Jahanara Begum, 47, lives in Chandpur, in east Bangladesh. She has mobility problems but still manages to work as a seasonal labourer, picking peppers for 20 Bangladeshi Taka (less than 1p) a day.
Her husband now lives with his second wife and so Jahanara needs her wages to feed the four children who still live with her. She has only been able to find seasonal work though, and it is not enough to buy more than the simplest meals year round. Her family rarely eats three meals a day.
To celebrate Qurbani, Islamic Relief gave her and her family two kilograms of meat. It gave them vital protein, which they struggle to afford.
“The bliss of Eid never touches us,” she said.
“During Eid ul Adha, there are no special arrangements. Eid, the day of sacrifice, is the same as any other day to us. I can’t manage to buy meat or fish for months.
“I am very happy as I have been able to eat a good meal, by the grace of God.”
Islamic Relief’s global Qurbani programme benefitted more than 47,800 poor families in Bangladesh during 2014.
Jahanara and her children, Ahmmad Ullah, 23, Ruma, 18, Rakib, eight, and Shojib, five, have also benefited from other Islamic Relief programmes. Most recently, we installed a tube well close to their home. Now they do not need to walk miles in order to reach clean drinking water or have to use water from a nearby pond.