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CATHERINE W GICHUKI
DOHA
AS the Holy Month of Ramadan is a period of prayer, charity and coming closer to God, Qatar Charity (QC) has opened an office in Kenya to be able to conduct its humanitarian works more easily.
Ramadan is a season that all Muslims in Kenya and all over the world look forward to and the opening of the QC's office in the country makes this year's Ramadan exceptionally different.
Speaking to Qatar Tribune, Kenyan Ambassador to Qatar HE Galma Mukhe Boru said the opening of Qatar Charity office in Kenya will provide room for more charity works, especially during Ramadan."The process of opening the office in Kenya began in 2011. Now it is open and they will be able to support the poor in general, and feed them during Ramadan, in particular," he said.
The ambassador said, like other parts of the world, Ramadan in Kenya is associated with charity as those who are well-to-do support the less-privileged.
"We support the less-privilege among us and give them food. We also do a lot of charity work whereby members of the Muslim community donate to the poor so that they are able to have decent meals," the ambassador said, adding that some people prepare food and take to the mosques for the less-privileged to break their fast while others invite people to their homes to break the fast together.
The ambassador pointed out that there are similarities in the meals people eat during iftar in Kenya and in the Gulf region because foods such as biryani and juices are commonly available in both places.
"We eat dates, which are imported from the Gulf region, to break our fast. We also share with those who cannot afford. We share with the less-fortunate members of the community," the ambassador said. He added that Kenya's president has a tradition of hosting iftar for Muslims in the state house during Ramadan.
"When it comes to dressing, especially during Ramadan, women wear 'buibui' (abaya) and men wear 'kanzus' (thobes). In Kenya, it is not necessary to wear these clothes in other times, but during Ramadan it is always good to wear the traditional Muslim clothes," he said.
He added that Ngarangao is also celebrated, especially in the Kenya's coastal region, particularly Mombasa and Lamu.
Wishing Kenyans and Muslims all over the world a joyful Ramadan, the ambassador said that fasting in Kenya is a lot easier in terms of weather."Kenya is geographically located along the equator and days and nights are equal. Therefore, people fast for a minimum of 12 hours a day. The weather is also cool since the temperatures range around 18 degrees Celsius."
He added that the Eid celebrations in Kenya are also similar to the way it is celebrated in the Gulf region."The Eid week is a wonderful time for families to visit each other. Every family slaughters a goat and shares with family, friends and neighbours. Children also move from house to house collecting sweets while wearing their new outfits. In the morning of Eid, we put oud in our houses to smell nice," he said.
The ambassador also said that Eid prayers can continue until 10am because people enter mosques in batches owing to small spaces, compared to the large Muslim community in the country."However, there are certain places where they pray in open grounds such as in Nairobi and Mombasa," the ambassador concluded.
