Uddingston takeaway helps 50 families in South Sudan

(Image: Freelance)

A local takeaway is helping deprived families in Africa by providing chickens and hens to a charity project.

The Original Mr Chef in Uddingston helped 50 families in South Sudan with two chickens or hens which are used for eggs and breeding – providing vital income for those in poverty.

They teamed up with Lanarkshire charity the Well Foundation, whose livelihood projects fund and distribute the poultry in the Gudele regions of the country.

The Original Mr Chef owner Wasim Arshad was honoured to play his part and see happy children show off their chickens and hens whilst parading the firm’s banner.

“Local community projects and international charity projects are imbedded in my blood and morals as taught to me by my parents and grandparents”, said Wasim.

“As the great Winston Churchill once said ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give’.

“Every year I, along with my Mr Chef brand, donate thousands with 2020 seeing the best part of £30,000 donated.

“The Well Foundation charity are a local Lanarkshire-based charity who do substantial work in the UK and also worldwide and last year they helped to make my dream come true of opening a Mr Chef bakery in Uganda.

“All funds were sent from Scotland. Mr Chef Uddingston takeaway and the Arshad family were humbled to be able to help with a wonderful initiative which provided daily free bread products to orphans and people in need in Uganda.”

The generous support helps deprived families build more sustainable income and quality of life. Wasim explained: “A few weeks ago the Well Foundation contacted me saying they were short of funds for the livelihoods project in South Africa and needed funds to buy hens and chickens for poor villagers to allow them to benefit from the eggs and also in future to sell chicks for money, basically using the hens and chickens as a business.

“Within minutes we had transferred monies to the charity and a week or so later the project was completed.