by Mohammad Ghazal | Jul 17, 2012 | JORDAN TIMES

AMMAN — Tkiyet Um Ali will launch a campaign during the holy month of Ramadan, to distribute more than a quarter-of-a-million iftar meals to needy families across Jordan.

The charity has already launched a media campaign to solicit donations for the campaign, Tkiyet Um Ali Director General Mahmoud Saif Al Sharif said on Tuesday.

Sharif made his remarks during a press conference at which Orange Jordan also announced several initiatives to support needy families in Ramadan, distribute meals through Tkiyet Um Ali and collect donations through mobile payments.

He called on private companies to donate to Tkiyet Um Ali in order to maximise the number of beneficiaries.

Also in Ramadan, Tkiyet Um Ali will distribute iftar meals to about 80,000 Syrians living in Jordan under a World Food Programme-funded initiative, he said.

Sharif added that 25,000 donors make regular contributions to Tkiyet Um Ali and its campaigns.

Voicing support for Tkiyet Um Ali, Orange Jordan CEO Nayla Khawam stressed the importance of helping the needy during Ramadan.

Khawam highlighted the private sector’s role in sustaining charity efforts not only during Ramadan but throughout the year.

Tkiyet Um Ali, a charity organisation that helps the underprivileged, was launched in 2006 by HRH Princess Haya in memory of her mother, the late Queen Alia.

The project was originally a concept introduced by the late Queen, who died in a helicopter crash in 1977 while returning from a trip to a government-run hospital in Tafileh.

The term “tkiyet” dates back to the Ottoman days, when prominent families opened facilities on their estates to offer food to the poor and homeless.

Source: Jordan Times