CHAMPION OF CHARITY

Nizar Shariff, the founder of Free Food For All (FFFA), is living proof that giving has no limits. His generous spirit knows no bounds, undeterred by the challenges life throws at him. He shares his personal life story that paved the way for FFFA's creation and its upcoming initiatives to empower the needy.

- NAFEESA SAINI

Nothing is standing in Nizar Shariff's path to giving. Not even the bad hand life has dealt him. The founder of Free Food For All (FFFA) remains steadfast in his mission of helping the underprivileged, despite his battle with diabetes that has left him bedridden.

On the outside, Nizar may seem like a shadow of his former self, but inside, he is still the selfless, strong-willed leader who is driven by his philanthropic spirit. At 1.85m, his commanding presence and generous nature have earned him the endearing nickname of "big bear", a beloved persona immortalised as FFFA's cheerful mascot, complete with glasses and a beaming smile.

"Before FFFA, I was the life of the party," he says. It's not hard to believe Nizar has an obvious knack for witty banter, punctuating serious moments of our conversation with self-deprecating jokes.

Once a corrosion engineer, Nizar lived a life of luxury, owning a fleet of flashy cars and a portfolio of prestigious properties. His story is one of resilience and passion that began with the downfall of his father's shipping company.

"A few years into the business, my father was involved in the chambers of commerce and agreed to run ships for a country's president. We faced losses. Our greed got us thinking that it was because the ships were too small, so we bought bigger ships, but some were pirated, while others capsized or went missing."

A guarantor for his father's finances, Nizar was declared bankrupt at 27. With nowhere to go but forward, he restarted the shipping business. "I used those hard lessons to rebuild the business. I wanted to fight hard to get back what my father had lost," he recounts.

Working tirelessly towards recovery Nizar eventually fulfilled his dream of housing his grandfather, children and parents in one multi-level private property. What more can a man hope for? Well, that depends on what the man is made of.