Team spotlight: Rumana’s Ramadan Reflections Part 1

Muslims around the world are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, one of the most important times of the year in the Islamic calendar.

The team at IN4 Group and HOST are fundraising for Kidscan children’s cancer research by fasting for a day and holding a charity Iftar dinner on 26 April, 7.30pm at HOST Social.

Skills City Talent Manager, Rumana Ranguni, shared her experience of Ramadan and what it’s like to be a woman working in the tech sector.

Cyber Salford

Rumana is from Bolton and graduated from Lancaster University with a degree in financial mathematics. Before joining IN4 Group in December 2019, Rumana landed a graduate job with global professional services business Accenture.

She initially joined IN4 Group as Senior Programmes Coordinator to support the Cyber Salford programme, which finished ahead of schedule and successfully supported over 250 businesses with the opportunity to be cyber-enabled, educated and prepared.

“The companies gained a lot of knowledge regarding cyber security and the possible threats that exist. They then applied this knowledge through risk assessments and received a grant to invest back into their business. We created a community through the programme and participants have contacted me to say it was such an amazing experience, they hope we run many more in the future. Covid hit so many people financially, so the grant money of between £1000 to £2500 has helped make a difference,” she said.

Inspiring young people

Rumana swiftly progressed at IN4 to become Talent Manager for Skills City, which is one of the largest digital Skills Bootcamp operations in the UK and supports 450 people into technology careers every year. Having also previously worked as a volunteer at primary schools, she is passionate about inspiring and nurturing young people.

The reward of Ramadan

During the month of Ramadan, many Muslims around the world fast from dawn until sunset as a reminder of how fortunate they are to have food, clean water and the ability to live healthy lives. It is a key time for self-reflection.

Rumana said: “The main thing is to reflect. It isn’t solely about getting away from food, but it's also getting away from bad habits as well. This means stopping yourself from speaking badly about others, swearing, disrespecting others and so much more. Instead, we focus on giving to charities, looking after the needy and being better people.

“During Ramadan, we are 70 times more rewarded for one normal good deed. For example, if I'm smiling at someone, I will be rewarded 70 time more because it's a special month. We try to pray more and reflect about ourselves. This is with the intention of becoming better human beings for the other 11 months. It’s said that once you create a habit and implement it for 30 days, then that habit becomes a part of your daily life.

“Ramadan is one of the months that everybody looks forward to. We all eat and pray as a family, talk, share stories, go out and play, and we give back to our neighbours. Neighbours for us aren't just the people on your right-hand side or the left side of your house. In Islam, our neighbours are 40 houses to the left and 40 houses to the right. So, for example on my street we will give food to everybody.

“If my family cook a big dish then we'll go give it to every single household, and a lot of people do the same for us. And that's what Ramadan is about. It's about sharing, caring, and looking after each other. It's about being one big family. Ramadan isn’t about staying away from food and complaining about it! The thing is it's more of a positive thing. We don't do it to suffer, we do it to learn how to be patient.”

Join Rumana and the IN4 team for HOST Social Giving’s Charity Iftar Dinner supporting Kidscan children’s cancer research. The event is free and open to all, register for tickets here.