the forces that famously binds the Dawoodi Bohras together. Therefore, it is but natural that the community pays special attention to sharing food, hosting others and feeding the hungry.

Lorem ipsum. The onus of preparing meals for the entire family has traditionally fallen on the women of the household.

It is a process that consumes time and effort on a daily basis. However, by ensuring at least one nutritious cooked meal for the entire household every day, FMB has succeeded in freeing up much of this time for homemakers who can now explore other opportunities to help in the family businesses, earn a livelihood or pursue other interests. Similarly, many women have started entrepreneurial ventures from their homes, venturing into businesses such as interior design, catering, baking, designing jewelry, stitching, embroidery, home tuition and selling masalas and chutneys.

Nisreen, whose youngest daughter is 18 and about to go to college, believes that over the past ten years, she as well as the small group of 32 Bohra families in Philadelphia have understood the value of food and having a community to rely on. As a working woman, when you are taking care of family, it is not just about standing in the kitchen and cooking. The process also involves organising your time, getting groceries from the store, planning meals as people like different things and making sure what you cook is healthy.

I can definitely say it has impacted my life positively. I see many students coming to Philadelphia for higher studies. Their parents are able to rest easy, knowing that their children will not have to worry about food in a new city. I have learnt to value every grain of roti and rice and never waste food. It is not just a plate of food.

Roti Indian flatbread is an integral part of the Dawoodi Bohra culinary tradition and roti-making, therefore, is one of the most important tasks in the FMB community kitchen. Handmade roti is not only a daily staple but also an expression of love and devotion. FMB kitchens reach out to community members willing to contribute by making rotis for the daily meals.

Yasmeen Yahya Udaipurwala, 55, is a part of a team of 30 women who make over 2, rotis a day, which in turn are supplied to households in her area.

The Karachi resident and her family have not only benefited from FMB for almost ten years, but she takes immense pride in the fact that making roti has also given her the opportunity to give back to the community. This gives us time to devote to other pursuits. And in my own circle, my sister and sister-in-law both managed to devote time to prayers and learn the entire Quran. My daughter finds quality time to spend with her children. I know several women who have taken up sewing and crocheting, and manage to earn a living in the free time they now have, thanks to FMB.

Food plays an important role in Bohra religious rites as well as cultural traditions and certain dishes have therefore become synonymous with special occasions. Khichro made of mutton and cracked wheat. Kheema khichri minced meat pulao. Laganya seekh layered minced meat topped with eggs. Kheema samosa minced meat samosas. Mutton kari chawal — spiced coconut milk-based curry served with fragrant basmati rice. Kharak — stuffed dried dates served during Eid al-Fitr. Sheer Khurma — a warm dessert made of vermicelli, milk, dates, dry fruits and nuts, and clarified butter ghee.

While FMB started with the intention of providing a standardised level of nutrition for every community member regardless of their financial standing, today, it has become much more.

The teachings of Islam urge Muslims to always strive for the betterment of others and exalt individuals who sacrifice their own needs for those of the collective.

FMB is one more in the long list of initiatives introduced by the Dawoodi Bohra community that aims to improve the lives of others. Our main meeting place — or markaz — was acquired in and is the venue for all community activities.

It is situated in a serene hill-top property in Glen Mills, a suburb of Philadelphia, and is convenient to Bohras living in Philadelphia and Delaware. There are about 60 Bohra families living across Pennsylvania and Delaware, many of whom work in the fields of engineering, medicine, information technology, biotech, e-commerce, finance, education, law, and business.

Due to the wide geographical spread of the community, our activities are localized in three sub areas: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Poconos. Members of our Dawoodi Bohras community are well respected in terms of their valuable contribution to society be it in technology innovations, patents, a nobel prize, community service and generating job opportunities for the larger community.