Ibrahim Mamo Jarrso, 73, lives in Moyale Town, Ethiopia. Since his left leg was amputated, he has been unable to earn a living as a farmer – and with five children to provide for, life is hard.
There is a severe water shortage in Moyale town, forcing local people – usually women and children –to walk up to three hours a day to the nearest source of clean water. For Ibrahim’s family, without an income, the hardship is even greater. To survive, he relies on assistance from his neighbours or charity from strangers.
“If our neighbours do not give us anything, or I cannot manage to bring anything home, we skip meals,” he told us when we met him during our Ramadan distribution this year. “Many days, we had just a little food to give to my children. Their mother and I spent the day and night without any food.”
Food is more expensive this year, putting nutritious meals even further beyond the reach of poor families like Ibrahim’s.
“This year, there was drought. We did not have enough rain for the harvest, and the price of food items are increasing. We are praying that God will bless us with a proper rainy season.”
For Ibrahim – who walks with the use of an artificial leg – an Islamic Relief foodpack meant relief from hunger and the burden of finding food. His parcel included ten kilograms of wheat flour, rice, and two litres of cooking oil.
“Thanks to God, He brought Islamic Relief to our house so we do not have to worry about meals for the next seven days or so. My neighbours also get some relief too, since we have been a burden on them for a long time. I don’t have enough words to express what the food distribution means to me and my family.”
This Ramadan, Islamic Relief distributed 800 food parcels in Moyale town alone.