Fasting For Change – finally, a decision on my three tasks! [Updated]

Ramadan Kareem to everyone out there that is about to embark on a month of fasting, praying and generally trying to get closer to the Almighty. Everyone who has signed up for Fasting For Change holds within them a desire to achieve something a little different this year. As I’ve said before, I don’t want to go through the obligatory motions and then end up feeling disappointed or disillusioned that I didn’t do all that I felt I should.

I wanted to get into the true spirit of Ramadan and for me it’s not about isolating yourself from everyone and just fasting, praying and reading the Qur’an. It’s about doing all of the above and sharing the positivity from it with everyone else you come into contact with. It’s about not being grumpy when some inconsiderate individual does something that would ordinarily make you lose your temper. It’s about not spreading stories about others. It’s about not just paying your zakat into a charity, but rolling up your sleeves and saying “what else can I do to help?”

So for all those people who are genuinely going to set themselves three tasks this month with me, I say may the blessings of Allah be with you and may He open doors this month for you that you never dreamed were possible.

When it came to my own three tasks, I procrastinated a bit (my best skill) and then I got into the whole self-doubt groove (which is also something I do frequently at almost Olympian levels), but the day before the 1st my brain mercifully kicked in again and a massive idea struck me. I got on the phone and schmoozed a bit and the results have astounded me – people started offering assistance and I was blown away by the way that things just came together in my lap.

So the three tasks I have picked for myself are as follows:

1. Spiritual: well, I decided to change this one after realising that my seven-year-old daughter puts me to shame in the Qur'an recitation department. She already knows about three times as many Surahs as I do. So I have vowed to make her teach me some (whether she wants the job or not). Some of the easy ones. So I am going to resolve to learn as much as I can and let you know how my slow silly muggaj fared. Hopefully, my daughter won't hand in her resignation for this job before the end of the month.

2. Environmental: plant a small vegetable patch in my garden in a small step towards self-sustainability. Mostly I chose this one because I can’t bear paying R20 a kilo for tomatoes and R10 for a cucumber.

3. Humanitarian (with a touch of environmental too): take the kids from the Sultan Bahu Children’s Home on safari to the Krugersdorp Game Reserve for the day.

I still have to meet with Oom Japie Mostert from the Krugersdorp Game Reserve to finalise the arrangements for the kids, but it is most certainly in the works and is being planned for a few days after Eid-ul-Fitr.

This trip will be wonderful in so many ways. The children will have a fun day, they will get to learn about nature conservation and any media interest generated from the trip will be directly beneficial to the Game Reserve which has suffered the loss of all their rhinos from poachers as well as their hippos being under threat from the Acid Mine Drainage toxic water tragedy in Johannesburg.

If anyone can offer any help in terms of transport or food for the children, please contact me, but please kindly note that we will not be able to accommodate extra people on this trip as space is extremely limited, although I imagine anyone that would like to come along and pay the Game Reserve’s entrance fee for the day would be most welcome.

So now you all know what I am planning to do – I am waiting for all of you to tell me what you plan to do now! And remember to encourage friends, family and colleagues to join in too…

Happy fasting!

Hajira