Sher Ali is a labourer, he lives in Sheen Kamar (Chimkani), Barra, Khyper Pakhtunkhwa.
The weather conditions in this region are so extreme and intense that it’s almost impossible to have a continuous source of income as a daily labourer.
“We don’t have enough opportunities to work which increases poverty and unemployment. It gets really difficult to find jobs but this is all I can do.” He also said that some people in their community used to help his family with their charities by giving Zakat.
According to Sher Ali, providing adequate amount of food and water and taking care of basic health needs of his family is nearly impossible. This is because not only his job is inconsistent but also there are not many health care centres in their locality.
Sher Ali said, “We barely manage to take care of things when I get paid, but my poor financial conditions do not allow me to save anything for perilous times.” Whenever a hard time came, the family’s health is the first thing to get affected due to a lack of food.
Throughout the year we keep worshipping Almighty Allah but whenever the month of Ramadan arrives, we can all feel a sense of attachment with our Lord. We try to be as obedient as possible and make sure nobody gets hurt with our actions. People try to look after each other and many of our community members help us financially as well as emotionally. This is why Ramadan has great importance in our lives.
Ramadan is not just the month of fasting, but also the month of inspiration and worship that upgrades us. Everyone likes to offer more prayers and perform different religious activities, but Sher Ali, does nto have much of a choice. “The weather is so hot, we are unable to find work in such conditions. Therefore all I do in such conditions is stay at home or go to mosque and offer my prayers. It is very seldom that a job may come.”
Since the family does not have enough resources, Sher Ali is unable to provide balanced and nutritious diet to his children. He said, “We eat bread whenever possible with potatoes or with chutney. Sometimes we have to survive on tea or take bread with water alone.”
Islamic Relief Pakistan lends a helping hand to those who are unable to celebrate the joys of Ramadan by sharing sufficient food supplies to last them the entire month.
Sher Ali is a recipient of the Ramadan food package, consisting of 40kg of food, including items such as dates, oil, rice, pulses and wheat.
He was overcome with joy upon receiving the food package, he said:
With the food packs provided by Islamic Relief, we have at least one less thing to worry about.
He went on to say, “I am extremely grateful to Islamic Relief Pakistan for the support that they have provided us with. I hope that this will not be the last time they help out people in need and will continue to do the good work in the future as well.”