Supporting Shahzeb in the slums of Pakistan
Shahzeb is six years old. He lives in the narrow streets of a slum, his home a dark concrete box. No carpet, no running water, no heating.
The kitchen is a small gas canister in the corner, a few bricks with a pot on top. When it rains heavily, the gutters overflow and faeces are carried into his home, bringing the risk of disease.
Shahzeb is also an orphan. His father died four years ago from tuberculosis, leaving his mother Gulshan to raise Shahzeb and his five sisters alone.
“I can’t work with my hands; what can we do?” Gulshan has a disability that means she only has the use of one arm, leaving her unable to work. Her options are minimal: beg on the streets, or marry her children off young to ensure they are taken care of by someone else.
Shahzeb was found by Islamic Relief’s community liaison team and identified as someone in particular need of support. The help he will receive will not only support Shahzeb, but it will also help his entire family get back on their feet. It means that food, clean water and education will finally be within their reach.
Shahzeb has a lost look on his face, and there are millions of people across Pakistan just like him and his family. More than half the population still live below the poverty line – over 100 million people.
This Ramadan, your support could mean a real difference to a family like his. A food parcel would feed them for the month, but the chance to start earning a living could feed them for years to come, so that children don’t have to beg or become child brides.
£30 could provide a Ramadan family food parcel
£90 could give two families enough chickens to start producing and selling eggs
£240 could give one young person a training scholarship, helping them find employment
It gets even better. Alhamdulillah (thanks be to Allah), Islamic Relief can double your donations this Ramadan with match funding from the UK Government! That means your donation could support twice as many families, at no extra cost to you. The funding we receive from the Government will enable us to transform entire villages across Sudan – the very first country we worked in 30 years ago – giving thousands of children and families a better life, for good.
Donate before 3rd August to support not one but two families like Shahzeb’s in their fight against poverty.