A woman carries ration bags donated by the All Pakistan Chinese Enterprises Association (APCEA) in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan on April 19, 2023.(Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)
by Misbah Saba Malik
ISLAMABAD, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Aansa Perveen, a 35-year-old Pakistani widow, was overwhelmed when a Chinese lady handed over two big bags carrying all basic food items to her at a ceremony held days ahead of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr.
Perveen looked closely at the bags, adorned with China and Pakistan's flags, contemplating their importance for her family of four during the Eid holiday after a financially tough Ramadan and feeling a strong sense of gratitude towards the Chinese for their kind gesture during the trying times.
"It is a great Eid gift from the Chinese for my three daughters and me. It is just like a token of love coming from a dear friend at the right time," she added.
Perveen and many others like her received the ration bags from the All Pakistan Chinese Enterprises Association (APCEA) at the ceremony in collaboration with the state-owned charity office Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM).
The Chinese association handed over 1,300 bags to the Pakistani office, carrying various food items, including cooking oil, pulses, flour, rice, sugar and tea.
Amir Fida Paracha, managing director of the PBM, told Xinhua that people whose income is less than 30,000 rupees (106.92 U.S. dollars) a month are eligible for the Chinese-donated Eid package, and special preference will be given to widows and orphans.
He said around 100 ration bags were distributed during the ceremony mainly to the people in the low-income group whose kids are suffering from thalassemia and are being treated by a non-government organization in the capital.
"They are very poor. Some of the kids are orphans, so helping them with food items shortly before Eid means a lot to them, and because of it they can enjoy good meals during the holidays," he added.
Saeed Azam, a daily wage laborer, was also among the people who received the relief package from the APCEA.
Azam told Xinhua that the Eid holidays will be extended to five days this time, and he was so concerned that he might be unable to find any work during the holiday that his seven-member family might have struggled to afford food.
"The act of generosity by the Chinese is of significant value to us. It not only gave us a sigh of relief but also elevated the joy by transforming our bleak Eid into a jubilant occasion," he added.
The APCEA has more than 200 members comprising Chinese enterprises and organizations based in Pakistan, striving to enhance economic and social cooperation.
Wang Huihua, vice chairman of the APCEA, told Xinhua that through the donation, they want to remove the financial concerns of the underprivileged people during Eid to help them enjoy the festival.
"The theme of Eid's donation is 'No Empty Stomachs, Only Full Hearts,' and we want people to feel the joy of Eid with hearts filled with love and happiness, without any worry about food, as a gesture to share the joy of the festival with our friends," he added. ■