Hootsuite’s ‘We Are Social’ 2021 report states that 80.7% of all internet users 18-64 years old use Facebook. For now, it seems to unite the widest age group when compared to platforms like other platforms like Tik Tok, Instagram, and Reddit. It only makes sense then that diverse communities can be found on Facebook groups. They can—based on common interests—participate in polls, converse with one another, share all sorts of multimedia, plan events, and even buy and sell things. Famous for getting Muslims in the mood for charity, Ramadan is motivating many Facebook communities to take on charitable initiatives.
These groups have been proven to help their users to a variety of ends – from getting restaurant recommendations to buying affordable items to finding jobs, and even confiding their innermost feelings within a designated ‘safe space.’ Through some of them, you could even network, showcase your work and get a job!
So if these groups are proven to be so influential in our communities, how can you harness their potential to do good this Ramadan?
To help you join the right groups for you – or perhaps inspire you to create something of your own – we’ve curated a list of groups pursuing worthwhile charitable initiatives this month! Let’s take a look…
I Make This! – Tawasol Egypt
Group Admin: Rania Atef
Photo Via: Tawasol Egypt’s Facebook page.
We should always be aiming to buy from local businesses – both for sustainability reasons and to support local artists. Therefore, at any time of the year, this group is a great one to follow as they give a platform for Egyptian women to advertise and sell their crafts online.
This Ramadan, the group’s administration has chosen to support Tawasol Egypt. Tawasol sells local products made by low-income Egyptian families currently residing in three of Cairo’s informal settlements: Ezzbet Khairallah, Istabl Antar, and Batn el Ba’ara/Dar Al Salam. The proceeds from these products are directed towards funding a local school for their children – most of whom were previously unable to undergo formal education due to their family’s social and economic circumstances.
The school prides itself on its unique and holistic approach to education and its plethora of offered extracurricular activities. It is currently educating 192 students from 8 to 20 years old using a curriculum approved by the Egyptian Ministry of Education.
I Made This! is encouraging their followers to donate to the school. The donations can range from 500 to 30,000LE and will be directed towards paying for a child’s education, school uniform and supplies, weekly allowance, access to a school library, hot meals, and extracurriculars.
What to eat? – Misr El Kheir Foundation
Group Admin: Mohamed Reda
Photo Via: Investigate
The group is usually dedicated to finding the best restaurants in your local area and sharing everything and anything food!
Naturally then, the group has paired with the Misr El Kheir Foundation to provide Ramadan food boxes to as many people as possible! The foundation usually has three main aims: social solidarity, education, and health.
However, within this specific partnership, donors can choose between donating an iftar breakfast, or one of two “cartons of goodness.” These cartons will contain a variety of essentials (pasta, rice, ghee, etc.) to be given to hungry people across Egypt.
If you want to participate in this initiative, in particular, you can either donate here or you can send the message “Eat” to 9597.
However, the Misr El Kheir foundation has plenty of worthwhile causes, all of which you can donate to on their website for the month of Ramadan and beyond!
Egyptian Professional Network – #tal3et_kheir
Group Admin: Mona El Kheshen
Photo Via: Digital Boom
The Egyptian Professional Network reserves its group entry for ambitious, high-performing, and accomplished individuals. It’s therefore reassuring to know that the group’s administrators are encouraging such influential followers to give back to their communities.
After the roaring success of last year’s campaign “tal3et kheir” wherein professionals across the globe pooled their resources together to support 13 Egyptian children in their pursuit of education during the pandemic, this year they’re planning to go bigger!
The administrators have challenged their group members to write a post sharing their happiest and proudest professional achievements of the past year. They should then accompany their post with the hashtag #tal3et_kheir.
With each post, the administrators will set aside more money for donations. At the end of Ramadan, the group members will select a worthwhile charity, and the administrators will donate all of the money set aside throughout the month.
Ma7adesh 2ally – Men Sefr le Talateen (0 to 30 Challenge)
Group Admin: Marian Bahadar and Lara Atallah
Via Ma7adesh 2aly’s Facebook Group.
Marian Bahader has been a pivotal changemaker in encouraging people to openly discuss, change, and grow in the areas of self-development and wellness through Ma7adesh 2ally (which literally translates to ‘No one Told Me’). She built it to bring unfamiliar, life-changing, and helpful notions to an Arabic audience.
The community’s admins are promoting an initiative this Ramadan to focus on our self-development, in the belief that we will subsequently be more available to help others in return. This focus on mental health and self-care is a breath of fresh air after a challenging year for all of us.
The group is releasing content and discursive videos led by guests like the renowned life coach—Lara Atallah—who worked on the initiative from scratch together with Bahader. They’ll both be speaking on topics like practicing gratitude and avoiding burnout with a panel of other speakers.
They describe the initiative as a holistic journey focusing on four themes across four weeks. In order, these are:
- Physical energy
- Thinking and feelings
- Love energy (loving oneself and loving others)
- Spiritual energy (having a purpose and thriving to achieve one’s dreams and goals)
There are even weekly and end-of-the-month and end-of-the-challenge prizes!
All these groups have encouraged and inspired us to do good during Ramadan, we hope they do the same for you! Moreover, reading about these initiatives illuminates the potential of the influence of online communities for good.
