“When you ease a believer’s pain, Allah will ease yours on the Day of Resurrection.” – Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) (Sahih Muslim)
With gratitude and praise, I acknowledge Allah’s grace in allowing me to embody the profound teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
This day was dedicated to visiting the homes of the sick and the needy, distributing vital food aid. Moments come when you believe tears have ceased, only to encounter stories that deeply touch your heart. Let me shed light on two homes that left a lasting impact, along with a glimpse into the conditions within the refugee camps.
Home 1 – Meet Abdul, a 60-year-old Lebanese cancer patient. His voice resonates with the fervor of a builder recounting his life’s work. Yet, the present economic crisis in Lebanon has compelled him to come to terms with a painful reality: he can no longer afford the cancer treatment he desperately needs. Amidst this hardship he continues his daily struggle, recalling with tears in his eyes and pride in his heart memories of his son who has passed away.
Home 2 – We encounter a Lebanese widow, a mother of four, with her youngest bravely battling spinal cancer. Once confined to a single room, her life has been transformed by the compassion of Ashraful Aid’s partner organization in Lebanon. They constructed a modest home, filling it with life’s essential comforts and kindling renewed hope; a home she shares with her sons, daughters, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, who she proudly explains are named after some of the beloved prophets of Islam.
Our journey extended to four refugee camps, where daily sustenance hinges on the generosity of Food Aid. These camps, established on private land, require the refugees living on the land to pay rent and utilities on a monthly basis. The inhabitants, seeking livelihoods amidst scarcity, face minimal resources and rely on menial jobs and assistance from NGOs to meet the burden of their monthly bills which can be as much as $100 a month. Regulations bar permanent structures, leaving tents constructed from wood and adorned with plastic sheeting as their shelters. Within these humble abodes, sparse carpets and basic kitchen utensils offer solace, while a shared bathroom accommodates the ablution needs of four families with between 5 and 7 family members on average per family. These makeshift shelters are partitioned into rooms, hinting at the permanence of what should have been a temporary home. Yet for many, this remains their home 11 years later. The structure remains vulnerable to the threat of the elements and fire and the sobering truth remains that entire camps have succumbed to flames, leaving lives forever altered. If not the the threat of fire, then there is the constant risk of water damage or sewage running through the tents as the septic tanks overflow during the rainy season.
The Ashraful Aid team provided food parcels to over 150 families, noting that for many the next round of food assistance may only arrive in two months time. We also try to ease the burden of those requiring support for cancer treatment, knowing full well that assistance will be needed again next month. This is after all an area with the highest incidence of cancer in the country, and possibly the region, and yet there are almost no facilities to provide free or low cost cancer treatments.
We thank the donors for their generosity, and we ask the Almighty to accept their donations and reward us for our efforts, and give us the ability to provide continued assistance to those in need. Aameen.
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