According to UNICEF, there are an estimated 4.4 million orphans in Indonesia. Many orphaned families are facing tough times with the loss of their sole breadwinner.
Last year during Eid ul-Adha, you helped us to provide a special gift of fresh Qurban meat and an essential Food Aid Pack for more than 4,000 beneficiaries in Aceh and Sri Lanka. Your Qurban sacrifice made a HUGE difference in the lives of these families, and we had the pleasure and honour of personally delivering your Qurban meat and Food Aid Pack to orphaned families in Aceh.
Amongst many families, we met Mdm Asnidah and her daughter, Mawaddah, 14.
We were saddened to hear that Mawaddah, at the mere age of 14, suffers from a severe blood disorder known as thalassemia. She is required to undergo blood transfusions twice a month and unfortunately, this affects her schooling as she will need time to rest and recover after each treatment session. Despite this setback, Mawaddah shared with us how determined she is to keep studying, and even expressed how she hopes to become a doctor one day.
During our visit to the household, Mdm Asnidar shared how she is the sole breadwinner of the family after having lost her husband years ago. She works odd jobs to support her children, which includes tailoring and washing clothes. Alhamdulillah, the family does receive some financial assistance and Mawaddah’s medical treatments are fully subsidised.
With the little income that she has, Mdm Asnidar is rarely able to buy meat; instead the family’s diet consists only of rice and vegetables, with fish as an occasional protein.
Mdm Asnidar expressed her deep gratitude to you, the donors, for the Qurban meat and Food Aid Pack. She also shared to our team how she planned to make rendang with the fresh Qurban meat for the family to enjoy!
We also delivered your Qurban donations to Mdm Tihamah’s family in another village in Aceh, where she lives with her daughter, Fadhilah and son, Umar. After being widowed five years ago, Mdm Tihamah works as a tailor to earn a living, mending clothes for neighbouring houses. Fadhilah is an amazing student, and recently won an award for a tahfiz completion at her school!
Mdm Tihamah expressed how she’s beyond grateful for what she’s already been given. She holds to the philosophy that we should never look at what other people have, and instead look at the blessings we’ve already been given and be thankful for them, and Allah S.W.T. will take care of the rest.
Mdm Tihamah expressed her sincere thanks to our team and you, our generous donors, for the fresh Qurban meat and Food Aid Pack, and especially for Fadhilah’s Orphan Sponsorship.
While everyone is embracing the joy of Eid ul-Adha, let’s make sure no orphans get left behind. You can help make it a special occasion for them too by sharing the fresh meat from your Qurban, or providing an essential Food Aid Pack that will sustain them for an entire month.
Perform your Qurban while making a difference in the lives of orphans.
