Fikra Yel is the founder of Ramadan Sharing Fridges, an initiative that serves the less fortunate community workers and labourers with free food and drink during Ramadan. 

In 2015, Fikra had a spare fridge and wondered what to do with it. She decided to put the fridge in her front yard and stock it with free food and drink for workers in the neighbourhood. It was also a great way of instilling the value of sharing in her children.

Fast forward a few years, her single fridge evolved in to a Dubai wide initiative where members of the community share a fridge outside their houses and stock it with food for the less fortunate. Today, there are over 150 fridges across Dubai, bringing communities together and breaking barriers. Fridges are stocked voluntarily by generous members of community multiple times a day.

The movement is now an annual event in the Dubai Ramadan calendar and is backed by many schools and large household names as corporate sponsors.

Fikra discusses how it all started, building a community led initiative, the true value of Ramadan Fridges.

Fikra’s story is so inspiring. She could have sold her fridge for some profit but instead decided to use it for a good cause. Her idea was unique. The initiative not only provides free food for the less fortunate, but establishes a relationship with them which would have been possible before.

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