Free Food For All Charity Founder Nizar Shariff Passes Away
The founder of Free Food For All (FFFA), a charity in Singapore, has passed away.
Back in 2014, he founded the non-profit organisation (NGO) using his own funds to give those in need halal meals free of cost.
In the wake of his death, ex-MP for Sembawang Amrin Amin penned a tribute on Facebook.
Founder of charity giving free food in Singapore passes away
On Tuesday (31 Oct), FFFA revealed that their founder, Mr Nizar Mohamed Shariff, had passed away.
Source: Free Food for All on Facebook
“Today, we bid farewell to our beloved founder, Mr Nizar, whose mission of providing free food for all touched countless lives,” they wrote.
The charity then went on to share some of Mr Nizar’s good deeds, which involved establishing free food initiatives to support those in need.
He also apparently spearheaded community outreach programmes that brought people together and advocated for social equality and inclusivity.
In all his projects, Mr Nizar fostered a culture of compassion and empathy, alongside promoting environmental sustainability.
“Mr Nizar’s legacy will continue to inspire kindness and generosity for generations to come,” FFFA said.
Amrin Amin pays tribute to charity founder
On 31 Oct, Mr Amrin similarly took to Facebook to post a tribute in light of Mr Nizar’s passing.
Source: Amrin Amin on Facebook
He shared that Mr Nizar founded the charity in 2014 with his own funds to provide free halal meals to those who needed them, regardless of race and religion.
Sadly, in the last couple of years, he fell very ill. Nevertheless, even whilst bedridden, Mr Nizar continued to run the organisation from his bed.
“Holding firmly to his belief that no one should go hungry, FFFA provides food to 80 to 100 families a month, and has served more than 100,000 households in Singapore,” Mr Amrin said. Recalling Mr Nizar’s spark, he quipped,
Always full of ideas — but he didn’t stop there. An imaginative thinker and doer.
The late founder would also experiment with different means of assisting the needy, from stocking fridges to self-heating meals for the homeless.
“Nizar sent me Pakistani mangoes quite frequently,” Mr Amrin shared. “It’s so him — very thoughtful and like mangoes, very sweet and packed with goodness.”
The former MP added that even until his very last days, Mr Nizar would think of others. Just four days ago, he had managed to get a water truck to provide Gaza with 3,000 litres of water.
Source: Nizar Mohd Shariff on Facebook
“Nizar humbly described this effort as a ‘drop in an ocean,'” Mr Amrin said. “You’ve done a great deal, dear Nizar. Thank you for the inspiration.”
Has assisted overseas communities as well
Previously in the shipping business, Mr Nizar used to live a life of luxury until 2014, when a desire for change kicked in.
Source: Nizar Mohd Shariff on Facebook
Speaking to Tatler Asia, he said, “I don’t like the feeling of making money off the sweat, tears and pain of others.”
I measure someone’s wealth no longer by what he has, but by what he’s willing to give.
For the first six months of setting up FFFA, he spent over S$100,000 of his own funds.
In 2015, the NGO was officially registered as a charity and its Institutions of a Public Character (IPC) status enabled tax-deductible donations.
Source: Nizar Mohd Shariff on Facebook
The charity now has several programmes to tackle food insecurity and food waste.
Mr Nizar’s focus wasn’t just on assisting the less fortunate in Singapore, having provided impoverished overseas communities with aid.
For instance, he most recently donated food baskets to families in war-torn Gaza, alongside the provision of water.
MS News extends our deepest condolences to Mr Nizar’s family. As a philanthropic leader in our community, he will be deeply missed.
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Featured image adapted from Nizar Mohd Shariff on Facebook and Facebook.
