Farrah’s endless love for furry friends

THE heart of an animal rescuer relies on a number of factors, which include passion, time, energy and dedication. Brought together by a love of animals, and saving the lives of hundreds of animals each year, Farrah Khan Maharajh doesn’t just love animals; she puts her love of animals into action. It’s true that no one person can save them all, but for Farrah, if you can make a difference in the life of just one animal, your contribution is invaluable.

The 31-year-old Redhill resident is the founder of Feeding the Furballs, a non-profit organisation (NPO) and PBO (public benefit organisation) which provides rescue animals and rescue organisations with food and supplies. It is the first of its kind in KZN and is often referred to as the animal version of Gift of the Givers SA.

“I don’t think many people realise how much animal rescuers are involved in. Once they rescue an animal in distress, they are between vets and trying everything they can to save the animal. There is not time for them to buy food or fundraise for the animals as well, so Feeding the Furballs was borne out of that need.

“We assist 30 animal rescue organisations who are on our beneficiary list. All you need to do is look at Facebook, which is inundated with pictures of animals in need. I didn’t just want to donate food and be done with it. The idea behind our NPO was to create a wishlist with items the various organisations needed,” she said.

Khan Maharajh, who registered her NPO in 2014, is assisted by her mother, Arlene, and two other volunteers, her sister, Rheem, and her friend, Mano, who are also referred to as her ‘minions’.

The former Avoca Secondary School pupil is currently involved in raising awareness about the Furballs’ 1000 meals campaign.

“We kind of stole the idea from a rescue centre  in Cape Town, but the concept is to give 1 000 underprivileged and rescued animals a meal. As it progresses, our poster with 1 000 bowls of food will be replaced with a picture of the animals helped as we hand out the food. It’s R50 to sponsor a meal. You can drop off food at the Spade Design Centre on Lothian Road or visit our Facebook page, Feeding the Furballs,” she said.

Knowing Farrah Khan Maharajh

Name five words that best describe you: “I would say purple, sarcastic, loyal, adaptable and passionate.”

What do you think about when you’re alone in your car? “What I need to do, my to-do list.”

What makes you angry? “Animal abuse and when my sister, Rheem, eats food that I had saved for later.”

Name one thing we don’t know about you: “I have social anxiety, people think I joke around but I’m extremely nervous meeting new people.”

What is your strongest family memory? “When I was younger, celebrating Eid and Diwali with my cousins, it was just awesome. It didn’t matter what religion we were, we came together and had the best time.”

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