(Damascus) Every evening during the month of Ramadan, before breaking the fast, bikers crisscross the streets of Damascus to deliver meals to the needy, breaking the stereotypes attached to two-wheel enthusiasts in Syria.
“We go to the most popular neighborhoods, people know us, smile at us and love us,” says the president of the “Hope Bikers Syria” motorcycle club, Tarek Obaid.
This fifty-year-old supervises food distributions carried out in working-class neighborhoods of the capital during Ramadan, during which Muslims abstain from eating and drinking until sunset.
Like him, around fifty volunteer bikers take turns within charitable associations to prepare and distribute meals to people in need during this month of fasting.
By preparing chicken rice dishes, Tarek Obaid says his group is mobilizing for “humanitarian or moral purposes”.
The volunteers, some of whom wear full beards and a ring flanked by a skull, gather every day in the kitchen.
They cut and cook vegetables and meat, adding them to rice they have purchased from charities, before packaging it for distribution.
“Before, people avoided motorcycles when they saw them, but today, they rejoice at the sight of our blue uniforms or when they hear the noise of our vehicles,” enthuses Mr. Obaid, a professor of swimming.
The team, which has Christian and Muslim members, has no political or religious affiliation and began its activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She was then responsible for quickly transporting oxygen cylinders for urgent medical cases.
The pandemic having subsided, the group redirected its efforts towards other humanitarian activities, such as aid to victims of the violent earthquake which shook Syria in February 2023, the involvement of orphans in their activities, or distributions of a meal.
“Means of assistance”
After preparing the meals, the team goes to a retirement home on the outskirts of Damascus.
Perched on their Harley-Davidsons and other imposing motorcycles, volunteers move nimbly through busy areas and narrow alleys. They take advantage of the advantage of being on a motorbike to avoid traffic jams and deliver as many dishes as possible as quickly as possible.
“Even if the motorcycle consumes less [qu’une voiture], we have difficulty getting gasoline,” assures George Hafteh, 37, a volunteer with a full beard. “But we even cover the cost” of fuel.
Ravaged by 13 years of civil war, Syria is going through a stifling economic crisis, marked by a rise in prices, particularly those of gasoline since the lifting of subsidies last August.
Since the start of the conflict which left 90% of the population below the UN poverty line, motorcycles in Syria have acquired a bad reputation, often used by thieves on the run.
An image that the group tries to polish, “by assuming our responsibility towards people”, assures George. “All our fatigue dissipates when we see the children’s smiles. »
When they arrive at the retirement home, George and his comrades get off their motorcycles and carry the sacks of meals to the rooms.
Amer Totanji, 31, is also participating in the distribution this year and has contributed with his team to helping dozens of families since the start of the month of fasting.
“We benefit from the fact that the motorcycle is more practical due to its small size […] More than just a means of transport, it has become a means of assistance to people in need. »