British Expat, Kelly Harvarde to Feed Nourishing Hearts in Dubai

Though not a Muslim herself, Kelly has made it her mission to feed the hungry during this sacred month…

Kelly Harvarde, a British expat, is turning the month of Ramadan into a magical time of giving in Dubai. For over 15 years, Kelly has called Dubai home, and for the past three years, she and her team at the Dubai Goodwill Group have been spreading joy at the Majid Ahmad AlGhurair Masjid in Satwa. Their goal is to provide meals for an ambitious 45,000 people over the month of Ramadan.

The Dubai Goodwill Group shows how strong a community can be. Regular people, friends, and neighbors team up to give back to the community. Volunteers meet every day at the Satwa mosque and set up stations for hot meals, fruit, and water. Even though there are challenges, Kelly’s team, in its third year, has perfected the process.

Kelly Harvarde said: 

“We brief everyone on the process, where the food is placed, how the lines of people flow, how we replenish and tidy and keep going. We set up the food stations for hot meals, fruit and water. Together we unload the food truck and set up the meals and fruit packs and then we distribute the meals.”

In addition, she admits and remarked: 

“It’s a logistical challenge to manage the volunteers, the meals and the people we serve. This is our third year so we have the organization down to a fine art and everyone works together so beautifully.”

For Kelly, the initiative is the highlight of her year.

She further said: “We remember to greet each and every person who comes for a meal with a smile,” she added: “We say Ramadan Kareem. We look people in the eye and say thank you. We connect. The mosque is alive with a community in service. It rings with different languages, different voices, as we all work together with one aim- to share love and joy at this incredible time of year. It’s the most beautiful part of our day, our week, our year.”

Several years ago, Kelly started a successful Ramadan Fridge project from her family villa in Jumeirah. Every night, she fed over a thousand people. When COVID paused the fridge project, she switched to distributing iftar at the mosque, fully embracing the spirit of Ramadan.

After COVID stopped the fridge project and it wasn’t started again, she started giving iftar at the mosque. For her, Ramadan is great. 

“It is a month to reflect on everything you have,” she said. “To remember that not everyone is so lucky. To be kind, do good deeds and help the community around you. What is not to love about it?”

A bunch of people gathered outside Kelly’s house on certain days, and at times, volunteers handed out food to those fasting in their cars. 

“We could only do it with the help of our wonderful friends, neighbors and the public,” she said. “Every time we ran out of food, we prayed for help and help came in the form of countless friends and strangers.”

As Kelly Harvarde continues to spread love and nourishment, she proves that the magic of Ramadan knows no boundaries.