Many families in Jordan struggle to get through the harsh winters, particularly refugees who often live in dilapidated homes. Meanwhile, even keeping up with the rent is a struggle. An Islamic Relief intervention provides vulnerable families with cash support so they can choose best to spend this to meet their most pressing needs.
Renad’s story
“I go to work one day a week. For the rest of the week, I spend my time in the house. I cannot work more than this as I have a dislocated shoulder”, says Renad, a mother-of-5 from Ramtha, Jordan.
“Because of this, my son, who is just 11 years old, has to work in a greengrocer. He earns very little from this, but must work to support his family.
“Our living conditions are also very poor. Our house consists of just 1 room for the whole family. It is very humid and the sewage pipes are in a state of disrepair.
“Paying the rent on this small house is one of my biggest concerns, and we sometimes cannot afford water and electricity.
“Sometimes I could not afford to pay the rent, and my landlord threatened to evict us. I worried about what would happen to my family.”
Then Renad began receiving help towards the cost of the rent through the Islamic Relief project, which so far has helped almost 1,600 people across Jordan.
“Islamic Relief helped me to stay in my house and protected my family from becoming homeless.
“By working with the owner they made sure I was not evicted from my home, and also covered the cost of the rent I owed. I really felt they eased my worries, protecting myself and my family from becoming homeless”, she says.
Supporting Su’aad
“My family has no source of income. We rely on food coupons and help from others to survive”, says Su’aad from Ramtha, describing how she struggles to pay for accommodation. Her family of 7 live in an unventilated, windowless basement.
“I was constantly worried about being evicted as we could not always cover the rent. My landlord tried to evict me because I fell behind on my rent and owed him 600 JD (£625).
“However, Islamic Relief settled my rent arrears and we were able to continue living in the house. I was grateful that my family still had a roof over our heads.
“In addition, Islamic Relief also sponsored 2 of my children as part of its Orphan Sponsorship Programme. This helps to cover their expenses and has been an enormous help”, adds Su’aad.
Islamic Relief began working in Jordan in 1997, with an orphan and child welfare programme. We provide those in need in Jordan with emergency aid and help them to establish livelihoods so that they can reduce their dependence on aid.
Please help support our vital work in Jordan and around the world: Donate now.