35-year-old Nadia Abdel-Salam Hussein lives in Ayyat, Egypt in a one-room house with her husband and eight children. Nadia makes a living by cleaning houses and washing dishes, while her husband works on the local farms picking fruit and vegetables. Both suffer from serious health problems and struggle to earn enough to provide for their family. “What do poor people like us have to celebrate on Eid?” said Nadia. “We have nothing and nothing different happens on Eid day.”

“On the day we eat whatever we have been given by organisations like Islamic Relief. We cook the meat they give us with rice or macaroni if we can afford it. You cannot imagine the difference that this meat makes after months of having empty pots and no food.”

Nothing but water

“I rarely go to sleep on a full stomach as I can only eat a little to ensure my children have enough,” said Nadia. “Not long ago I survived on nothing but water for two whole days until one of my relatives gave me some food.”

“We normally just eat brown beans or lentils, or whatever we can afford. I wish that I had some land so that I could grow vegetables and could cook my children nourishing meals,” Nadia continued. “We rarely eat meat because it is too expensive and I worry about how this will affect the health of my young children.”

Help from neighbours

“I used to buy meat on credit but then the butcher would come asking for his money and I had nothing to give him. Thankfully now I have two ducks and three chickens that my neighbour gave me when my 14-year-old son Hassan fell ill. These provide us with eggs and I can sell them if times get too hard.”

Nadia’s son Hassan was diagnosed with cancer two years ago. While the medication and treatment he needs is free they have to pay for the cost of transportation to the hospital, which they struggle to do. “I blame myself for my son’s disease,” said Nadia “I feel so frustrated that I cannot help him or ease his pain.”

No choices

The family live in a small shack made from bits of wood and palm leaves. Recently her neighbours gave her some money which has meant that they now have running water for the first time, but there are no sanitation facilities and they have very little furniture.

Nadia said, “I have had to take all my children out of school except for my seven-year-old son Ahmad. I hope to be able to enrol my daughter soon and will do all I can to ensure they finish their education.”

“I feel guilty all the time that I was forced to do this and I know that they blame me. But I had no choice as there was not enough money to pay for their schools fees.”

Qurbani parcel.

“We don’t have hopes and dreams, and my only desire is that my family will have food, shelter and good health. I would love to see my children grow up to become doctors or engineers, but I know this is not our reality.”

“Yesterday my son Hossam was telling me that he would love to eat meat, but I said that we could not afford it. And then today here you are knocking on my door with this Qurbani parcel,” said Nadia. “I would like to thank everyone who has donated even just one penny towards this package and I wish them all a very happy Eid.”

Help some of the world’s poorest people celebrate Eid-ul-Adha by paying for your Qurbani today.