By Syed Khaled Shahbaaz, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: About 18,000 families mostly comprising young widows in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states of India had their moment of their relief with the onset of Ramadan. Widows, some as young as 20 years old, most of whom now work as maids were in tears on receiving a month’s essential commodities distributed as Ramzan Aid.
Widow of one Shaik Jahangir, 26 year old Nasreen Begum explains “it is difficult to manage our monthly expense of nearly 4500 rupees while I earn only 2000 rupees a month by exercising menial chores at four different places.”
Shujath Babukhan, wife of Ghiasuddin Babukhan, Managing Trustee of FEED giving away food kits and essential commodities as Ramadan Aid to young Muslim widows in Hyderabad, India. Ziauddin Nayyar also in the frame.
She painfully expresses that the death of her husband Jahangir has not only risked their survival but also the education and future of her children. Despite all odds, this tough lady is unwilling to give up on their education and somehow manages to send her son Abdul Rahman (13) to an Islamic seminary while her daughter Raheema Begum (11) goes to an English medium school and her school fee is paid by Nasreen’s brother Khadeer (22) who works at a local pharmacy store.
Ziauddin Nayyar, Trustee of Foundation for Education and Economic Development (FEED) while addressing the beneficiaries advised them to exercise maximum efforts to educate their children assuring them that the Trust will support the cause of their education.
Shujath Babukhan, wife of Ghiasuddin Babukhan – managing trustee of FEED, who also volunteers for the Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust, said “these widows are young and helpless and more deserving as they have no body to look up to after their husband’s death since they come from weaker sections of the society”. For the last 21 years, the trust has been thriving to realize the dreams of these weaker sections and underprivileged to step up their social and financial stature.
The trust has altruistically commissioned nearly 1.45 crore rupees (US$ 275,000) to aid beneficiaries as a part of their Ramadan Project 2014. Iftar Food packs weighing 18kg each, 25 kg fidya packs in lieu of missed fastings due to ill health or any other reason permitted in Shariah, Fitra pakcs of 5Kg each, Eid clothes for orphan children and widow sisters and bedsheets were distributed to each family.
The beneficiaries who gathered at Unity Centre, Begumpet, Hyderabad to receive the aid also included physically challenged children and adults who cannot earn their bread and butter.
Zohra Begum, a widow mother of physically challenged 20 year old Ayesha says this relief aid is a blessing in disguise. Her 12 year old son Siraj earns 50 rupees a day for their living which is barely sufficient for her 3 daughters and two sons with the house rent consuming away 1200 rupees from their monthly earning.
“Aids like these add mileage to our life”, she exclaimed while praising the trust for aiding their livelihood.
The trust is gradually rolling out aid kits comprising wheat flour, tamarind, turmeric, chilly powder, Bengal gram, dates, tea powder, sugar, edible oil and 900 rupees in cash among other essentials in batches identified by geographical boundaries in these states as per provisional planning.
The lady Volunteer of the trust Aliya Vikhar also attended the distribution programme.