Charity in Ramadan- Rebuild lives of white, blue-collar, abject poor 

By Wasim Abbas Toor

With the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, let us think of helping white and blue-collar and abject poor rebuild their lives and livelihoods broken due to rising poverty, price hike, spread of deadly diseases and floods, through Zakat and other charities.

Struggling to survive for the sake of marriage of his daughters, a blue-collar Nazir Ahmad, 50, with his three heart valves blocked has nothing to sell but his household items due to poverty. He can hardly get daily wage job, as his ailment does not allow him to take hard work.

“There is no charm in life as I cannot even breathe properly and I feel suffocation inside home. I always think as to who will look after my children, especially the daughters. That is why I wish to be alive till my daughters are married. But God knows better as to which way and how long I can pull on like this,” said Nazir.

Nazir who spends most of his night-time on a footpath near his rented house in Dhok Khabba, says now household items are slipping away one by one as almost every day he needs money for some modest medicines and food for the family and rent. He sold even chairs, tea sets and dinner sets. A few items are left at his house and he is eager to sell them either.

When he feels fit, he works even for overtime to earn some extra money otherwise, he has to depend on selling his household items and some borrowings. Besides four daughters, he has two sons; one of them is a special child with mental disorder.

Nazir is not an isolated case. If one goes to people, one can find thousands of such deserving cases who have the courage to live for one or the other cause despite all odds. Such people do not loose hope, as they do not want to be among those who are already lost. But as fellow citizen and Muslim in the holy month of Ramadan, we need to let them a helping hand so that their hope is not lost. Let us start locating such needy and the poor white and blue-collar people in our vicinity. Help them out from your Zakar and other charities and try to rebuild their lives instead of just giving them small financial support. Remember such people cannot beg like habitual street beggars. You need to walk to them to help.