Hizam Saleh Hizam, 40, has three children to provide for. Living and working in the Yemeni city of Amran, he struggles to meet the needs of his boys.
“I am the only one providing food for my family,” he told us last year. “I work selling qat, through which I get five dollars a day. Mostly, what I get from my work is not enough to cover our expenses. Begging and borrowing money is the solution in times of severe need.”
Hizam is in poor health, with back and chest problems. “This cost me a lot of money for medical treatment,” he said, “but there are no promising improvements.
“The shortage of food leads to family problems and requires more work, which affects my health. Ramadan requires more work in order to meet the increased requirements for food – especially for breakfast and dinner.
“Usually, we eat a small dish of rice, yogurt, and bread. But in Ramadan we provide more choices of food.”
In 2013, Hizam received one of 8,606 Islamic Relief food packages distributed in Yemen at Ramadan. The parcels contained essential staples with which people can break their fast – including dates, rice, flour and cooking oil.
“What we receive from Islamic Relief gives us food security for at least 15 days. And, it helps us save some money for other things such as electricity or Eid expenses.”
This Ramadan, you can use the power of your zakat to help vulnerable families in Yemen, and other countries worldwide. Please donate today.
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