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Iftar dinner

As part of the second edition of the This is UU Week, an Iftar meal was held at the Parnassos cultural centre on 18 April 2023. Everyone was welcome to dine after sunset.

An Iftar is the fasting meal in Ramadan. The evening was opened on a personal note by UP’s project leader Chahida Bouhamou. Ramadan has a special meaning for her. It is a month of reflection, self-restraint, but also of support and generosity. Thus, she teaches her own children the importance of thinking of your fellow man and has them donate part of their pocket money to charity. Chahida: “It is not a period in which you just DO NOT eat or drink, but rather a period when you DO many things as well.”

Afterwards, comedians Rogier Bak and Sjoerd Scott entertained us until the sun went down. Deviously, they managed to make the diverse audience laugh and showed that humour is also transferable internationally. Especially the jokes about the Dutch healthcare system and paracetamol did very well with this audience. At sunset, delicious dishes of Moroccan cuisine were served by Cuzina.

New friendships were formed on the evening and students had a sense of home at the university. Curious about how people experienced the evening? Take a look at the DUB’s interview here:

"As a first generation student, Judith had a hard time adjusting to the pace of studying at University. Besides, due to external factors such as having to take care of her father resulted in finishing her studies not as quickly as she had expected."