Ramadan in Kuwait through the lens of an OFW chef

July 16, 2015

For the past six years, Jomel Bartolome has worked as a commis chef overseas — four years in Dubai and two years in Kuwait.

Everything slows down in Kuwait during Ramadan. Even non-Muslim OFWs are affected.

"Hindi ka rin gaano makakalabas at napaka-humid ng panahon," he says. "At dahil Ramadan, hindi ka makakainom ng tubig, makakain, manigarilyo, at ngumuya ng kahit ano habang ikaw ay nasa labas."

Work is shortened to six hours a day during the Islamic holy month. For Jomel and his colleagues in the food industry, preparations begin at 5 p.m., just as Muslims wind down for iftar, their evening meal. The preparations usually last until 2 a.m., an hour before Muslims begin their fast anew.

Jomel is winding down his current contract. "Yung na-save ko na pera dito ay para sa pang-aral ko ng culinary, hopefully this coming August sa pag-uwi ko," he says.

But before he leaves Kuwait, Jomel decided to pick up his camera and tour various mosques to photograph the Muslim community as they fulfilled their duties together.

"It was an uneasy feeling sa una, taking pictures of people during iftar," he admits. But as he continued, his heart was touched by people and groups who dedicate their time and resources for fellow Muslims to share food for iftar.

"It was an experience na hindi ko malilimutan."

Ramadan in Kuwait
A man removes his shoes to enter the ftoor tent beside the Alibrahim Mosque. It is required to remove one's footwear while entering feasting areas for suhoor, the morning meal, and iftar, the evening meal.

Ramadan in Kuwait
Raz Puning Saurajan (L), an OFW of 12 years, sits with other Filipinos inside the Al-Mulla Saleh Mosque. The Islam Presentation Committee based in the mosque conducts lessons on Islam for free and lessons on Arabic for a fee.

Ramadan in Kuwait
Filipino Islamic Preacher Ustaz Mojahid Gumander (center) leads a group of Filipinos in ftoor inside the Al-Mulla Saleh Mosque.

Ramadan in Kuwait
A group of Filipinos prepare for prayer inside the Al-Mulla Saleh Mosquee after ftoor. In Islam, prayers are conducted either before or after meals during the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan in Kuwait
The child of Filipino Islamic Preacher Ustaz Mojahid Gumander sits on a couch as he waits for prayers to start at the Islam Presentation Committee in the Al-Mulla Saleh Mosque.

Ramadan in Kuwait
Middle Eastern and Asian Muslims prepare food for ftoor outside the Nayif Al Dabous Mosque. Communities usually feast together for suhoor, morning meal, and iftar, evening meal, for the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan in Kuwait
Three men carry their iftar, or evening meal, donated by Kuwaiti locals outside the Bin Bahar Mosque. Iftar is the daily evening meal taken by Muslims at sunset during Ramadan after Maghrib or evening prayer.

Ramadan in Kuwait
Members of the Kuwait Goodness Group, a social care volunteer organization, meets with locals to organize and prepare food for iftar outside the Bin Bahar Mosque.

Ramadan in Kuwait
A Kuwait Goodness Group volunteer assists a Kuwaiti preparing for iftar with his daughter outside the Bin Bahar Mosque. Children do not need to participate in fasting until they reach puberty, but are highly encouraged to practice once a week or half a day.

Ramadan in Kuwait
Mohammed Taha, an Iraqi born in Kuwait, prepares for iftar with his group outside the Khalifa al Sabah Mosque. Taha said locals could spend up to 800 Kuwaiti Dinar or P120,000 a day to feed everyone attending ftoor.

Ramadan in Kuwait
Pizza chef Miquiabas Dante prays one of the traditional prayers during Ramadan. The OFW converted to Islam in 2010 for emotional and spiritual guidance a year after arriving in Saudi Arabia to work for his six children and estranged wife. He has completed two pilgrimages to the holy city of Mecca or Makkah.

Ramadan in Kuwait
Muslims await instructions from the Bin Bahar Mosque to start their ftoor. Adherents to Islam observe fasting from daybreak to sunset on the month of Ramadan to honor the time they believe the Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad.