Flavor of Ramadan

19 year old Sajjad, is one of more than 4,500 Afghan refugees who live in Rafsanjan settlement in Kerman province in Iran. His parents fled Afghanistan when they were teenagers. They met in Rafsanjan and got married and lived there with their 3 children for over 20 years, AVA Diplomatic reports.

Sajjad who lost his father 2 years ago now supports his mother and 2 siblings. He finished high school last year and has been working at the settlement bakery as a baker for the past 6 months.

“I am a “breadwinner” and “bread baker” at the same time” Sajjad jokingly says; “Baking bread in Ramadan is even more rewarding and feels more important during this holy month when every family breaks their fast at Iftar with the bread that I have baked.”

In Rafsanjan, like in many other settlements, bakeries are run by the refugees themselves and refugees receive their wheat flour entitlement in the form of daily bread. WFP and Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) have established clear guidelines and the bakeries are operated under close government supervision.

“Each bread I bake and hand out reminds me of those less fortunate who are hungry and fear for their lives every day. I pray for peace and friendship for all nations and hope to see a day that no one suffers from hunger.”

For the past 30 years WFP has been providing food assistance including wheat flour, rice, sugar, lentils and vegetable oil to some 30,000 Afghan and Iraqi refugees residing in 20 settlements across the country.