In a bid to curry favor with voters, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) is planning five outreach campaigns ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election, slated to begin 22 April.

The charity-driven campaigns would provide free or reduced-price bread, butane gas cylinders and job opportunities. The campaigns will start once the party's electoral candidates are announced to urge citizens to vote for the FJP.

The five campaigns are called: “Together against price hikes," “Forestation and cleaning campaign," “Physical therapy project," “No to unemployment” and “Together we build our country."

Amr Zaki, a member of the FJP’s supreme body, said that the party is launching the initiatives to address the people's basic needs and answer their demands. The "Together against price hikes" campaign, for instance, would entail selling vegetables, fruit and staple food commodities at wholesale prices.

The Muslim Brotherhood youth will take part in the efforts, Zaki claimed, and other party members will also lead parallel awareness-building campaigns to answer questions about the candidates and clarify the party's vision for the nation.

FJP member Osama Soleiman said the party empathizies with the suffering of the people, and is not trying to gain anything through these charitable activities, as some have claimed.

The party has drawn up new strategies to build public awareness about health and hygeine, and is meeting with governmentn officials to discuss what has been achieved in this field since President Mohamed Morsy took office, said FJP member Gamal Hanafy, who oversees the party's health and hygiene campaign in the western and southern neighborhoods of Cairo.

Saber Abouel Fotouh, a member of the FJP's supreme body, said the charity drives will continue even after the elections. He added that each Brotherhood member would donate to the cause by sacrificing three to four calves and selling the meat at low prices, starting at LE45 per kilo.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

