Deliveroo has partnered with author Zeba Talkhani (illustrated by Abeeha Tariq) to distribute hundreds of copies of her book ‘The Most Exciting Eid’ - for free - with restaurant orders to help British families learn about Ramadan in a new ‘Deliveread’ initiative.
The ‘Deliveread’ initiative comes following a survey commissioned by Deliveroo revealing over 7 in 10 (75%) of non-Muslim Brits are not familiar with the concept of Ramadan, while 9 out of 10 ( 89%) Muslims in the UK believe Islamic culture and practices should be taught to children from a young age.
‘The Most Exciting Eid’ by Zeba Talkhani (illustrated by Abeeha Tariq) is a bright and colourful book that narrates the story of a girl named Safa and her family who are excited and preparing for Eid-al-fitr, a festival marking the end of the fast of Ramadan. The book gives young readers insights into the true meaning of Eid and Ramadan, while teaching Islamic values of tolerance, respect, empathy and generosity.
Customers can opt in for a free copy of The Most Exciting Eid’ with food orders from ten restaurants covering major UK towns and cities including The Athenian (London), Anand Sweets (Leeds), Don Tacos (Manchester), Porto Piri Piri (Glasgow), Konak (Leicester) and many more. With each free book redeemed, Deliveroo will donate £1 to charity.
The Deliveroo survey also reveals an appetite for learning, with 5 in 10 (50%) non-Muslims saying they would like to understand more about the calendar observation. This is positive news for the 10% of Muslims who say they have felt unsupported by family, friends and colleagues who are not observing Ramadan.
With 37% of non-Muslim Brits being unaware that Ramadan involves fasting, Deliveroo is helping to educate and bring support to communities - friends, families and colleagues - who might be observing the practice.
Zeba Talkhani, author of ‘The Most Exciting Eid’ said: I’m really proud to be a part of this campaign. ‘The Most Exciting Eid’ is the perfect tool for those looking to better inform their family about Eid, Ramadan and the important Islamic traditions of sharing and caring. It is essential that as a society, we do what we can to inform ourselves (and our younger generations), as information is the key to equality, compassion and tolerance. I encourage families to opt in for a free book with their Deliveroo order and take time to read it together, as surely we all can learn from Safa’s story!
Abeeha Tariq, illustrator of The Most Exciting Eid said: ‘Working on The Most Exciting Eid as my debut picture book was such a wonderful experience. I'm so grateful that I was able to bring Zeba's fun and inviting story about Ramadan and Eid to life through my illustrations and sprinkle in all of the things I loved about Eid growing up throughout them - from family and food, to clothes and community! I hope young readers will continue to see themselves and their communities through this story, as well as learning more about the festival of Eid.’
Busi Sizani, Global Head of DE&I at Deliveroo said: “At Deliveroo, we celebrate the special blend of differences—of lives and journeys—that make up this unique community and network of ours. Ramadan is observed by many of our employees, riders, partners and customers, so we’re proud to be partnering with Zeba Talkhani, author of The Most Exciting Eid’ and launch this free books initiative."
To support its Muslim riders, Deliveroo has also launched an initiative to provide safe-riding tips for riders observing Ramadan, as well as working with Deliveroo restaurant partners to offer free Iftar snacks to break the fast. More information can be found on https://riders.deliveroo.co.uk/en/ramadan.
