When Ameera and her family were forced to flee their home in war-torn Syria, the future looked bad. Risking everything, Ameera and her husband managed to make it to the UK with their four children. But providing for a family of six, in a completely new country, was not easy.
Here’s how your Zakat helped Ameera use her skills to get a job and help give her children a better life.
When war breaks out you don’t have a lot of time to plan. You make quick decisions and worry about the rest later. My husband and I had good jobs and a life in Syria, our children went to school as children do. That was before the war.
When the conflict broke out, we had to act fast. We had to get out, for the sake of our kids. We left everything behind, not just our belongings, but our lives.
In the UK we felt safer but finding the money to give our children a good life was very hard. I wanted to work, but as a refugee, with no local qualifications, it was not that easy. To keep busy, I volunteered my weekends nearby teaching Quran and Arabic. But I knew I could be offering more.
I found a course in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools. It was perfect, something I knew I had the skills to do and which would help me get a job and provide more for my family. The only problem was the cost of the course, which was over £1,000. I could cover a small amount, but I didn’t have anywhere near enough for the full course fee.
Just when I was about to give up, I was told about National Zakat Foundation (NZF). The Zakat you gave through NZF, helped me cover the costs and I’m now well on my way to becoming a qualified teaching assistant. I am looking forward to getting a job offer soon and I’ll be able to make enough money for my family, and at the same time help educate many more children in my area.
May Allah reward you all for giving me this opportunity. You’ve given me the chance of getting into work. But even more, you’ve given me back my hope.
This post is based on a true story.
