Forever remembering the support

The small tin-roofed house sits on a mud floor. It is sparsely furnished, with few kitchen supplies. The area has no running water or electricity so Nasrin Khatun and her family pay a neighbour for access to their water supply.

Nasrin, 34, and her husband have always worked hard to make a life for themselves and their three children. They moved from their home in Bihar province to Ahmedabad 17 years ago in search of a better life, and they were okay.

But COVID has changed all that.

In India, the pandemic has made life even worse for people already struggling. Thousands of people lost their livelihoods. Many migrant families had to leave their new homes and move back to their village. Nasrin Khatun is one of them.

Nasrin and her husband moved back to his parents’ house in Bihar. Flooding then forced them to leave.

They then decided to relocate to Bangalore, where her husband was able to find work at a poultry farm. However, the income was not sufficient for the family’s survival so they returned to Ahmedabad with no food or housing.

Nasrin and her husband were both able to find work, but still making much less than the family previously made in that city. Nasrin also does handicraft work but the supply of materials is limited due to lockdowns.

Islamic Relief, with support from Canadians through the Humanitarian Coalition, identified families who were struggling because of the impacts of COVID-19 and provided them with food supplies and hygiene kits.

“I have received kits and I cannot express how happy I am,” says Nasrin. “I will not have to worry to feed my children. Islamic Relief has supported in a big way, and I will be forever remembering.”