August 5th 2011: I left for Yemen with my three boys on a solo relief mission to provide food assistance to as many people in Yemen that our accumulated funds could reach. We were carrying with us a sizeable sume of dollars. It was quite a scary feeling but I was comforted by the fact that if Allah swt wanted this money to reach the people of Yemen, it will reach them no matter what regulations was imposed (as it is an offence to carry more than USD10K per person out of the country). Well though comforted not without worry.
August 6th 2011 : The next morning, I spread out the money on our bodies and also spread them out between our bags. I also made my children read the verse 9 of surah Yasin when Rasulullah saw was going out to leave his house on the night that his murder was planned. So we repeatedly read the verse from the hotel till the airport. The obviously less crowd in the early morning hours also got me worried, but Alhamdulillah we managed to get through the scanners at the Dubai airport.
Coming into Sana’a we were stopped at immigration because we did not have a re-entry permit although we had a valid visa till October. So the officer told us to wait at the sitting area. Then he called us and gave us the entry permit and said to me that he took pity on me because I had three boys travelling with me. At this point, I felt that my boys have really played a role on this trip twice.
Upon arrival we immediately went to visit two masjids – one the masjid in the area where we lived before, a small community masjid. And the other a bigger masjid which also had a muassasah (charity organization) within the masjid.
Jamek Zubeiry is a small community masjid, but a masjid that we are well versed with and also have a relationship with them the last 5 years that we were there. They do provide for iftar but they did not have enough funds to provide for “safari iftar” take home iftar. The imam was comfortable with our suggestion that he gets a restaurant to deliver to the masjid 100 packs daily and the students at the masjid will deliver them out daily to the people in the surrounding neighborhood that are hungry but too shy to come and collect the food. Masjids in Yemen actually have a list of the people that are really in need in their surrounding areas. So this makes the effort much more worthwhile as these are the people that we are trying to reach with our iftar aid.
Jamek Azban, is a bigger masjid and well organized as their muassasah really looks into the welfare of the community and its neighboring masjids. This masjid takes care of an area called Mus’ab bin Umair till the fringe of Zubeiry. The have two kitchens in two different masjids and a restaurant that they rented out solely to cook for the month of Ramadhan. The tahfiz boys help out as workers for Ramadan iftar cooking. The two masjid provides for iftar and food collection centres. The kitchen provides for cooking and food distribution.
Weighing out the regulations needed to rent a restaurant, the cost of transportation, no available resources, I decided that it was best that we work with the muassasah and masjids in order to execute our iftar program.
August 7th 2011: The next day, I actually revisited the kitchens and restaurant to see the effectiveness of their implementation and distribution. I started out by visiting Jamek Azban kitchen where the tahfiz boys were peeling potatoes and onions and those waiting for their turn to work were reading Qur’an. Later we headed out to Al-Jazeera kitchen (the rented kitchen) and also Jamek Ar-Rahman kitchen. The daily routine would be to prepare for cooking at 9:00am, to start cooking at 11:00am, to pack food after dzohr prayers, and the queue and distribution will start immediately after asr prayers. So it was moving from one kitchen to another and returning and going again to see their workflow.
August 8th 2011: Day three of my arrival I went to visit two more kitchens. The first kitchen was a kitchen of a foundation that manages orphans. They cook for 100 live in orphans and for another 100 people in the surrounding village.
The second kitchen really touched me. It was all managed by volunteers and they cook with wood to provide for meal to between 1000-1500 people daily. If it rains, then they will resort to using gas. The reason being that gas is scarce and expensive.
I was actually shocked to learn, that what we normally feed for 4 people, they sometimes feed up to 7-8 people and that is the reality of the situation. Meals are usually lacking in meat unless extra funds are obtained and this is true in all the kitchens. I was ashamed that everytime I visit a kitchen, they would give me two meal packs for the four of us, but Alhamdulillah we always share it with the guard at our rented apartment.
This kitchen normally cooks rice for an average of 300 packs. An average pack feeds 4 people. So they actually feed 1200 people in each pack of food.
My day has not finished as I was invited to visit an NGO organization. The people running the kitchen also runs the NGO. One of their projects was to help out the displaced ARHAB refugees, who had to flee from their home due to clashes between the tribes and the republican guards. The NGO had a video of how the villagers take refuge in the mountains and find dwelling in the caves there. Very powerful video and very touching. I doubt very much we could live in those circumstances. But these people had no choice as the village was destroyed by missile attacks Just to give you a background on reasons for the attack. The Arhab tribe is actually protecting the people of Sana’a from the Republican Guards who are trying to push through weapon and tanks into Sana’a. They are being stopped by this Arhab tribes.
August 9th 2011: On the fourth day we left to visit poor families in the village of Mahweet. The journey to Mahweet was about 2 hours and the scenery to the village was actually very breathtaking. Now I understand why my sponsor told me that you will be surprised that you will find more people in need in the cities. Mahweet is surrounded by vegetation and mostly corn fields and QAT (yemen’s downfall). I looked at the village and asked our guide, so what do they do with these corns? Villagers are very poor in Yemen, they eat from their fields and take milk from their herds. The corns provide food for them for 2-3 months until the season is over and then they plant the next season’s crop and feed on that. They have no other means of income. So if you don’t have a land, you have no means to live, and survive from the kindness of people. Yes, this is the reality of the situation. I visited four homes there to see conditions of really hard core poor families. Some of them were just women with no guardian and depend on charity totally. They do work from time to time in the fields but how much can the landowner pay them as they are themselves poor. But one thing I realized is that these people, no matter how poor they are, they have dignity and a big heart. Not one home or villager that we met that did not ask us to stay and break fast with them. This is the Yemeni hospitality that I have feel ashamed to say that as fortunate as we are, our hearts as not as big as theirs. Visiting this village made me realize how merciful Allah swt is, though they have no economic activity, they still have plenty of food to eat from the earth, only that the food is not of variety. I also realized that villagers survive better in poverty than city dwellers.
When you visit the village, you cannot help and wonder why the government has not done anything to turn the cornfields into income generating source for the village. These villagers stay poor , they have resource but have no means to market. The strong from the village will head illegally to Saudi and seeking jobs there. They are like what the illegal Indons would be in our country.
August 10th 2011: We visited 3 families out of 86 in Sana’a that have lost their guardians or breadwinners due to the political crisis. All these women have no means of income and depend on the mercy of other to help them. I find that Yemen is a caring society no matter how hard their life is. The people that arranged out visit was from an organization that was set up to take care of these women and children. It was infact only recently set up about four months ago. Our guides were so, lack of a better word, motivated and committed in looking out for these families. Our visit actually extended a small financial aid, but more importantly it was therapeutic for the families, to know that there are people out there that cares for them. I asked each family if they dreamed of their husbands, each family replied in the affirmative. It was glad tidings from Allah swt to pacify their hearts on their loss. The dreams are also repeated. More amazing was each family said that their husband told them that they are comfortable where they are and they are in a better place and they view the husbands in light form. One of the families, even the mother dreamed of her son.
August 11th 2011: Today we visited 3 more kitchens , 2 on the outskirt of Sana’a and another inside of Sana;a but on the opposite side from where we are. The first kitchen was in an area called Judur. A small kitchen that cooks for 200 meal packs daily. NO meat in meal as they do not have the funds for meat. They even have to cook in secret and distribute out to the truly needy in their area. The reason for this is because if their kitchen is known, it will be packed with people coming to get food.
The next place is a masjid in an area called Mal’ab. This masjid only provides for 100 meal packs to the poor around their area. They buy dry food and they rent a restaurant to cook for them. The cooked food are delivered to the masjid where they pack and the poor comes to pick them up at the masjid.
The next location is in an area called Bir Basheer. I must say that the masjids in the cities are quite well organized. They are somewhat like Jamek Azban where they have a welfare organization (muassasah). The muassasah surveys the areas and identifies the truly needy. They operate a kitchen from a single masjid but supports 2 masjid. They provide iftar jam’ah in the masjid for their masjid and another masjid – 200 people will break fast at each masjid daily. Before Ramadhan, they provide a pass to each needy family, which allows them to collect their ifrat to bring home, and they provide for 500 families in the area.
August 12th 2011: Fridays in Yemen is a holiday. So there was really not much to do but putting together my documents and reports and planning for the days ahead. We distributed out the funds for the second phase of our iftar program so people can prepare for the week ahead.
August 13th 2011: Today is planning for our trip to the village of Hajja tomorrow. Before we go to visit the villages, we make sure that our contacts prepares the following: the list of needy and arrange for visits to a few homes, identify among the list the most needy and also prepare us a quotation of the items that we want to buy for our dry food packs that will be distributed out. Coupons will be provided to the families that the food will be distributed to and for those that have capacity to come and collect they can come and collect at our distribution centre. For those that do not, we arrange to be sent to their homes.
August 14th 2011: In the early morning of August14th, we left for Hajja going through winding terrain roads with beautiful sceneries. This is what I like about travelling throughout Yemen, beautiful sights subhanallah. Alhamdulillah we got through the first and many other checkpoints without being questioned, but not without a lot of doa – but what really brings home to me on this trip was 2 things: what HE intends will happen and the fact that Allah Kareem (Allah is most generous). You see, foreigners cannot travel outside of Sana’a without first getting a travel permit from the government. Although it was on a 125 km ride, it took us 3 hours to get there due to the rugged terrains that we had to pass through. We took a rest before we started our rounds of visiting the villages in Hajja. We started visiting 3 families in Hajja town itself before moving on to the villages. Already in the town itself you can see the poverty that you see in statistics that you used to read about. As we headed out to the villages, we saw more poverty stricken society. Normal sights are cooking with wood, sharing a kitchen with a bedroom, or sharing a room with their herd of lamb, sharing the kitchen with their cow, toilets that we probably find hard to go to, houses with rooms that are cave like … subhanallah .. brings across that Allah is most kind to us. Having described all that, sometimes I feel they are a society more protected than us though we think they are more deprived. They have no money but they eat from whatever they have, they may not have a nice home and car but they have no mortgages, we think they live in hardship but really it has become life to them which they have accepted – you don’t miss what you never had. So another point brought home, Allah never burden you with that which you cannot carry. In the current political crisis, they have no electricity and water is scarce. When I ask how they live, they only replied with “Allah Kareem”. Anyway, I can’t begin to count the number of houses I visited going up and down mountain terrains on foot in order to get to the homes – but I did see the poverty statisctics in Yemen. We returned before maghrib and went to three suppliers in order to get quotation for food supplies. After tarawih, we went to buy the food that we planned to distribute out to very very needy in the villages.
August 15th 2011: We left Hajja early the next morning to retrun to Sana’a. The whole day today we took a rest after the short but fulfilling trip to Hajja, which also took a strain on my leg muscles.
August 16th 2011: We got quotations from food suppliers in Sana’a. This is the aid program for Sana’a on this mission. We bought the food and decided on the distribution centres so that the food packs could be sent toa distribution centre to be collected by identified families.
After asr, the wounded President appeared on TV from Saudi Arabia addressing the Yemeni people that he would return to Yemen. At the start of Ishak prayers we heard fireworks and gunshots going on for a good hour. In the apartment we had no electricity and we were also confused as to what was going on, The gunshots and fireworks were quite near our area and can be seen from our window. I received messages from Abdul Rahman for us to stay away from the windows. Later we heard that it was really celeberation by the President’s supporters in relation to the news that he was coming home.
August 17th 2011: The early morning of August 17th saw many fighter planes flying across Sana’a skies. I opened up my computer only to find out that these planes were heading to Arhab to further weaken the tribes that which are really protecting the people of Sana’a. Arhab is a village on the route to the airport army base. The Arhab tribe is preventing the weapons and other war equipment of the government from getting to the army base just before the airport. Hence, they are being heavily attacked by the government – not ground attack but air attack. We can only pray that Allah protect those that protect HIS religion. The scene around Sana’a today was also worrying. When we arrived two weeks ago, Sana’a seemed to have calmed down from when we left. Today saw many armored cars, tanks and armed personnel sprawled all over Sana’a as if waiting for orders. I worry that something might strike after ishak as it did last night. Today was the announcement of the National Council by the people, short of forming a government. We had to go out today as we had to run errands before we leave. Picking up our passports was the main event as we had to make sure we had to have exit permits before we left.
August 18th 2011 : We headed out to visit as many participating kitchens that we could fit in between dzohr and maghrib. We started with Judur kitchen as it was located somewhere in the outskirt of Sana’a. I remember when I first visited the kitchen how quiet our host were. There was only one pot cooking in their kitchen and providing food was done in secrecy as they did not have enough to provide to all the needy. Today’s scene was entirely different and very heart warming to me. Our hosts were smiling and eager to show what they have done with the help that we have provided. Going to the kitchen saw an additional two big pots cooking. They were providing chicken, tamr (dates) and yoghurt and their kitchen is no longer operating in secrcecy. They are providing more than double since they started and the families coming to take food are increasing daily.
The next kitchen was at Jamek Asia. Jamek Asia buys dry food and rents a kitchen to cook for them. At the time that we went the food was not ready yet and as such we decided to move to Shamlan Kitchen.
Shamlan kitchen also saw and increasing in pots cooking. The day after we provided fudns to increase their iftar offerings, they bought 100kg of meat as they have been having no meat iftar packs. Alhamdulillah, every other day now they provide chicken in their meal pack.
We moved on to Jamek Azban and Jamak Ar-Rahman which were both increasing their iftar meals to double.
We later visited the storage sites where we had already purchased for the dry food packs. In this area we are working together with them in order to provide to as many as 1000 families in Sana’a. They also have other contributors towards the packs, as such they include items that are not in our list into the food pack as well, such as sugar and dates. There are also other contributors for the same thing that we provide, so when we add up everything, we manage to get 1000 packs distributed out in Sana’a and surrounding villages – to the poor.
August 19th 2001: Today is the last day we are in Sana’a. It is so sad to find out and see how the political scene is evolving. The Sana’a Expo Centre (belonging to the al-Ahmar family) which is situated behind where we are staying was looted by thugs protected and encouraged by the Republican guards in the early hours of the morning. The thugs were also shooting among them to get whatever they can from the Expo Centre. This is such a sad scene. We passed by the place after Jumaah prayers seeing still looters taking whatever they can – glass, electrical cables etc… earlier the bigger thugs came with trucks taking everything from the Expo Centre. A pickup with no number plates was stationed with a machine gun in order to protect the thugs. Such a haram thing to do in the month of Ramadhan.
It is really sad to see Yemen turning into what it is today, because it was such a peaceful place to stay in amidst all the chaotic scenes.
We also took the opportunity today to say good bye to people that have been apart of our lives for the past 5 years. I took my son to see 2 of his friends and drop of souvernirs for them. Later we went to say goodbye to our neighbors in Zubeiry, a neighbourhood that have come to know us, supported and protected us the last 5 years. I could really feel the sadness, and I am sure my son felt the same saying good bye to his friends.
August 20th 2011: We left Yemen today. It was really a mixed feeling for me, sad as this backward country has somehow left a distinct mark on our hearts and mind, and yet I know that if I were to stay, I cannot support myself and my children. Sad as we see people in hardship and nothing is moving economically unless you are in the food business or you have business dealing outside the country. Sad because it seems that there is no end to the situation that they are faced with.
I am sure we will be back in Yemen again one day but under what circumstance, I am not sure. All I know is that I am glad to have been given this blessing and opportunity to be of some value to some of the people in Yemen, a country that has carved a niche in my heart.
My prayers that Allah swt will grant them the victory and the liberation that they as a people deserve. Ameen.
