By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: Eleven years ago, Mohammad Amin Teli, a resident of Meer Behri, Dal area in Srinagar District of Jammu and Kashmir was a carpet weaver, with a modestmincome. Yet, he was able to support his family of six including his frail mother, his wife, two sons aged 7 and 10 years and a daughter aged 11 years.
Life turned upside downin 2005 for the family, when Teli was diagnosed with blood cancer, which followed the treacherous period of selling their assets bought with his life’s income.
The disease has left Teli incapable of earning besides the cost of treatment has already brought them under a huge debt, which they say only Allah knows how they will pay off.
“Our family is now totally dependent on Sadaqaat (Charity) and Zakat for everyday needs and we have also registered ourselves with one social organization here who provide us financial help of Rs 1,000 per month, which of course is not sufficient for monthly needs,” Teli says.
Teli is not alone in the struggle for survival.
Zoona, 45 a widow lives about 4 kms from the city center, Lal Chowk in Mehjoornagar area of Srinagar District. Her husband, a fruit vendor who was the sole breadwinner in the family of five, was murdered by some criminals in his shop after 2014 September floods. After the death of her husband, Zoona found herself in a situation where on one side there was no one to support her financially, while on the other, she and her children had no place to live as foods had already brought down their house.
With no help from her in-laws, Zoona went in to stay with her brother, who himself was financially unsound thus unable to feed as well as educate her children.
To ease up their sufferings and ensure that families like that of Teli and Zoona have enough ration to feed their themselves during Ramadan, US based Indian Muslim Relief and Charities (IMRC) provided 700 families in six districts viz. Srinagar, Baramullah, Bandipora, Budgam, Pulwama, Anantnag of Kashmir division with ration for whole month of Ramadan.
“We distributed Ramadan ration among 700 families in around 20 areas spread across six districts of Kashmir division.Distribution was done primarily among widows, destitute and orphans along with the poor and needy. Most areas are those where ration was distributed last year in Ramadan and literally needy families in those were waiting for help in this Ramadan too,” said IMRC volunteer, Syed Tabbasum Geelani.
For Zoona, IMRC has always played a role of saviour for her family. About to take her kids off from the school after 2014 floods as she had no income to afford their education, IMRC made sure that they do study and paid their fee under its educational rehabilitation program for one year in 2015.
Another beneficiary, Nissar Ahmad of Chandpora in Srinagar works as a labourer. His means hardly meets the ends. Besides, one of his child is suffering from cerebral palsy, which eats even little what he earns.
IMRC’s Ramadan ration program was for him a means to save some money in the holy month to take care of other needs that were pending for want of money which he is not able to save.
“This month I will be able save money that I would be spending on food grains and from that money I shall be able to buy new cloths for my kids on Eid”, said Nissar Ahmad after receiving Ramadan ration.
Each beneficiary had a different story of survival but a common problem of financial constraints. IMRC is also organising a grand Iftar of 1100 and 1400 persons including widow, poor and needy in Kashmir this Ramadan