Amana, 40, has seven daughters and a son. They live together with Amana’s husband, a daily labourer, in a camp for displaced people on the outskirts of Afghanistan’s capital city.
With seven children living with them, life in Kodakistani Bagrami camp, Kabul, is hard.
“The first problem in my life is homelessness,” said Amana when we met with her last year, “We are living in very bad conditions here. We have only one room with no windows or doors. I don’t have access to a kitchen or washrooms so we use part of the corridor for this.
“My children are not going to school, because we cannot afford it. It is difficult to buy shoes, clothing and school stationery.
The burden of finding food
“There is always food crisis for us in this camp. Struggling for food is part of our everyday life. Each day in the morning we think about ways to find food for the children. Sometimes I work in others houses washing dishes, washing clothes, in order to get bread for my children.”
Amana was one of 137,400 Afghans to benefit from Qurbani meat in 2013 – which Islamic Relief distributed in Kabul, Balkh, Nangarhar, Bamyan and Kandahar provinces. Each family received four kilograms of fresh meat.
“Normally we eat potatoes and bread with tea. We are lucky if we eat rice and meat – nobody can afford highly priced food within our camp. People are too poor. Eid days are like other normal days – we can’t buy the Eid dry fruits or cookies, and we cannot go to the houses of our relatives and friends.”
Prayers for those that help
“Thanks to Islamic Relief for providing meat for my family,” said Amana, “The meat is highly valued by us. I will cook the meat and give it to my children – I send my prayers to the ones who help us.
“I want to have a home so that I can live in it peacefully. I want my children to go to school and study. I am worried about their future but I trust in God to lead my children to a good future.”
This year, you can relieve mothers like Amana from the burden of finding food at Eid. Donate to our Qurbani appeal today.
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