A school’s careers advisor from Bradford is set for his 10th annual Ramadan running challenge in a bid to raise funds for building homes for destitute families in Uganda.
Nazim Ali (fondly known as the Ramadan Runner), has been at the forefront of community and humanitarian initiatives at local, national and international levels, has single-handedly raised over a whopping £665,000 in the process.
On Sunday 16th April 2023, he’ll be running his annual Ramadan 10K run, whilst fasting some 16-hours at the Lincoln (East Midlands) 10K Run.
The award-winning charity champ will not only be abstaining from any food or drink, he’s personally covering the race fee and hotel costs, so that every penny goes towards the given cause.
Uganda is poverty-stricken with abject living conditions for hundreds of thousands of people.
Nazim is raising monies for the ‘Uganda New Homes Project’, which is assisting poor families, widows, orphans, the disabled and elderly, currently living in squalid conditions in the form of makeshift homes of mud and straw.
The homes, being built by ‘Hope for Mankind’ charity, will provide a safer, cleaner, two-room dwelling, protecting people from the harsh elements of summer and winter.
Nazim says: “These homes will provide protection to people who desperately need shelter, as well as improving their lives with a clean place to live, and help them to fight off death from diseases.
“Each home costs just £1,700. Donors will receive full feedback (and personalised plaque and videos).
“I am hoping with Your support to raise at least £42,500 so that we can build 25 new homes for vulnerable and poor families.
“The first home in this project has already been completed.
“I am hoping to visit Uganda in October 2023 so I can personally visit these new homes. I was due to visit Uganda last year in October 2022, but due to the ebola outbreak in the country I had to cancel the trip.
“To date from my previous nine Ramadan 10K Runs, I have raised just over £288,000, and with this April run, God-willing, I will go over the £300,000 mark!”
In 2021, Nazim raised £78,751 for his Ramadan 10K Run, which went towards building 63 new homes for Syrian Refugees in Northern Syria. Last year during his Ramadan run, he raised £66,559 to build 35 new homes for the poor in Sindh province, Pakistan.
Over the last decade, he’s distributed aid in person to the Turkey/Syria border (on seven occasions), the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, Iraqi refugees in war torn Mosul (Iraq), poverty stricken Malawi (Africa), Pakistan pre-Ramadan deployment (March 2022), and to refugees in France and Belgium.
Nazim adds: “I work as a Careers Adviser in three inner city schools, and take annual leave for my charity trips, always self-funded.
“Here in the UK, I have volunteered at the Curry Circle Project providing warm two-course meals to the homeless and destitute; and over the last 11 years as part of the ‘Creating Smiles Gifts Initiative’, I’ve made 35 visits to hospitals children’s wards distributing thousands of pounds worth of gifts to poorly children.
“I am training whilst fasting so I can help the less fortunate, and I am eternally thankful to the donors for their kind donations and on-going support, which is incredibly humbling. It is because of them that I am able to do what I do and would not be possible without them. God bless you all.”
To donate, visit Nazim’s JustGiving page.
