When Malak, a housing support officer from Hackney in East London, was forced to move out of her home during lockdown, the financial toll of providing for her baby daughter threatened to overwhelm her.
Here’s how your Zakat helped Malak get through a rough patch in time for Ramadan.
I was so thankful the day I saw the money come into my account. NZF had approved my application for a Hardship Relief grant. The £470 they gave me of your Zakat was such a massive weight off my chest. I could use it to buy a pushchair, food and other essentials for my 10-month-old daughter Jamelia.
Before I found out about NZF, things had started to get really tough. My husband was out of work and we were living with my mother-in-law. My job as a Housing Support Officer was rewarding, but money was always tight.
Nothing could have prepared us for the impact of COVID-19 though. My mother-in-law lost people she knew as a result of the pandemic. She was very anxious about me, given my job brings me into contact with hundreds of people each day. We were given no option but to move out.
I felt there was no option but to move out to protect her, but my financial situation just got harder and harder, and lockdown made it even more difficult for my husband to find work.
Things started to come to a head, I was in debt and we couldn’t even afford to furnish our new flat or buy things we needed for Jamelia.
That’s when I found out about NZF. I applied for help not knowing what to expect. But when I found out they’d support me with your Zakat I was so happy, Alhamdulillah. The money meant we were able to get back on our feet and buy essentials for my daughter.
The tough times aren’t completely over, but now we can go into Ramadan feeling hopeful about the future. May Allah reward every single one of you and accept your Zakat this Ramadan. Ameen.
Thanks to your Zakat, thousands of Muslims in need like Malak will get the support they need this year.
Based on a true story.