Expat distributes 450 free food boxes daily

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Expat distributes 450 free food boxes daily
Food is distributed every single day, even during the weekends, after the afternoon prayers.

Ajman - Located at the pristine Ajman Corniche, the popular seafood restaurant is open from 1.30pm to 4am every day.

by

Dhanusha Gokulan

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Published: Thu 12 Jul 2018, 9:03 PM

Last updated: Thu 12 Jul 2018, 11:08 PM

Taking the spirit of giving over and above the holy month of Ramadan, a good Samaritan restaurateur has been distributing hundreds of food boxes to the less fortunate every day, for the last three years.
Egyptian national Ahmed Hassan Ibrahim is an accountant by profession and also the owner of Themar Al Bahar Restaurant. Located at the pristine Ajman Corniche, the popular seafood restaurant is open from 1.30pm to 4am every day. He has been in the UAE since 1999 and launched his restaurant in 2005.
However, unknown to most restaurant customers, approximately 450 boxes of meat or chicken biryani, juice and water are packed in the restaurant and distributed to various charities and workers in construction sites in several locations across Ajman. "The staff start cooking at 6am and continue all the way till 12.30pm when it is packed and sent to places where people need the food," explained Ibrahim.
Food is distributed every single day, even during the weekends, after the afternoon prayers. The boxes are packed into the restaurant delivery vehicles and vans and taken to different construction sites. "A lot of workers, to whom we distribute food, live in the area behind the restaurant. There are several construction sites here as Ajman is fast progressing, so the workers' population is pretty huge here," he added.
Today, Ibrahim's restaurant also works with the Al Ihsan Charity Association as well as the UAE Food Bank Initiative in Ajman. "We distribute 50 to 100 food boxes through these centres, and the remaining are given to workers or even families who are in need of food," he said. Distribution begins at 1pm, and the staff members of the restaurant also distribute the food to families and people passing by. He has a team of 10 drivers working round the clock to deliver the food. 
"I wanted to take the spirit of Ramadan, beyond Ramadan," he said. Every year during the holy month, Ibrahim would set up a tent outside his restaurant and distribute up to 350 to 600 Iftar meals every day. "That's when I asked myself, why should we limit giving to the needy only for Ramadan. People remain hungry during all times of the year," he said. 
The initiative began in 2016 immediately after Eid Al Fitr. He explained: "I started off by distributing 20 meals to the workers. Today, the number has grown to 450 meals. Every few weeks, I increase the number of meals to be distributed. Wherever people need food, I try to distribute." A father of four young daughters, and with one more on the way, the Egyptian national believes in doing his bit for society and also raising children with the same values.
He added: "My daughters would ask me, 'Papa, why are you not charging people for the food'. I would tell them: 'We have so much in abundance. Our health, wealth and life will only improve when we share what we have with those in need'," he added. 
Restaurant employee Majdi also explained that they use only top-quality ingredients while cooking. "We provide freshly-prepared food to the needy every day. The staff are trained to keep in mind high-quality control protocols as needed by the Ajman Municipality. Our chefs also take great care," he added.
Ibrahim admitted that he achieved a certain level of success with the restaurant only after struggling for nearly three years. "We opened the first branch in 2010. It was challenging to get it off the ground. However, after three years of struggle, we started doing well."
Themar Al Bahar Restaurant has opened a second branch in the Corniche area in early 2018, and Ibrahim would like to expand his services to Dubai. 
He loves seafood and says he opened the restaurants as a passion because most people of all nationalities enjoy eating seafood. "I've been living in Ajman for 14 years, and I am blessed to have the opportunity to give back to society," he added.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
 


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