Qatar is a country that is abundantly blessed with riches. As a result, the standard of living in the country is quite high. But sometimes, when you start living exceptionally well, some things that you wouldn’t have otherwise done start creeping in.

Wastage of food is something many people in Qatar do almost subconsciously. Qatar Tribune quoted Qatar-based sustainability advocacy group EcoMENA as saying that half the waste sitting in Qatar's landfills is leftover food!

As a result of Qatar’s high food consumption rate and lack of recycling and management systems, a massive 1.4m metric tonnes of food end up in landfills each year.

Wa’hab aims to redistribute food

Is there a way out to minimise the wastage of food? A new start-up called Wa'hab, founded and run by Wardah Mamukoya, is aiming to do just that by redistributing surplus food to those in need, throughout Qatar.

“Although we know there’re no cases of starvation in Qatar, we believe the less privileged can benefit from the perfectly good food being thrown away by the food industry, including high-end, five-star hotels. This inspired us to provide a network that would redirect surplus food to those in need. At Wa'hab, we give food a second chance to do what it does: feed people,” said Mamukoya.

In Arabic, the word Wa'hab means ‘to give in service’ and the company is dedicated to that principle. Wa'hab is a private company and currently self-funded by its core team members.

The company had a soft launching during #QIFF2017 and managed to recover and redirect more than 1000 high-quality meals to Eid Charity, who then distributed them to the less privileged section of our society with the help of volunteers.

With Ramadan fast approaching, several hotels have announced lavish Suhours and Iftars, and Wa'hab will be there to take away the excess food.

Volunteering/contact Wa'hab

Those who would like to volunteer for Wa’hab, write to volunteers@wahab.qa

Also, follow Wa'hab on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Eid Charity's ‘Food Saving Bank’

Meanwhile, more than 2,900 needy families and 17,000 workers benefited from the assistance provided by Eid Charity's ‘Food Saving Bank’ in April, according to The Sheikh Eid Bin Mohammed Al Thani Charitable Association.

The Food Saving Bank, an innovative humanitarian initiative of the Foundation, distributed ready meals, dry cereals, vegetables, fruits and other food items among the needy last month, reported Qatar Tribune. The aid included distribution of 35,000 meals, more than 20,000 kilos of various food items, including 1,500kg of fruits and vegetables, 500kg of dates, 400kg of rice, 200kg of sugar, 200kg of meat and chicken, in addition to 300 canned cases of tuna.

Photo courtesy: Qatar Tribune