When the cost of living crisis hit Imran and his family hard, he couldn’t see an end in sight and was forced to borrow money from his family and friends. As his debt increased, so too did his anxiety and it took a huge toll on his mental health.
Your Zakat gave him the relief he needed so that he could be there for his family again.
Imran worked hard to take care of his family and despite things not always being easy, he managed to get by without taking on any debt. However, the steep rise in living costs hit him hard and suddenly he was struggling to provide for his family.
Imran’s salary would be spent in just one week as he took care of the rent, utilities, madrassah fees and fuel costs for the month. His wife Zaynab would use her weekly child tax credits allowance for food and other household items. But it still wasn’t enough as petrol, food, gas and electricity costs soared to new heights.
The couple cut back on everything and couldn’t afford new clothes for their growing children or any other items in the home that needed replacing. The school run became even more expensive, but they had no choice but to continue.
Despite living very frugally, Imran and Zaynab were forced to borrow money from friends and family to make ends meet. Every night they would go to bed worried about how they would get through the next few days and on top of that, the debt they had accumulated was a constant source of worry and stress. They couldn’t see an end in sight to their problems and everything began to take a toll on their mental health. Imran in particular found it very hard to deal with and became withdrawn from his family, feeling ashamed of having to ask for help.
But relief came when Imran found out about NZF through his local mosque. He immediately applied and received a grant from the Hardship Fund which helped him repay his debts as well as purchase clothing, shoes and other essentials for his children and home.
“I honestly have no words to express my gratitude. The money we received gave us more than just food and clothes, it gave me my dignity and my smile back. It gave my children their father back. And for that, I will always be thankful. Alhamdulillah.”
Based on a true story. Names have been changed and stock images have been used to protect identities.
