Everything goes up in smoke when the oven is cold. Let’s speak to a fellow human being, who doesn’t have the means to light the oven, and he will make things clear. He will tell us how it turns flames of desire pale, how it makes walking through life painfully wobbly, how it renders life absent, how it causes failure to heal life’s million cuts as they lacerate and how it keeps increasing the weight of tears with each sunrise.  

Therefore, it was really heartwarming to read a report about helping the needy in the United Arab Emirates. The article said, “The Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowment Consultancy (MBRGCEC), under the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF), announced the launch of the Bread for All initiative that aims to aid underprivileged families and workers by providing free bread at various times of the day.

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Every other form of liberty can wait…

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The digital initiative aims to provide fresh bread to those in need through smart machines deployed in several outlets. The pre-programmed machines prepare bread and provide it free of charge as part of a modern and sustainable model of charity work. The project realises the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who stressed that, “In the UAE, no one sleeps hungry…”

That is such a watertight and deeply humane position taken by an emulative nation-builder.

The bread vending machine.

We can’t deny that freedom from hunger is freedom’s greatest face. Every other form of liberty can wait and is open to compromise and open to amendment.   

Those of us who don’t have to confront the tyranny of empty plates must help those felled by that man-made emptiness. Their number runs into millions.

Contributions can be directed to: Dubai Now app, or via SMS to 3656 for a Dhs10 donation, 3658 for Dhs50, 3659 for Dhs100, or to 3679 for Dhs500.