Locals receive foodstuff donated by MCC-JCL Aynak Minerals Company Ltd. (MJAM) for the occasion of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2023. A crowd of needy Afghans from east Logar Province gathered at the Mosi Aynak base of the MCC-JCL Aynak Minerals Company Ltd. (MJAM) on June 21 to receive a package of foodstuff supplied by the Chinese mining firm ahead of the Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, which falls on June 28 this year in Afghanistan.(Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
PUL-E-ALAM, Afghanistan, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Standing beside a truck loaded with food donated from China, Shah Agha is eager to take the foodstuff home, which will delight his family in Afghanistan.
A crowd of needy Afghans from east Logar Province gathered at the Mosi Aynak base of the MCC-JCL Aynak Minerals Company Ltd. (MJAM) on June 21 to receive a package of foodstuff supplied by the Chinese mining firm ahead of the Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, which falls on June 28 this year in Afghanistan.
The MJAM supplied humanitarian aid worth 20,000 U.S. dollars to needy families from the province's Mohammad Agha district.
"I took flour, cooking oil, tea, and sugar home and my children will be delighted," aid recipient Agha said.
The impoverished Afghan man, also the breadwinner of a 10-member family, muttered that he hadn't taken anything to his family to celebrate the Eid al-Adha.
"I earn a daily wage and the availability of work for me depends on my luck, as each week on average, I work two or three days a week. I earn 350 afghanis (about 4 U.S. dollars) daily," Agha told Xinhua at the site of the aid distribution.
"The food aid for each recipient will last about 10 days, and I plan to keep it for Eid. At that time, we can make palaw (a traditional dish mainly made of rice)," Bulbul told Xinhua.
"In our daily farming life, we only have a little palaw to eat, just making meals with some vegetables," said Bulbul.
The last time Bulbul ate palaw was 10 days ago. "We eat palaw during the Eid al-Adha, at wedding parties, or while receiving such food from charity," he said.
Eid al-Adha will be widely celebrated across the country for three days as public holidays, during which rich people will organize charity programs to provide a variety of dishes including palaw free of charge to people in need.
"I'm really thankful for the Chinese company's assistance," Bulbul said.
Welcoming the aid package, Mawlawi Atiqullah Azizi, the acting deputy Minister of Information and Culture, in his speech expressed his gratitude to the Chinese company's act of kindness.
Over the past year, China has also been providing other humanitarian assistance, including COVID-19 vaccines, winter clothes, food products, and tents to needy Afghan families.
Azizi also noted that the almsdeed and presence of Chinese people and China-invested companies in Afghanistan have boosted the country's progress to nation-build via a number of major projects. ■
This photo taken on June 21, 2023 shows foodstuff donated by MCC-JCL Aynak Minerals Company Ltd. (MJAM) for the occasion of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, in Logar Province, Afghanistan. A crowd of needy Afghans from east Logar Province gathered at the Mosi Aynak base of the MCC-JCL Aynak Minerals Company Ltd. (MJAM) on June 21 to receive a package of foodstuff supplied by the Chinese mining firm ahead of the Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, which falls on June 28 this year in Afghanistan.(Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
This photo taken on June 21, 2023 shows foodstuff donated by MCC-JCL Aynak Minerals Company Ltd. (MJAM) for the occasion of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, in Logar Province, Afghanistan. A crowd of needy Afghans from east Logar Province gathered at the Mosi Aynak base of the MCC-JCL Aynak Minerals Company Ltd. (MJAM) on June 21 to receive a package of foodstuff supplied by the Chinese mining firm ahead of the Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, which falls on June 28 this year in Afghanistan.(Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)