Community care initiative reaches over 10,500 beneficiaries with aid, vouchers, and festive support

For some families in Singapore, preparing for Hari Raya is not just about celebration, but about dignity, relief, and making sure children can still feel the joy of the season. This Ramadan, a larger community support effort is helping ease that burden for thousands of households.

A Family’s Hari Raya Burden Eases
One beneficiary, identified as Lina, said her main hope is that her children can still experience the joy of Hari Raya. She and her husband are raising two non-verbal autism sons in a household of seven, while relying on a single income of under S$2,000 a month.

She said preparations have not always been easy, and there were years when the family struggled even to cook for the festive season. On March 14, volunteers arrived at their Yishun home with a care pack containing Ramadan essentials and festive items, helping reduce some of the financial strain ahead of Hari Raya.

SalamSG Gives Reaches Homes Across Singapore
Lina’s family was among households supported through SalamSG Gives, an initiative under the broader SalamSG Ramadan movement led by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, or MUIS. The care packs included raya cookies, a Ramadan reflection book, a greeting card, a calendar, a magnet, and fidyah vouchers.

The Yishun distribution involved 14 volunteers from Darul Makmur Mosque visiting 27 households. Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim joined the final hamper distribution ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, alongside grassroots representatives from Nee Soon GRC.

MUIS Expands Ramadan Aid to More Than 10,500 Beneficiaries
MUIS said its Ramadan 2026 support package is worth S$4.3 million and will benefit more than 10,500 recipients during the fasting month. That is up from S$3.08 million in 2025, which supported about 8,200 beneficiaries.

The package is funded by S$3.5 million in zakat funds and S$800,000 in fidyah contributions. MUIS said the support goes to low-income families, Muslim tertiary students, residents of selected welfare homes, ComCare Long-Term Assistance recipients, and households referred by family service centres.

Zakat and Fidyah at the Core of Community Support
Faishal said the generosity shown by the Muslim community through zakat contributions reflects the Islamic value of caring for one another and ensuring no one is left behind. He also encouraged continued giving through zakat, fidyah, and voluntary contributions during Ramadan.

MUIS has described SalamSG Ramadan 1447H as a movement centered on gratitude, graciousness, and giving. The outreach program is one of several efforts designed to strengthen community bonds and make support more visible and accessible during Ramadan.

Why the Support Matters Beyond One Season
For families like Lina’s, practical help such as vouchers and food packs can make a direct difference in preparing meals and observing Hari Raya with less worry. But the significance of the support package also goes beyond one household, because it reflects how Singapore’s Muslim institutions are using both faith-based giving and organized outreach to respond to real economic pressures.

For Singaporeans, the program highlights how religious giving can be translated into structured social support. For Indonesians and others in the region, it also offers a model of how community institutions can combine charity, volunteerism, and targeted welfare to support vulnerable households during major religious seasons.

MUIS’ Ramadan support package shows how festive aid can do more than fill short-term gaps. It can restore a sense of dignity, reduce stress for struggling families, and make sure vulnerable households are not left out during one of the most important periods in the Muslim calendar. For Singapore, it reinforces the role of zakat, fidyah, and organized community giving in strengthening social resilience. For the wider region, it offers a practical example of how faith-based support can be scaled to meet real needs with structure and accountability.

Sources: Asia One (2026) , Shafaqna (2026)

Keywords: MUIS Ramadan Support, SalamSG Gives, Faishal Ibrahim, Hari Raya Assistance, Zakat Support Singapore, Fidyah Vouchers