MÜSİAD Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Local High Board Ahmet Şekerli said, "Last year we distributed 98,000 food parcels; this year our target is to exceed 100,000. MÜSİAD is a community formed not only by people of commerce but also by people of heart"
Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Local High Board Ahmet Şekerli, stating that they are rapidly continuing food aid on the occasion of the month of Ramadan, said, 'Last year we distributed 98,000 food parcels; this year our target is to exceed 100,000. MÜSİAD is a community formed not only by people of commerce but also by people of heart.'
Şekerli provided information about the aid work MÜSİAD carries out for those in need throughout the month of Ramadan.
Conveying that they continue until the religious holiday the aid preparations they began before Ramadan, Şekerli said, 'MÜSİAD has a broad organizational network abroad and at home. All our members who wished to give support delivered their donations before Ramadan. We made our preparations and carried out our work in every province of Türkiye. As of today, our distribution of food parcels has exceeded 70,000. We distribute these mainly through our own organization.'
Saying that they will increase their work as the holiday approaches, Şekerli made the following assessment: 'We hope that this figure of 70,000 will rise as the holiday nears. Last year we distributed 98,000 food parcels; this year our target is to exceed 100,000. We trust our organization; they are sensitive people who will reach those in need, because MÜSİAD is a community formed not only by people of commerce but also by people of heart.'
'Credit ledgers are being purchased in order to help those in need'
Stating that they also think of the sector employees who are having difficulties because of the full lockdown, Şekerli continued as follows:
'We primarily strove to carry out the distributions through our friends working in the businesses that are closed in the service and retail sectors. We also carry out these distributions together with our Young MÜSİAD brothers and the Vefa Social Support Group affiliated with the governorates. As of the 21st day of Ramadan, we have food convoys that have set out for our 13 provinces in the east. Our organization is conducting its work in our provinces with lower income levels. Before Ramadan we had sent flour to Azaz in Syria; God willing, on the Night of Power we will again have a food parcel distribution in Azaz, where we have a MÜSİAD branch, before the holiday.'
Recalling that there are people in need in many parts of İstanbul, Şekerli stated, 'We reached them through our organizational network; another tradition of ours that we have reserved for the last 10 days is the purchase of credit (zimem) ledgers. This was a tradition of ours that had almost been forgotten. In past years MÜSİAD brought it to the fore and set an example throughout our country. Afterwards many institutions also began to do this.'
Reporting that many people were reached through the aid, Şekerli said, 'The important aspect of this tradition is that the debtor does not know who paid the debt. Nor does the one who pays know whose debt he has paid. This is a very beautiful feeling. In connection with this, we have an exhibition we created at MÜSİAD about the credit ledgers that were purchased. In fact, one of them had even been bought from Jerusalem.'
'Abroad, aid is delivered through on-site purchasing'
Noting that they organize iftar programs for those in need abroad, Şekerli said, 'Because of the pandemic there are lockdowns in some countries as well. For this reason, in the places where we could not hold an iftar program, we were able to carry out on-site purchasing. Since we had planned the entire program to give iftar there, we did not send food parcels from here; but if there was a lockdown, we immediately carried out our food parcel distribution in the region through on-site purchasing.'
Şekerli further expressed that MÜSİAD has partner organizations abroad and that, together with many foundations, associations or state institutions, they reach every corner of the world.